When to plant hyacinths in Budapest: 17 October – end of December

In Budapest, hyacinth: plant from 17 October to the end of December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Hunzag (farm supply, 1 km) and Bioháló bolt (farm supply, 2 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 falls below 0 °C only in January; the sources go no later than December. Sources: Iowa State University Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, UNH Extension, RHS, how the ground freezes (NRC Canada, CBD-26).

Hyacinth in Budapest: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–February; the coldest, January, averages -3 °C.

Planting	17 October – end of December
First autumn frost	16 November
Coldest nights	January, -3 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	8 January
Daylight	10:49 on 17 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	8:26

The same dates in Budapest hold for Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil and Crocus.

Hyacinth in Budapest: depth, winter cold, pests and pets

Plant hyacinths 10 cm deep, at least 7.5 cm apart (RHS). In the ground hyacinths are fully hardy, but in containers they can be frost tender in cold winters (RHS); here winter nights average below 0 °C, so wrap the pots or move them to a sheltered spot.

In Budapest the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 24 weeks a year (our estimate from ten years of monthly weather). For this bulb Wisconsin Horticulture Extension gives a cold period of 12–15 weeks at about 2–10 °C. The winter here gives that in the ground, so the bulbs need no pre-chilling.

Flowers get smaller in the years after planting: for full spikes, replace the bulbs or add a few new ones each autumn (RHS).

If squirrels are a problem, protect the bulbs with wire mesh (RHS). Hyacinths are toxic to dogs, cats and horses: intense vomiting and diarrhoea (ASPCA).

Sources: RHS, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, ASPCA.

Hyacinth in nearby cities

1 of the nearest cities share Budapest's date.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Bratislava	161 km	17 October – end of December	same day
Vienna	214 km	13 October – 29 December	4 days earlier
Brno	261 km	7 October – 24 December	10 days earlier
Ostrava	264 km	10 October – end of December	7 days earlier
Uzhhorod	272 km	1 October – 27 December	16 days earlier
Graz	276 km	11 October – end of December	6 days earlier

Where to buy hyacinth for planting in Budapest

Planting stock goes into the ground from 17 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Budapest OpenStreetMap lists 69 garden centres, 18 farm-supply shops, 2 plant nurseries, 58 markets and 13 farm shops (collected 7 October 2026).

Bioháló bolt — farm supply
Frankel Leó út 36, 1023 Budapest · Mon–Fri 11:00–18:00 · 2 km
Hermes Kertészeti és Iparcikk Szaküzlet — farm supply
Bulcsú utca 23/a, 1134 Budapest · Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00 · 3 km
Katica gazdabolt — farm supply
Szugló utca 77, 1145 Budapest · Mon–Fri 09:15–17:00 · 6 km
Kite Parkápolási mintabolt és bemutatóterem — farm supply
Építők útja 2-4, 2040 Budaörs · 8 km · kite.hu
Dankó Takarmánybolt — farm supply
Mátyás király utca 34, 2083 Solymár · Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00; Sat 08:00–12:00 · 13 km
Hunzag — farm supply
Mon–Fri 08:30–16:00 · 1 km · hunzag.hu
Öntbolt — farm supply
Mon–Fri 08:00–16:30 · 6 km · ontbolt.hu
Awatek Hidraulika — farm supply
Fő út 17, 1152 Budapest · 10 km

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