When to plant daffodils in New Haven: 13 October – end of December

In New Haven, daffodil: plant from 13 October to the end of December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Shoreline Nursery (garden centre, 7 km) and Q-Gardens (garden centre, 12 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 average daily temperature here stays above 0 °C all winter, and at least three months average 7 °C or less: our rule of thumb for the winter cold spring bulbs need. Sources: Iowa State University Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, UNH Extension, RHS.

Daffodil in New Haven: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–February; the coldest, January, averages -3.4 °C.

Planting	13 October – end of December
First autumn frost	12 November
Coldest nights	January, -3.4 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring	15 March
Daylight	11:15 on 13 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	9:11

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

Daffodil in New Haven: 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 October.

In New Haven 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 New Haven, Manchester (United States) is 10 days earlier and New York 8 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
New York	113 km	21 October – end of December	8 days later
Providence	138 km	9 October – 30 December	4 days earlier
Albany	164 km	7 October – 30 November	6 days earlier
Boston	193 km	14 October – 29 December	1 day later
Trenton	197 km	13 October – end of December	same day
Manchester (United States)	222 km	3 October – 27 November	10 days earlier

Where to buy daffodil for planting in New Haven

Planting stock goes into the ground from 13 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of New Haven OpenStreetMap lists 5 garden centres, 1 plant nursery, 1 market and 3 farm shops (collected 28 October 2026).

Shoreline Nursery — garden centre
South End Road 9, 06512 East Haven · 7 km
Q-Gardens — garden centre
Boston Post Road 1546, 06461 Milford · 12 km
Van Wilgen's Garden Center — garden centre
Valley Road 51, 06471 North Branford · 13 km
Shelton Farmer's Market — market
Canal Street East 100, 06484 Shelton · 14 km
HTG Supply — garden centre
9 km
Simon’ Greenhouse — garden centre
11 km
Urbanscapes Native Plant Nursery — plant nursery
2 km
Clover Nook Farm — farm shop
15 km · clovernookfarm.com

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