When to plant daffodils in Elko: 13 September – 15 November

In Elko, daffodil: plant from 13 September to about 15 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.

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).

Daffodil in Elko: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in November–March; the coldest, January, averages -9.1 °C.

Planting	13 September – 15 November
First autumn frost	13 October
Coldest nights	January, -9.1 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring	9 April
Daylight	12:36 on 13 September
Daylight at the winter solstice	9:14

The same dates in Elko hold for Garlic, Tulip, Crocus and Hyacinth.

Daffodil in Elko: depth, winter cold, pests and pets

Plant daffodils three times the bulb’s height deep (RHS): about 13–15 cm for large bulbs, 15–20 cm apart (University of Georgia Extension). The RHS advises planting them early in autumn, ideally in September in the UK, so do not leave them late: aim for the start of the window, 13 September.

In Elko 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.

Daffodils are long-lived: clumps slowly expand over the years (RHS). Leave the leaves for at least eight weeks after flowering — they feed next year’s flowers (University of Georgia Extension).

Squirrels avoid daffodils, so they can be planted among tulips to reduce losses (RHS). Daffodils are toxic to dogs, cats and horses; the bulbs are the most poisonous part, and a large amount can cause convulsions and heart rhythm problems (ASPCA).

Sources: RHS, University of Georgia Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, ASPCA.

Daffodil in nearby cities

All the nearest cities on our list plant daffodil later than Elko; the closest date is in Idaho Falls, 1 day later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Boise	310 km	27 September – end of December	14 days later
Salt Lake City	324 km	26 September – 23 December	13 days later
Reno	375 km	28 September – end of December	15 days later
Carson City	391 km	22 September – end of December	9 days later
Idaho Falls	425 km	14 September – 14 November	1 day later
Las Vegas	522 km	by 12 November	60 days later

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