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When to plant daffodils in Rochester: 13 October – 14 December

In Rochester, daffodil: plant from 13 October to about 14 December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Stem Plants (garden centre, 2 km) and The Garden Factory (garden centre, 7 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 Rochester: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–March; the coldest, January, averages -4.7 °C.

Planting13 October – 14 December
First autumn frost12 November
Coldest nightsJanuary, -4.7 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring8 April
Daylight11:11 on 13 October
Daylight at the winter solstice8:59

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

Daffodil in Rochester: 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 Rochester the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 25 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 Rochester, Toronto is 13 days earlier and Erie 7 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Buffalo106 km11 October – 6 December2 days earlier
Syracuse (United States)121 km7 October – 28 November6 days earlier
Ithaca121 km9 October – 4 December4 days earlier
Toronto153 km30 September – 25 November13 days earlier
Hamilton181 km8 October – 10 December5 days earlier
Erie231 km20 October – 22 December7 days later

Where to buy daffodil for planting in Rochester

Planting stock goes into the ground from 13 October to about 14 December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Rochester OpenStreetMap lists 8 garden centres, 7 markets and 2 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant daffodils in Rochester?

In Rochester, daffodil: plant from 13 October to about 14 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.

When is the last spring frost in Rochester?

Last spring frost around 20 April, first autumn frost around 12 November.

Other crops in Rochester, with their dates