When to plant hyacinths in Cusco: by 16 May

In Cusco, hyacinth: plant by 16 May. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit.

Hyacinth in Cusco: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in July, average 2 °C.

Planting	by 16 May
First autumn frost	15 June
Coldest nights	July, 2 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	already in the first week of July
Daylight	11:29 on 16 May
Daylight at the winter solstice	11:20

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

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

Plant hyacinths 10 cm deep, at least 7.5 cm apart (RHS).

In Cusco the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 21 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

Around Cusco, Potosí is 133 days earlier and San Juan 5 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Ayacucho	247 km	by 1 May	15 days earlier
Puno	332 km	by 26 March	51 days earlier
La Paz	527 km	by 21 March	56 days earlier
Oruro	719 km	by 31 March	46 days earlier
Potosí	944 km	3 January – end of June	133 days earlier
San Juan	2,033 km	by 21 May	5 days later

Where to buy hyacinth for planting in Cusco

Planting stock goes into the ground by 16 May; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Cusco OpenStreetMap lists 9 farm-supply shops and 23 markets (collected 20 October 2026).

San Pedro Market — market
Calle Túpac Amaru 477, 08002 Cusco · Mon–Sun 06:00–18:00 · 2 km
Ccascaparo's Market — market
Calle Cascaparo Chico 700, 08002 · Mon–Sun 04:00–21:00 · 2 km
Mercado Tankarniyoc — market
Avenida Cusco, San Sebastián · public holidays, Mon–Sun 07:00–15:00 · 5 km
Mercado Wanchaq — market
Avenida Garcilaso · 06:00–18:00 · 1 km
Centro Comercial El Molino I — market
Jirón Gamarra · Mon–Sun 09:00–21:00 · 1 km
Centro Comercial América — market
Mon–Sat 08:00–20:00 · 1 km
Mercado de Rosaspata — market
Mon–Sun 07:00–15:00 · 1 km
Mercado de San Blas — market
Mon–Sun 08:00–16:00 · 2 km

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