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When to plant daffodils in Madison: 27 September – 20 November

In Madison, daffodil: plant from 27 September to about 20 November. For planting stock, the places nearby include The Madison Greenhouse Store (garden centre, 4 km) and Klein's Floral and Greenhouses (garden centre, 8 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).

Daffodil in Madison: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–March; the coldest, January, averages -9.8 °C.

Planting27 September – 20 November
First autumn frost27 October
Coldest nightsJanuary, -9.8 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring8 April
Daylight11:58 on 27 September
Daylight at the winter solstice9:00

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

Daffodil in Madison: 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 Madison 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.

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 Madison, Cedar Rapids is 2 days earlier and Chicago 10 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Rockford94 km28 September – 25 November1 day later
Milwaukee121 km2 October – 25 November5 days later
Davenport195 km30 September – 30 November3 days later
Green Bay196 km30 September – 17 November3 days later
Chicago196 km7 October – 3 December10 days later
Cedar Rapids224 km25 September – 25 November2 days earlier

Where to buy daffodil for planting in Madison

Planting stock goes into the ground from 27 September to about 20 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Madison OpenStreetMap lists 8 garden centres, 1 farm-supply shop, 3 plant nurseries, 19 markets and 1 farm shop (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant daffodils in Madison?

In Madison, daffodil: plant from 27 September to about 20 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 Madison?

Last spring frost around 27 April, first autumn frost around 27 October.

Other crops in Madison, with their dates