When to plant crocuses in Istanbul: by 26 November

In Istanbul, crocus: plant by 26 November. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit.

Crocus in Istanbul: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in January, average 3.8 °C.

Planting	by 26 November
First autumn frost	26 December
Coldest nights	January, 3.8 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	already in the first week of January
Daylight	9:35 on 26 November
Daylight at the winter solstice	9:13

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

Crocus in Istanbul: 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 Istanbul the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 15 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

All the nearest cities on our list plant crocus earlier than Istanbul; the closest date is in Izmir, 19 days earlier.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Bursa	90 km	by 6 November	20 days earlier
Eskişehir	190 km	5 October – end of December	52 days earlier
Izmir	329 km	by 7 November	19 days earlier
Ankara	349 km	4 October – end of December	53 days earlier
Bucharest	447 km	20 October – end of December	37 days earlier
Konya	461 km	10 October – end of December	47 days earlier

Where to buy crocus for planting in Istanbul

Planting stock goes into the ground by 26 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Istanbul OpenStreetMap lists 10 garden centres, 4 farm-supply shops, 1 plant nursery, 88 markets and 9 farm shops (collected 7 October 2026).

Kastamono — market
Toprak Tabya · Sun · 3 km
Beşiktaş pazarı — market
Sat 08:00–20:00 · 5 km
Yeşiltepe Ekonomik Halk Pazarı — market
Mon–Sun 09:00–20:00 · 7 km
Beyaz Çarşı — market
Boşnak Hıdırbey Sokağı 31/A, 34055 İstanbul · 7 km
Yeşiltepe Kardeşler Daimi Ekonomik Halk Pazarı — market
Mon–Sun 09:00–20:00 · 7 km
Mercan Çarşı — market
Reşadiye Caddesi 108/A, 34055 İstanbul · 7 km
Pazar Pazarı — market
Sun 07:00–20:00 · 9 km
Didem Pharmacy — market
Talatpaşa Caddesi 56 · 10 km

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