When to plant crocuses in Warsaw: 18 October – 27 December

In Warsaw, crocus: plant from 18 October to about 27 December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Rozkwitnie (garden centre, 2 km) and WSO (garden centre, 9 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 Warsaw: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–February; the coldest, January, averages -2.8 °C.

Planting	18 October – 27 December
First autumn frost	17 November
Coldest nights	January, -2.8 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	already in the first week of January
Daylight	10:31 on 18 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	7:42

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

Crocus in Warsaw: 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 Warsaw the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 26 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 Warsaw; the closest date is in Olsztyn, 1 day earlier.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Radom	93 km	16 October – 24 December	2 days earlier
Łódź	118 km	5 October – 22 December	13 days earlier
Olsztyn	176 km	17 October – 16 December	1 day earlier
Białystok	176 km	2 October – 6 December	16 days earlier
Brest	183 km	14 October – 12 December	4 days earlier
Częstochowa	205 km	11 October – 19 December	7 days earlier

Where to buy crocus for planting in Warsaw

Planting stock goes into the ground from 18 October to about 27 December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Warsaw OpenStreetMap lists 47 garden centres, 5 plant nurseries, 54 markets and 7 farm shops (collected 7 October 2026).

Sklep Ogrodniczy "Wrzos" — garden centre
Fabryczna 95, 05-270 Marki · Mon–Fri 09:00–19:00; Sat 09:00–16:00 · 12 km · facebook.com
Dom w Ogrodzie — garden centre
Modlińska, 03-149 Warszawa · Mon–Fri 09:00–19:00; Sat 09:00–18:00; Sun 09:00–15:00 · 14 km · wogrodzie.pl
WSO — garden centre
Trakt Lubelski 393, 04-667 Warszawa · Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00; Sat 10:00–14:00 · 9 km
Flora Point — garden centre
Mrówcza 212, 04-697 Warszawa · Mon–Fri 09:00–20:00; Sat 09:00–18:00, Sun 09:00–16:00 · 10 km
Sequoia — garden centre
Jana Rosoła 19, 02-796 Warszawa · Mon–Fri 09:00–19:00; Sat 08:00–16:00 · 11 km
Szkółka Roślin Ozdobnych — garden centre
Moczydłowska 33, 02-834 Warszawa · 11 km · lukomski.com.pl
Centrum Ogrodnicze PNOS Ożarów Mazowiecki — garden centre
Ożarowska 81, 05-850 Duchnice · Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00; Sat–Sun 08:00–16:00 · 15 km
Rozkwitnie — garden centre
Nowolipki 13, 00-151 Warszawa · Mon–Fri 11:00–20:00; Sat 11:00–17:00 · 2 km

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