When to plant hyacinths in Madrid: by 28 October

In Madrid, hyacinth: plant by 28 October. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit.

Hyacinth in Madrid: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in January, average 0.7 °C.

Planting	by 28 October
First autumn frost	27 November
Coldest nights	January, 0.7 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	already in the first week of January
Daylight	10:38 on 28 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	9:17

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

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

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

In Madrid the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 18 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 Madrid, Segovia is 19 days earlier and Talavera de la Reina 21 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Guadalajara (Spain)	51 km	by 25 October	3 days earlier
Toledo	68 km	by 6 November	9 days later
Segovia	69 km	9 October – end of December	19 days earlier
Ávila	89 km	18 October – end of December	10 days earlier
Talavera de la Reina	108 km	by 18 November	21 days later
Alcázar de San Juan	122 km	by 2 November	5 days later

Where to buy hyacinth for planting in Madrid

Planting stock goes into the ground by 28 October; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Madrid OpenStreetMap lists 18 garden centres, 1 farm-supply shop, 7 plant nurseries, 88 markets and 6 farm shops (collected 7 October 2026).

Mercado de Barceló — market
Calle de Barceló 6, 28004 Madrid · Jun–Sept: Mon–Fri 09:00–14:30, 17:30–20:30; Sat 09:00–15:00; Oct–May: Mon–Fri 09:00–14:30, 17:00–20:00; public holidays closed · 1 km · mercadobarcelo.es
Mercado Tirso de Molina — market
Calle de Doña Urraca 15, 28011 Madrid · Mon–Wed 09:00–20:30; Thu–Sat 09:00–23:00; Sun 11:00–17:00 · 2 km · mercadotirsodemolina.es
Mercado de Pacífico — market
Calle de Valderribas 30, 28007 Madrid · Mon–Fri 09:00–14:00, 17:30–20:30; Sat 09:00–14:00 · 3 km · mercadopacifico.com
Mercado Guillermo de Osma — market
Calle Miguel Arredondo 4, 28045 Madrid · Mon–Fri 09:00–14:00, 17:30–20:30, Sat 09:00–14:15, Mon–Thu 09:00–22:00, Fri, Sat 09:00–24:00, Sun 11:30–17:30 · 3 km · mercadoguillermoosma.es
Mercado Municipal Alto de Extremadura — market
Paseo de los Jesuitas 44, 28011 Madrid · Jun–Sept: Mon–Fri 09:00–14:00, 17:30–20:30; Jun–Sept: Sat 09:00–14:00; Oct–May: Mon–Fri 09:00–14:00, 17:00–20:30; Oct–May: Sat 09:00–14:00 · 3 km · mercadoaltoextremadura.es
Mercado Municipal de Tetuán — market
Calle del Marqués de Viana 4, 28039 Madrid · Mon–Fri 09:00–14:00; Sat 09:00–14:30; Mon–Fri 05:30–20:30 · 5 km · mercadomunicipaltetuan.es
Mercado de San Leopoldo — market
Calle de San Leopoldo 8, 28029 Madrid · Sun–Wed 11:30–00:00; Thu–Sat 11:30–00:30 · 6 km · mercadosanleopoldo.com
Mercado de Chamartín — market
Calle de Bolivia 9 · Mon–Fri 09:00–14:00, 17:00–20:00; Sat 09:00–14:00 · 5 km · mercadodechamartin.es

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