Planning a Patio - Mickman Brothers Landscape Design

Click here for information on Winter House Plant Care.

Mickman Brothers 2011 display in St Paul.

Are you pondering adding a patio to your landscape this spring or summer? Planning the details can start right now! You'll need to consider the various things you'll want to do on your new patio: dining; entertaining; adding a fire pit or fireplace; lounging; cooking (pizza oven or built in grill?); storage space; or any of your other spring, summer, fall and even winter activities. Determining the function of your patio can help decide many factors: size; layout; surrounding fences or retaining walls; and lighting needs.

Visit the Mickman Brothers Landscape Gallery to view examples of some Minnesota patios. Our Landscape Designers will be at the St Paul Home and Patio Show Feb 16th-19th at the St Paul River Centre and the Minneapolis Home and Garden Show Feb 29th-Mar 4th at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Our display area will have a variety of materials, patterns and functionality for you to see. We're hoping to inspire you this winter!!

Mickman Brothers Staff

14630 Hwy 65, Ham Lake, MN  55304

763.413.3000

www.mickman.com

Winter Houseplant Care - Mickman Brothers Garden Center

If you are anything like us, your houseplants take a backseat during the summer and are finally noticed and appreciated again when the Holiday decorations are gone.  They seem to shout “Hey, remember me!”  Houseplants cleanse the air you breathe and enliven your home, so here are a couple of things to do to keep your houseplants happy and healthy.

1. Repot. While some houseplants like to be rootbound (spider plants, mother-in-laws tongue) most would appreciate fresh soil and a slightly larger pot every year or two 
2. Give your houseplants a shower.  Dust can build up on the foliage of your houseplants and inhibit the plants ability to exchange gases.  Put all of your plants in the shower and give them a spritz with lukewarm water.   If you have calcium buildup around the edge of the pot (white/yellow crust) you may want to flush the pot with water until it comes out the bottom.  This will leach a lot of the salts from the soil.  Be sure to let your pots drain completely before returning them to their spots in your home. 
3. Increase humidity. Most houseplants are from tropical regions where it is naturally humid.  The dry air in our homes throughout the winter here in MN can have an adverse affect on them.  Try placing smaller plants in a tray of pebbles covered with water.  As the water evaporates it will create a more humid environment around the plants.  I keep a spray bottle of water near my plants.  Every time I go by I give them a spritz or two.
4. Insects and Mites. The most common insects for houseplants in the winter are mealybugs and fungus gnats.  Spider mites can also be a problem. Mealybugs look like small dots of cotton and can be very hard to control because they can get into small crevasses of your plant.  Try washing them off and using Neem Oil or Horticultural Soaps as an organic way of taking care of them.  If they cannot be controlled after two or three tries it is best just to get rid of the plant. Fungus Gnats are very small and you will usually see them flying near the bases of plants.  They usually will do no harm to your plant, but they do have an ICK factor.  They like moist soil, so if you let your plant dry out before watering this should take care of the problem. Spider Mites can be hard to see but you will notice their webbing.  Before the webbing appears you may see tiny little dots covering leaves.  The webbing will encase a leaf that usually curls under.  Spider mites like it dry, so keeping the humidity level up or spritzing your plants with water will deter them.  You can also use a chemical that is labeled as a miticide.  An insecticide will not work because mites are related to spiders.  Organic solutions contain horticultural oils.   I have spider mite problems every year with the hibiscus plant I bring inside after spending the summer on my deck.  I use a product called Mite X and that takes care of them.

I would also recommend using a systemic insecticide on your plants if they have spent the summer outside. Systemic insecticides get up into the plant and kill the insects when they feed off the plant. 

These a just a few general tips to keep your houseplants happy and healthy throughout the winter. 

Mickman Brothers Garden Center

14630 Hwy 65, Ham Lake, MN  55304  

763.413.3000

www.mickman.com

Winter Tree Pruning - Mickman Brothers Tree Services

Many times, trees are overlooked in the landscape because you don’t look up!  Trees are an important part of our landscape and can beautify your property if correctly cared for.  Indefinitely, trees need to be maintained to create a safe, healthy, and attractive canopy.

When trees are young, it is much easier and therefore less expensive to prune (remove) potential future hazards such as weak branch attachments and co-dominant leaders.  As trees mature, they need to be evaluated for potential structural defects that could cause harm to people or property and pruned by certified arborists.

Through proper pruning techniques, your trees can have a beautiful, safe canopy that can showcase your home’s landscape.  Remember, there are only a few things that gain value as they age – classic cars and trees!   Protect your investment with proper maintenance. 

Top 8 Reasons to Prune in the Winter

1. The tree is dormant which decreases potential stress to the tree.

2. It is easy to identify the tree’s structure and true form, since it's bare.

3. Less cleanup with no leaves on the tree!

4. Diseases and pests are not a problem. It's way too cold for them!

5. It’s easy to identify dead branches that need to be removed.

6. It helps spread out financial obligations to maintain your property (not all costs have to happen in the summer months).

7. It keeps arborists, like me, busy!

8. And the most important? Prune your oaks in the winter to stop the spread of oak wilt!  Whatever you do, never prune in April, May or June!

To schedule a free estimate, please contact Mariah Mickman at 763-413-8296 or mariah.mickman@mickman.com

For more info:

www.treesaregood.com

www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture

Mariah Mickman
Mickman Brothers Arborist
Landscape Maintenance
14630 Hwy 65, Ham Lake, MN 55304
763.413.8296
mariah.mickman@mickman.com

www.mickman.com