The Best Plants and Trees for Wisconsin Living

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Weather in Wisconsin is extremely unpredictable. One day it can be a sunny 82°and the next it’s a chilly 49° with freezing temperatures in the morning. (and let’s be honest, those two temperatures can be on the same day!) At Koch Kuts, we specialize in making sure you get the best outcome from your landscaping! Our professional landscapers have many years of experience in designing beautiful atmospheres with plants, flowers, and trees! Before choosing any plants, it’s important to know what will thrive in your environment. 

SE Wisconsin is known as “zone 5” in the horticulture world. Each zone has a different minimum extreme temperature to help determine how hardy a plant needs to be when planting. The best types of plants for SE Wisconsin are perennials which are planted, bloom in spring, “die,” then regrow the following spring. Because of our extreme temperatures, “year round” plants aren’t recommended. Annuals are okay for WIsconsin as long as they are planted after the final frost which typically happens mid April. Always wait until temperatures are consistently above freezing before planting!

Now that we understand a little more about why we can and can’t plant certain types of plants in Wisconsin, here are some of our favorite hardy options perfect for our inconsistent weather! 

  1. Purple Coneflowers. We love these because they are great pollinators and can bloom multiple times before the first frost occurs! They are very easy to care for and require limited maintenance. When they begin to look dreary and wilted simply cut off the top of the plant and wait for it to bloom again!
  2. Lavender. Lavender is beautiful, smells amazing, and is perfect for smaller gardens or grown in pots on your deck! Lavender will continue to grow with proper and simple grooming. 
  3. Ferns. Ferns are perfect for any shady environment and can even withstand below freezing temperatures. They are excellent fillers for other greenery and come in a few different variations. Ferns require minimal attention and love organic material like compost. 
  4. Jacob’s Ladder. Much like ferns, jacob’s ladder plans require very little attention and will continue to rebloom. The best part? They are deer resistant! They thrive in shade and moist ground. 
  5. Poppy. Poppies are the perfect plant to add some color into  your garden without taking up a ton of space. Poppies are relatively simple to care for and only require easy grooming to help make way for new buds. 
  6. Delphinium. Delphiniums are similar in looks to jacob’s ladder. They are tall, purple in color, and stacked buds that seem to get a bad reputation for being difficult. All they need is compost or other organic material, constant moisture, and sun! If you have any gardening experience at all they are the perfect option for height and color in your yard. 
  7. Fruit Trees: Apples, pears, peaches, plums, persimmons, cherries, pawpaws, and apricots are all fruits that do really well in colder climates. If you’re starting from a seed, the first year is crucial that you follow instructions and take close care of fruit trees, but after the tree is more mature they require little work. 
  8. Herbs: Some herbs that do well in zone 5 are sorrel, chives, thyme, parsley, mint, and sage. Do some research on the specific herbs you’d like to plant as each can be very different in what they require to thrive. 
  9. Other Produce: Asparagus, rhubarb, ramps(related to an onion), as well as most berries will do well with proper care in Wisconsin. Pay close attention to the specific needs of each crop and it should do well for many years!
  10. Hostas. Possibly  the most common perennial in the Midwest is the hosta! They are extremely hardy and will continue to thrive year after year with just simple care. They love shade and damp soil. In the hotter months they should be watered 3 times a week, but less often in the cooler months! 

Every plant is very unique in its needs, so it’s important for you to pay attention to each to ensure that they’re thriving! We wish we could talk about every different option you have in this article, unfortunately that would take forever! If you’re looking for a garden overhaul and need some help from the professionals, give us a call to discuss your wants and needs! We’ll get you started with a free consultation and estimate!

Seasonal Lawn Care Services Burlington, Wisconsin

Common Lawn Maintenance Services and How Often to Have Each Done

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Your yard is the first impression someone gets of your home or business so you want to make sure it always stands out. The best way to do that is to keep up with maintenance and, even though it may sound funny, listen to what your yard needs. Every lawn is different, so each lawn may need different treatments and services at different times, but here is a list of common services and when you should have them done!

  • Mowing. This would be weekly maintenance during warmer months. Your grass will continue to grow any time the temperature is about 40°F but thrives between 60-75°F. Keeping up with the minor maintenance can improve the overall feel of your home or business and keep your yard healthy. 
  • Core Aeration. This helps remove the “bulk” and adds a path so that seed, fertilization, and moisture can reach the roots of your grass and provide nutrients. It is essential in order to preserve the health and beauty of your yard. Depending on your soil, you should aerate your yard every 1-3 years. Unsure what kind of soil you have? We can help determine the best course of action for you!
  • Fertilization and Weed Control: These are the easiest services to keep your yard looking its best. We recommend fertilizing and weed prevention once or twice a year depending on the health of your yard. 
  • Overseeding. This helps thicken and beautify thinning yards. We recommend overseeding at least once a year in the early fall, however for the best results it should be done again in the spring. 
  • Edging. Basic edging around your yard should be done every time you mow for crisp lines and details, but bed edging is done as needed, generally once or twice during warmer months!
  • Pruning and Trimming. We recommend trimming bushes at the beginning of summer to keep them looking full and beautiful, and pruning trees during fall to prevent ice and snow from building up and breaking branches. 
  • Leaf Removal. Removing all leaves and other debris from your yard is extremely important before the first snowfall. Leaving a layer to gather under snow can suffocate your yard and leave you with dull, dead grass in the spring. 
  • Landscape Additions. If you’re wanting to switch things up with your plants and bushes, let us know what you are thinking of adding and we will tell you the perfect time to plant them! Some plants will thrive over winter months and bloom in spring, while others need sunshine and warmth to grow. 

If you’re unsure of what your yard may need, let us help you decide! We promise we will never take advantage of your trust and will always be truthful on what your yard ACTUALLY needs. We are backed by 25 years of experience and countless happy clients. We are fully licensed and highly skilled so you know you’re always getting the best when you choose to make Koch Kuts a part of your family. For more details on any of our services, a free quote, and to schedule yard maintenance contact Koch Kuts today!

Fall Lawn Clean Up Burlington WI

Why Hire a Professional Burlington Landscaper?

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Doing a project yourself always seems as if it is a more budget friendly option, making it appear to be the best choice, but is that always the case? Tackling any big renovation without the help of a trained professional can open up a lot of doors for errors that end up costing more money in the long run. There are many different factors that go into landscaping. There are many common mistakes that happen during a do it yourself project that in the end will cost you significantly more than a professional landscaper would have initially. 

One of the most common mistakes is not calling 811 before you dig. 811 is a national service that requests all utilities companies to come out and mark roughly where any buried wires, pipes, or sewer lines may be. A professional company will do all of that for you as well as pay extra attention that they don’t get too close to any of these areas. Hitting one of these areas, even accidently, can cost an average of $6000 to fix. If it is a city line, it can cost upwards of $15,000. This not only costs a significant amount of money, the time it takes would completely derail any time line you would have set for your project. 

Another issue that would come up is the potential for going over budget. Using a landscaping company such as Koch Kuts will help steer you in the right direction to keeping your set budget. Going into a garden center or home improvement store can get extremely overwhelming. Looking at everything you may or may not need causes you to spend uncontrollably. A professional can help you set a plan and will order any and all supplies. They also already have the machinery that you may need for big projects like tractors, skidstears, forklifts for heavy supplies. Not only can renting these things get expensive, but the average person doesn’t have the skills needed to operate them. 

Did you know that certain plant species can be harmful to others? If you plant broccoli (or anything else similar like cauliflower, brussel sprouts, or kale) by tomatoes or strawberries because it can steal the nutrients from the weaker plants. Just like people, some plants work well together, and some do not. Hiring someone who has experienced these things can eliminate extra headaches later down the road when plants aren’t thriving. 

In addition to these possible situations, landscaping is extremely demanding on your body and stressful. The last thing you should be doing on the weekends after a long, busy week is throwing your back out digging up your lawn. Let our professionals at Koch Kuts take over and bring your landscaping to lift. 

Contact Koch Kuts for your professional landscaping in Burlington Wisconsin and surrounding areas.