What's New at DeWitt Company

As temperatures drop and winter winds begin to whip across garden centers and nursery yards, the pressure builds to protect valuable evergreen inventory. Whether you're managing a commercial nursery, stocking retail displays, or caring for landscape installations, your evergreens are investments. Don’t overlook their protection.

Fortunately, one tried-and-true material has proven itself year after year: burlap.

Why Burlap Works Better Than Plastic (and Most Other Materials)

Evergreens continue to lose moisture throughout the winter. When temperatures drop and soil freezes, plants can’t replace that moisture, which leads to winter burn, desiccation, and discolored foliage. 

While plastic coverings trap moisture and block airflow (often doing more harm than good), burlap offers the perfect balance of protection and breathability.

Burlap is:

• Naturally porous, allowing air movement to prevent mold
  
  
• Effective at blocking harsh winter wind and direct sun
  
  
• Gentle enough to prevent needle and stem abrasion
  
  
• Fully biodegradable and environmentally friendly

When used properly, burlap gives you the insulation you need without sealing in humidity or trapping plants in an anaerobic environment.

The Right Burlap for the Job

DeWitt Burlap Rolls and Squares are specifically designed for nursery and landscape applications. Unlike repurposed coffee sacks or craft-store fabrics, our burlap is:

• Available in multiple widths and pre-cut sizes — ideal for everything from shrub wraps to ball-and-burlap tree transport
  
  
• Made from 100% natural jute fiber and fully biodegradable
  
  
• Strong enough to stand up to repeated use in tough weather
  
  
• Easy to secure with twine, zip ties, stakes, or plant pins

Whether you're wrapping sensitive arborvitae and boxwoods, covering retail evergreens overnight, or bundling balled-and-burlapped trees for transport, DeWitt Burlap is up to the task.

How to Use Burlap for Maximum Winter Protection

1. Wrap Exposed Evergreens

Wrap burlap loosely around the plant in layers, leaving a gap between the outer wrap and the foliage to allow airflow. Secure with twine or staples. This guards against windburn and sunscald — two major risks for evergreens in winter.

2. Create Burlap “Screens” for Wind-Proofing

Instead of wrapping the plant, install stakes and stretch burlap like a fence 6–12 inches away from the plant. This blocks the prevailing wind without touching delicate foliage.

3. Cover Retail Displays

Use burlap to drape or wrap entire tables of shrubs, holiday conifers, or tender container evergreens when an overnight frost warning appears. Easy on, easy off — and plants stay sellable.

4. Protect Balled-and-Burlapped Trees

Burlap squares are perfect for retaining soil balls during transport and overwintering. They maintain moisture, prevent soil loss, and break down naturally by spring.

When Should You Use Burlap?

It depends on your region, but as a general rule:

• Northern nurseries: Late September through mid-April
  
  
• Mid-Atlantic & New England: Early October through March
  
  
• Midwest: Mid-October through April
  
  
• High-altitude and exposed areas (any region): Earlier and longer

The goal here is to maintain plant quality and appearance through the entire sales season.

Bonus Tip for Garden Centers and Nurseries:

Use burlap to preserve profit. Even if your plants aren’t sold until late winter or early spring, keeping them protected now avoids costly losses and markdowns in January and February.

Ready to Stock Up?

Whether you're prepping for a full nursery season, protecting container stock, or planning for high-volume fall installations, having the right burlap on hand is key. DeWitt offers both retail-ready packages and bulk rolls to meet the needs of garden centers, wholesalers, and landscape crews of any scale.

Retail-Ready Burlap (Perfect for Garden Centers)

Convenient, shelf-friendly sizes ideal for homeowners and small landscape jobs:

These are UPC-labeled and packed for easy point-of-sale use — great for garden center displays through Q4 and into early spring.

Bulk Burlap Rolls (For Commercial and Nursery Use)

High-volume rolls for field work, tree care, transport, and overwintering:

Available through our distributor network, perfect for Q4 prep.

Burlap is simple. It’s effective. And it sells peace of mind when the thermometer dips.

Whether you're managing a multi-acre wholesale yard or protecting a small retail setup, burlap is still the gold standard, and it will be for many winters to come.