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When to plant crocuses in Traverse City: 10 October – 26 November

In Traverse City, crocus: plant from 10 October to about 26 November. For planting stock, the places nearby include I'm Planty & Fancy (garden centre, 1 km) and Hall's Greenhouse (garden centre, 2 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 Traverse City: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–March; the coldest, February, averages -7.1 °C.

Planting10 October – 26 November
First autumn frost9 November
Coldest nightsFebruary, -7.1 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring5 March
Daylight11:17 on 10 October
Daylight at the winter solstice8:48

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

Crocus in Traverse City: 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 Traverse City the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 28 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 Traverse City; the closest date is in Detroit, 2 days earlier.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Green Bay192 km30 September – 17 November10 days earlier
Grand Rapids201 km4 October – 29 November6 days earlier
Lansing244 km3 October – 29 November7 days earlier
Milwaukee266 km2 October – 25 November8 days earlier
Ann Arbor315 km6 October – 30 November4 days earlier
Detroit341 km8 October – 7 December2 days earlier

Where to buy crocus for planting in Traverse City

Planting stock goes into the ground from 10 October to about 26 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Traverse City OpenStreetMap lists 13 garden centres, 1 farm-supply shop, 1 market and 6 farm shops (collected 28 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant crocuses in Traverse City?

In Traverse City, crocus: plant from 10 October to about 26 November. 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.

When is the last spring frost in Traverse City?

Last spring frost around 2 May, first autumn frost around 9 November.

Other crops in Traverse City, with their dates