When to plant daffodils in Poitiers: 20 October – end of December

In Poitiers, daffodil: plant from 20 October to the end of December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Jardiland (garden centre, 2 km) and Truffaut (garden centre, 5 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 Poitiers: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in January, average 2.5 °C.

Planting	20 October – end of December
First autumn frost	19 November
Coldest nights	January, 2.5 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring	8 January
Daylight	10:42 on 20 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	8:34

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

Daffodil in Poitiers: 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, 20 October.

In Poitiers the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 20 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 Poitiers; the closest date is in Le Mans, 5 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Limoges	109 km	28 October – end of December	8 days later
Angers	120 km	by 28 October	8 days later
La Rochelle	123 km	by 12 November	23 days later
Le Mans	158 km	25 October – end of December	5 days later
Nantes	160 km	by 30 October	10 days later
Orléans	188 km	26 October – end of December	6 days later

Where to buy daffodil for planting in Poitiers

Planting stock goes into the ground from 20 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Poitiers OpenStreetMap lists 6 garden centres, 2 farm-supply shops, 3 markets and 5 farm shops (collected 27 October 2026).

Gamm Vert — garden centre
Allée du Haut Poitou 16 · Mon–Sat 09:00–12:00, 14:00–18:45 · 8 km · magasin.gammvert.fr
Gamm Vert — garden centre
Allée de Flore, 86800 Saint-Julien-l'Ars · Mon–Sat 09:00–12:00, 14:00–19:00 · 12 km · gammvert.fr
Gamm Vert — garden centre
Rue de la Croix Berthon 20 · Mon–Sat 08:45–12:00, 14:00–18:45; Sun 09:00–12:00 · 13 km · gammvert.fr
Jardiland — garden centre
Mon–Sat 09:30–19:00; Sun 10:00–13:00, 14:30–18:30 · 2 km · jardiland.com
Truffaut — garden centre
Mon–Sat 09:30–12:30, 14:00–19:00; Sun 09:30–12:30, 14:30–18:30 · 5 km · truffaut.com
Gamm Vert — garden centre
Mon–Sat 09:00–12:00, 14:00–18:30 · 7 km
Marché dominical — market
Sun 08:30–12:30 · 8 km
Halles Notre-Dame — market
Mon–Sat 07:00–20:00 · 1 km

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