Burlap Anyone?

Quite a few notables suggest using burlap to keep erosion down on swales.  Does anyone know of a Burlap specific thread?... if not:

1)  When to plant cover crops, does in the spring, or in the fall work best?

2)  Which weight of burlap works best for different applications?

3)  What is the recommendation of planting below, or above the burlap?... and mulching below, or above the burlap?

4)  Old Wisdom... what other things have you learned?

Dean Howard wrote:Quite a few notables suggest using burlap to keep erosion down on swales.  Does anyone know of a Burlap specific thread?... if not:

1)  When to plant cover crops, does in the spring, or in the fall work best?

 I plant cover crops when soil is bare, when I see a bald spot of soil. Many plants have specific times for planting recommended on the seed packets, you can usually fudge those by a few weeks.
annual rye grass can be sown almost anytime of year, grows quickly and when it turns hot it will die off and become mulch. Right now you can also plant winter wheats, cereal rye and barley.

2)  Which weight of burlap works best for different applications?

The steeper the slope, the heavier the fabric should be and you will want some "pins" to hold it in place. (I make my pins from tree branches, sharpened on one end)
generally I buy bolts of the heaviest burlap I can find at the fabric store, I don't buy any colors, just natural burlap.

3)  What is the recommendation of planting below, or above the burlap?... and mulching below, or above the burlap?

Trick question? I plant through burlap on areas I've used it. Think of the burlap as an erosion mat, something that holds soil (and seeds) in place while plants start to grow.
Used this way, it becomes like the backing mat of a piece of carpet. Then you just let it rot in place since the roots will go right through the fabric into the soil below.

4)  Old Wisdom... what other things have you learned?

Oh, my. So many things that there isn't enough room in one thread to tell them all. Look around permies, there is an encyclopedia of knowledge here for you to draw from. If you ask it, at lest one answer will be given.

Redhawk

Thanks BRH

I do have one other question in terms of planting above or below (no, it's not a trick question)...
I wonder if I'm not just feeding the birds or losing it to erosion to plant above it, with a little soil on top, so if I read you correctly, I mix in seeds first and put down burlap w/ no soil on top?

If you are buying it at a fabric store, you're going to be paying 2 to 3 times what it costs.  You want rough weave landscaping burlap -- not dainty clean finished fabric store burlap.  Google it and shop for it online.  

I just looked on Amazon and saw this:

https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Gardener-3103-Burlap-3x150/dp/B000HQOGLQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1479416407&sr=8-3&keywords=landscaping+burlap


A roll of burlap 3' x 150' for $58.

or this one:
https://www.amazon.com/AK-TRADING-Natural-Jute-Burlap/dp/B008ONWK6C/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1479416476&sr=8-5&keywords=landscaping+burlap

5' x 100' for $105


When in doubt, buy the big-ass roll.  You WILL use it all eventually.

Dean Howard wrote:Thanks BRH

I do have one other question in terms of planting above or below (no, it's not a trick question)...
I wonder if I'm not just feeding the birds or losing it to erosion to plant above it, with a little soil on top, so if I read you correctly, I mix in seeds first and put down burlap w/ no soil on top?

I lay down burlap then seeds (the burlap I use is very coarse weave so seeds fall through the holes) then usually spread a layer of straw on top. Soil will work too for the mulch purpose.
I think it is should a matter of personal preference, or try several ways and find the one that works best for you.

I make recommendations on what has  been found to work best for me on our land.
As always observation with a critical eye should come first, experimentation is finding the method that works best for that situation being addressed.

Redhawk

hau Marko,  the store I get my burlap from sells a 54 inch wide by 75 yard (150 feet) coarse weave, natural fiber burlap for 50 dollars.

When I was shopping around for burlap it turned out to be the best deal and much closer to Buzzard's Roost.  
Shipping costs usually is the crook in buying online for me.
Many times when I add the cost of the product and the cost of shipping the order product ends up more expensive than buying local.

One should always do their shopping carefully to save the most money possible.

Redhawk

...54 inch wide by 75 yard (150 feet) ...

75 yards would be 225 feet.  Great price.

dang, I pulled a Sheldon cooper with math.  Thanks for the correction John

I found out why it is so cheep, they get the stuff in with their burlap orders for the fancy, colored, finely woven burlap.
Apparently I'm the only customer that will buy the "coarse, natural" bolts.
The store only gets two or three shipments a year of burlap and the orders come with two of these "undesirable bolts".
The manager thinks they get them in just so the warehouse can get rid of them.

LUCKY ME!