Minnesota Water Garden Society

This information is a compilation of information from MWGS members and will be updated as additional information is received.

January
Take vacation in warm climate!
Run a pump to air exchange in water to keep a small hole in the ice. (Jan., Feb)
Order seeds and plants

February
Clean tools
2^nd Week – Pot Sauromatum Guttatum Voodoo Lilies and Peruvian Daffodils to start inside for plant sale
3^rd Week – Pot Calla Lilies to start inside for plant sale
4^th Week – Pot Tuberous Begonias and start inside for garden
Pot Amorphophallus Konjac Voodoo Lilies to start inside for plant sale

March
Open pond when temperature reaches 45 to 50 degrees
Unfence shrubs when soil is warm enough to pull out stakes and warm enough to work outside
Pot Dahlias and Caladiums to start inside for garden and plant sale
Start seeds and trim trees

April
Clean debris from pond, start feeding fish, pull plants from deep water to shallow water
1^st Week – Plant Cannas outside as soon as soil is soft enough to work.
Start heirloom tomatoes and basil seeds inside.
2^nd Week – Plant Calla Lilies outside.
Plant potatoes outside on about Good Friday
Apply Preen on garden areas where annuals reseed.
3^rd Week – Plant Gladiolus outside.
Transplant heirloom tomato seedlings into 4” pots.
Apply weed and feed to lawn when Forsythia blooms
4^th Week – Divide Lotus and Water Lilies. Move hardy water lilies to pond.
Mulch garden with last fall’s leaves
Check drip irrigation system for leaks and repair as needed
Harvest first crop of Sorrell
Put small fences around Hostas outside backyard fence until leaves are large enough to spray

May
Clean pond, add plants when temperature is right, add bacteria.
Clean pond, install pump
Fertilize perennials
Add floating plants i.e. water lettuce, hyacinths and water lillies
1^st Week – Clean and fill pond. Move Lotus to pond when water temperature reaches 60F
Participate in plant sales
Begin mowing lawn – mulch grass clippings in lawn, or if too long, bag and use in garden
2^nd Week – Move fish from inside home to pond when pond is within 10 degrees of 70F aquarium
Disbud Honeycrisp espalier apples to one apple per spur and put a bag on each when apples are dime size
Apply Bug-Geta to soil to kill slugs. Sluggo not effective because chipmunks carry it away; Some use Basic H
3^rd Week – Plant giant Taros, heirloom tomatoes, Dahlias and annuals after last frost
4^th Week – Plant seeds in garden for squash, pumpkin, zinnias. Plant Voodoo Lilies, basil in garden.
Apply 10-10-10 fertilizer to garden.
Mulch garden with shredded pine bark or coco bean hulls.
Check placement of labeled stakes and make new ones as needed.
Spray Hostas after they leaf out with Liquid Fence, Deer Off or Repels All to deter rabbits. These last 2 months.

June
Clean filters as needed.
1^st Week – Remove and pot first crop of annuals that reseeded from previous year and give them away
Remove leader from large Dahlias to reduce height and increase side branching
2^nd Week – Cut mums down to half size to reduce height and increase bloom
Apply Preen on garden areas where annuals reseed.
3^rd Week – Trim shrubs as needed

July
Clean filters as needed.
1st Week – Begin disbudding Dahlias
Pass out surplus plants at Edina 4^th of July parade
2^nd Week – Harvest 2^nd crop of Sorrell
3^rd Week – Host one public garden tour
4^th Week – Begin harvesting heirloom tomatoes

August
Clean filters as needed.
1^st Week – Begin dividing surplus perennials and pot them for next year’s plant sales
3^rd Week – Begin dividing Martagon Lilies as needed

September
Clean filters as needed
Split hostas
1^st Week – Dig Peruvian Daffodils and dry them in garage. Dig Sauromatum Guttatum Voodoo Lily and dry in garage
2^nd Week – Dig Calla Lilies and dry in garage
Start dividing non Martagon lilies (Asiatic, OT, LA, etc), replant desired quantity and pot balance for plant sale.
3^rd Week – Dig Giant Taros before first frost and pot them in 19” pots. Put them back in their hole and put sheets on them in case of light frost. When hard frost is likely, put them on dollies and roll them in and out of garage as temperatures permit.
About Sept. 20, harvest Honeycrisp apples
4^th Week – Dig and divide Jack-in-Pulpits before leaf drop hides red berries. Remove berries and give them away or disburse in natural areas. Remove seeds of other native plants (Eupatorium, Actaea, New England Asters, etc) and give them away or distribute in natural areas.
Before first frost harvest heirloom tomatoes, squash, pumpkins.
Harvest potatoes when vines turn yellow.
Harvest hard neck garlic when bottom two leaves turn yellow.
Donate green tomatoes to food shelf.

October
Clean leaves out of pond. Move plants to deep water.
Pull and clean pump
Cut down perennials
1^st Week – Start digging Gladiolus and drying them in garage
Dig Amorphophallus Konjac Voodoo Lily after first frost and dry in garage
Dig Caladiums before soil temps drop below 50F and dry in garage
Check aquarium supplies and purchase any needed (filter, test solution, Prime, Safe Start, etc)
Set up appointment with vendor for blowing out irrigation system the third week of October
2^nd Week – Rake, bag and save tree leaves for winter mulch. Bag any surplus for next year’s garden mulch
Drain and clean pond. Take fish into home aquarium. Put Lotus and Water Lily tubs on dollies in heated garage.
Take pond frogs to local natural pond.
3^rd Week – Plant any new lilies or new daffodils. Divide daffodils as needed
Blow out irrigation system
4^th Week – Fence all shrubs from winter rabbit or deer damage

November
Prepare pond for winter.  Remove large pump and set up small pump for air exchange.
1^st Week – Dig Dahlias two weeks after first frost and dry in garage.
Dig Cannas any time before ground freezes and dry in garage, then stack in egg crates
2^nd Week – Begin dividing Dahlias in garage and allow them to dry before individually wrapping each in plastic.
Begin packing away Calla Lilies, Peruvian Daffodils, Gladiolus in cardboard boxes .
Pack Caladiums in paper bags.
3^rd Week – Harvest last crop of Sorrell before they are covered with snow
4^th Week – Move surplus potted perennials for spring plant sales into heated garage before snow.

December
1^st Week – Finish dividing and packing away bulbs, tubers, corms and rhizomes – hopefully before Christmas!
Run a pump to air exchange in water to keep a small hole in the ice
Enjoy the holidays!