When to plant daffodils in Grand Island: 27 September – 1 December

In Grand Island, daffodil: plant from 27 September to about 1 December.

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 Grand Island: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–February; the coldest, January, averages -7.5 °C.

Planting	27 September – 1 December
First autumn frost	27 October
Coldest nights	January, -7.5 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring	14 March
Daylight	11:58 on 27 September
Daylight at the winter solstice	9:14

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

Daffodil in Grand Island: 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, 27 September.

In Grand Island the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 23 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

Around Grand Island, Sioux Falls is 6 days earlier and Wichita 3 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Lincoln	143 km	28 September – 7 December	1 day later
Omaha	206 km	26 September – 30 November	1 day earlier
Topeka	309 km	29 September – 30 December	2 days later
Sioux Falls	321 km	21 September – 16 November	6 days earlier
Wichita	370 km	30 September – end of December	3 days later
Dodge City	379 km	29 September – end of December	2 days later

Where to buy daffodil for planting in Grand Island

Planting stock goes into the ground from 27 September to about 1 December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Grand Island OpenStreetMap lists 2 garden centres (collected 28 October 2026).

Ace Hardware & Garden Center — garden centre
0 km
Walmart Garden Center — garden centre
4 km

Questions