When to plant crocuses in Moncton: 5 October – 17 November

In Moncton, crocus: plant from 5 October to about 17 November. For planting stock, the places nearby include Hardy's Produce (farm shop, 2 km) and MacArthur's Nurseries Inc. (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 date is about two weeks before the average daily temperature here falls below 0 °C (ten years of weather): an estimate, not the day the ground freezes, and a cold spell can freeze it earlier. Sources: Iowa State University Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, UNH Extension, RHS, how the ground freezes (NRC Canada, CBD-26).

Crocus in Moncton: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in November–March; the coldest, February, averages -10.4 °C.

Planting	5 October – 17 November
First autumn frost	4 November
Coldest nights	February, -10.4 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	3 April
Daylight	11:31 on 5 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	8:38

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

Crocus in Moncton: 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 Moncton the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 29 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 Moncton, Fredericton is 7 days earlier and Halifax 5 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Charlottetown	130 km	3 October – 20 November	2 days earlier
Fredericton	145 km	28 September – 11 November	7 days earlier
Halifax	186 km	10 October – 1 December	5 days later
Augusta	437 km	4 October – 20 November	1 day earlier
Quebec City	497 km	28 September – 4 November	7 days earlier
Portland, Maine	508 km	5 October – 26 November	same day

Where to buy crocus for planting in Moncton

Planting stock goes into the ground from 5 October to about 17 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Moncton OpenStreetMap lists 1 garden centre, 2 markets and 1 farm shop (collected 20 October 2026).

MacArthur's Nurseries Inc. — garden centre
McLaughlin Drive 232 · Mon–Sat 09:00–18:00; Sun 10:00–17:00 · 3 km · macarthursnurseries.com
Marché Moncton Market — market
Westmorland Street 120, Moncton · Sat 08:00–14:00; Mon–Fri 10:00–16:00 · 2 km · marchemonctonmarket.ca
Dieppe Market — market
Gauvin Road 232 · Wed–Fri 10:00–18:00; Sat 08:00–13:00 · 4 km · marchedieppemarket.com
Hardy's Produce — farm shop
Mountain Road 1063, E1C 2S9 Moncton · Mon–Sat 09:00–20:00; Sun 00:00–18:00 · 2 km

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