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When to plant daffodils in Melbourne: by 26 May

In Melbourne, daffodil: plant by 26 May. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit. For planting stock, the places nearby include Inner City Garden Supplies (garden centre, 5 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Daffodil in Melbourne: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in July, average 6.3 °C.

Plantingby 26 May
First autumn frost25 June
Coldest nightsJuly, 6.3 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in springalready in the first week of July
Daylight9:50 on 26 May
Daylight at the winter solstice9:32

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

Daffodil in Melbourne: 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, 26 May.

In Melbourne the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 7 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. That is less than the bulbs need, and without more cold they may not flower properly. In hot, humid Georgia (US) many large daffodils flower well in the first year and few, if any, in the second; ‘Ice Follies’ and the small tazetta daffodil ‘Erlicheer’ have done well there (University of Georgia Extension). Paperwhite narcissus needs no cold period at all (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension).

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 Melbourne, Canberra is 26 days earlier and Devonport 1 day later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Ballarat101 kmby 20 May6 days earlier
Bendigo131 kmby 20 May6 days earlier
Albury260 kmby 21 May5 days earlier
Devonport393 kmby 27 May1 day later
Launceston444 kmby 9 May17 days earlier
Canberra467 kmby 30 April26 days earlier

Where to buy daffodil for planting in Melbourne

Planting stock goes into the ground by 26 May; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Melbourne OpenStreetMap lists 24 garden centres, 5 plant nurseries, 22 markets and 1 farm shop (collected 7 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant daffodils in Melbourne?

In Melbourne, daffodil: plant by 26 May. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit.

When is the last spring frost in Melbourne?

Last spring frost around 4 August, first autumn frost around 25 June.

Other crops in Melbourne, with their dates