Question
Hello, I was wondering if burlap could be used to winterize mums?

Thank

Answer
Greetings, Dawn. It's nice to hear from a fellow resident of Illinois.

Yes, you can use burlap for this purpose. It should work. Not absolutely, but the odds are very much in your favor if you follow a few tips:

The sooner you can get those mums into the ground, the better. You can wait until the flowering display is over, but the sooner you get them into the ground, the sooner they can begin to form roots.

Don't cut back the foliage - leave it intact. This provides additional protection for the plant. You can, however, remove the spent flowers.

The burlap will help you to create a little microclimate for them, which is advisable with mums. It is also helpful of you plant them on the south side of your property and/or in a sheltered location.

Do keep watering them lightly to encourage root formation, but do not overdo it, for they will not survive in soggy soil.

Is this helpful?  If you have any more questions or if this is in any way unclear. please feel free to write again.

Best wishes.

Donna