Greenly Garden

When to plant daffodils in St. John's: 11 October – 1 December

In St. John's, daffodil: plant from 11 October to about 1 December. For planting stock, the places nearby include The Seed Company (garden centre, 1 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 St. John's: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–April; the coldest, February, averages -6.9 °C.

Planting11 October – 1 December
First autumn frost10 November
Coldest nightsFebruary, -6.9 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring21 May
Daylight11:09 on 11 October
Daylight at the winter solstice8:26

The same dates in St. John's hold for Garlic, Tulip, Crocus and Hyacinth.

Daffodil in St. John's: 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, 11 October.

In St. John's the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 35 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 earlier than St. John's; the closest date is in Halifax, 1 day earlier.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Charlottetown805 km3 October – 20 November8 days earlier
Halifax897 km10 October – 1 December1 day earlier
Moncton933 km5 October – 17 November6 days earlier
Fredericton1,077 km28 September – 11 November13 days earlier
Augusta1,365 km4 October – 20 November7 days earlier
Saguenay1,366 km22 September – 30 October19 days earlier

Where to buy daffodil for planting in St. John's

Planting stock goes into the ground from 11 October to about 1 December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of St. John's OpenStreetMap lists 3 garden centres and 2 markets (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant daffodils in St. John's?

In St. John's, daffodil: plant from 11 October to about 1 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 St. John's?

Last spring frost around 19 May, first autumn frost around 10 November.

Other crops in St. John's, with their dates