When to plant crocuses in Amsterdam: 22 October – end of December

In Amsterdam, crocus: plant from 22 October to the end of December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Grace & Graziani (garden centre, 2 km) and Intratuin (garden centre, 3 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Bulbs are best planted early in the window: late-planted bulbs may flower later or less well. Late planting works only while the soil can be dug. Mulch after planting.

The average daily temperature here stays above 0 °C all winter, and at least three months average 7 °C or less: our rule of thumb for the winter cold spring bulbs need. Sources: Iowa State University Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, UNH Extension, RHS.

Crocus in Amsterdam: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in January, average 2 °C.

Planting	22 October – end of December
First autumn frost	21 November
Coldest nights	January, 2 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	already in the first week of January
Daylight	10:15 on 22 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	7:41

The same dates in Amsterdam hold for Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil and Hyacinth.

Crocus in Amsterdam: depth, winter cold, pests and pets

Plant Dutch crocuses (Crocus vernus) about 12 cm deep and 9 cm apart; smaller species go 7–10 cm deep (RHS).

In Amsterdam the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 24 weeks a year (our estimate from ten years of monthly weather). For this bulb Wisconsin Horticulture Extension gives a cold period of 15–17 weeks at about 2–10 °C. The winter here gives that in the ground, so the bulbs need no pre-chilling.

Crocuses multiply on their own (they naturalise); in a lawn, hold off mowing until their leaves die back (RHS).

Birds, squirrels and rodents damage crocuses; planting under metal mesh may reduce losses (RHS). Spring crocus gives dogs and cats vomiting and diarrhoea; do not confuse it with autumn crocus (Colchicum), which is very toxic (Pet Poison Helpline).

Sources: RHS, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, Pet Poison Helpline.

Crocus in nearby cities

Around Amsterdam, Hasselt is 3 days earlier and Bruges 9 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Hasselt	163 km	19 October – end of December	3 days earlier
Duisburg	165 km	23 October – end of December	1 day later
Ghent	168 km	25 October – end of December	3 days later
Bruges	173 km	31 October – end of December	9 days later
Brussels	173 km	23 October – end of December	1 day later
Düsseldorf	181 km	22 October – end of December	same day

Where to buy crocus for planting in Amsterdam

Planting stock goes into the ground from 22 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Amsterdam OpenStreetMap lists 26 garden centres, 1 farm-supply shop, 3 plant nurseries, 23 markets and 9 farm shops (collected 7 October 2026).

Intratuin — garden centre
Nobelweg 10, 1097AR Amsterdam · Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00; Sun 11:00–18:00 · 3 km · intratuin.nl
Noorderbloemen — garden centre
Heggerankweg 61, 1032JB Amsterdam · Mon–Sat 10:00–17:00 · 3 km · noorderbloemen.nl
Ranzijn tuin & dier — garden centre
Spaklerweg 44C, 1096BA Amsterdam · Mon–Fri 09:00–21:00; Sat 09:00–18:00; Sun 10:00–18:00 · 4 km · ranzijn.nl
Ottenhof — garden centre
Plesmanlaan 140, 1066CX Amsterdam · Mon–Fri 08:45–18:00, Sat 08:45–17:00 · 6 km · tuincentrumottenhof.nl
Tuincentrum Overvecht — garden centre
Pieter Ghijsenlaan 9A, 1506PW Zaandam · Mon 10:00–18:00; Tue–Fri 09:00–18:00; Sat 09:00–17:00; Sun 12:00–17:00 · 8 km · tuincentrumovervecht.nl
De Groenwinkel — garden centre
Adriaan Loosjesstraat 40, 1035XS Amsterdam · Thu–Sat 10:00–17:00 · 6 km
De Oosteinde — garden centre
Schipholweg 1088, 2141BG Vijfhuizen · 15 km · deoosteinde.nl
Grace & Graziani — garden centre
Eerste Oosterparkstraat 73, 1091GW Amsterdam · Tue–Fri 10:00–18:00; Sat 10:00–17:00 · 2 km

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