Greenly Garden

When to plant hyacinths in Cedar Rapids: 25 September – 25 November

In Cedar Rapids, hyacinth: plant from 25 September to about 25 November. For planting stock, the places nearby include Walmart Garden Center (garden centre, 3 km) and Frontier Garden Center (garden centre, 8 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).

Hyacinth in Cedar Rapids: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–March; the coldest, January, averages -10 °C.

Planting25 September – 25 November
First autumn frost25 October
Coldest nightsJanuary, -10 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring23 February
Daylight12:04 on 25 September
Daylight at the winter solstice9:07

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

Hyacinth in Cedar Rapids: 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 Cedar Rapids 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 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

All the nearest cities on our list plant hyacinth later than Cedar Rapids; the closest date is in Des Moines, 2 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Davenport100 km30 September – 30 November5 days later
Des Moines165 km27 September – 29 November2 days later
Rockford219 km28 September – 25 November3 days later
Madison224 km27 September – 20 November2 days later
Peoria224 km1 October – 9 December6 days later
Springfield295 km2 October – 22 December7 days later

Where to buy hyacinth for planting in Cedar Rapids

Planting stock goes into the ground from 25 September to about 25 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Cedar Rapids OpenStreetMap lists 5 garden centres, 3 markets and 1 farm shop (collected 28 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant hyacinths in Cedar Rapids?

In Cedar Rapids, hyacinth: plant from 25 September to about 25 November. 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 Cedar Rapids?

Last spring frost around 22 April, first autumn frost around 25 October.

Other crops in Cedar Rapids, with their dates