Uncovering My Long Boxwood Allee
This year’s spring burlap removal project is complete.
Every autumn, for as long as I’ve been gardening, I’ve covered all my boxwood shrubs, various winter-sensitive plants, and outdoor ornamental urns to protect them from the season’s heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures, and damaging winds. And, every spring, when the ground begins to thaw, it’s all removed and stored away. The biggest part of this project is removing the burlap from my long Boxwood Allee. The entire process is a tedious chore, but this year, because we used our new industrial steel ground frames, the task of removing the metal uprights and purlin pipes was easier and more streamlined.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Once the temperatures are consistently above freezing, it’s time to remove the protective burlap coverings from all the boxwood around the farm. This was a mild winter, so we are about three weeks ahead of schedule with our spring chores.
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- To start, Phurba removes the wooden strips that help to sandwich and to secure the burlap around the specimens. These strips are at the bottom of the metal frames and screwed into taller wooden stakes.
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- In the proper lighting, one can see through the burlap. It has small mesh holes that allow air to circulate around the plantings during the cold season. Here, Dawa pulls the burlap gently off the frames, so as to preserve as much of the fabric as possible.
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- These frames are made from the same metal used to make hoop houses – strong industrial steel ground uprights and purlin pipes. These materials not only provide the necessary support frames for the burlap but also accommodate plant growth. I ordered all the piping from Growers Solution, a family-owned business in Cookeville, Tennessee.
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- Any snow that accumulates on top of the finished structures is meant to slide down the sides. Additional horizontal supports are available if using these structures as greenhouses. Here, Phurba removes the taller wooden stakes next to the metal poles.
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- These pipes are made from rolled galvanized 16 gauge industrial tubing. These top pieces are 10-foot wide bow sections that connect to ground pipes. These frames will last quite a while, I hope.
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- The metal poles are also buried at least eight to 10 inches into the ground, so they are secure. Dawa removes the metal poles and empties them of any soil.
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- The piles are piled neatly nearby, so they can be brought to storage in one group.
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- These fasteners are called tension purlin brackets. They connect the center piping to the bow sections of the frame. They are all collected in one bucket and stored with the other building pieces.
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- We use industrial burlap that’s available in giant rolls of 40-inches or 60-inches wide. These covers are used for about three seasons before being replaced. I always encourage the crew to save whatever is possible.
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- Phurba folds and rolls the long piece of burlap. One of the few downsides to this fabric is that it will start to fray and disintegrate after time, especially if exposed to moisture. In general, burlap is very strong and can withstand weathering and repeated wetting and drying with minimal loss of durability.
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- Taking down the burlap is a much faster process than putting the burlap up, but still quite time-consuming. We use a lot to cover all the many boxwood shrubs around the farm.
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- Dawa ties this roll of burlap with jute twine.
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- And then Phurba labels every roll for easy identification next fall.
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- A diagram is also drawn on the label for additional identification.
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- This is our Polaris Ranger EV 4×4, a very handy, smooth and quiet electric vehicle. All the Polaris Rangers get a lot of use around my farm. Chhiring carefully places all the pieces in the back and takes them to the specified storage area.
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- And here is Chhiring driving my Kubota model M7060HD12 tractor. I love this tractor. This tractor gets lots of use at the farm for carrying loads of materials, pulling or pushing agricultural machinery or trailers, hauling mulch and compost from our back-field to various gardens, and so much more.
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- The burlap is kept in the attic space of my stable barn where it can be kept dry until the first frost of autumn when it will be time to wrap the shrubs all over again.
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- Once the burlap is removed, it shows the beautiful green boxwood underneath. Some question whether covering plantings each winter really helps, but look how lush and intact the plantings are when uncovered – I definitely feel it is worth the time and effort.
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- And look – more spring growth below.
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- It makes me so happy to see all the green foliage in spring. Although this project was completed a couple of weeks ago, I hope you are all able to get some spring chores done around your home now while still maintaining good health and safety.
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