When to plant hyacinths in Potsdam: 22 October – end of December

In Potsdam, hyacinth: plant from 22 October to the end of December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Foerster Stauden (garden centre, 4 km) and Potsdamer Staudenkulturen GbR (garden centre, 6 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 stays above 0 °C all winter, and at least three months average 7 °C or less: our rule of thumb for the winter cold spring bulbs need. Sources: Iowa State University Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, UNH Extension, RHS.

Hyacinth in Potsdam: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in January; the coldest, January, averages -0.4 °C.

Planting	22 October – end of December
First autumn frost	21 November
Coldest nights	January, -0.4 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	already in the first week of January
Daylight	10:15 on 22 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	7:40

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

Hyacinth in Potsdam: 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 Potsdam 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 earlier than Potsdam; the closest date is in Berlin, 2 days earlier.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Berlin	27 km	20 October – end of December	2 days earlier
Magdeburg	102 km	19 October – end of December	3 days earlier
Leipzig	127 km	18 October – end of December	4 days earlier
Szczecin	152 km	18 October – end of December	4 days earlier
Dresden	157 km	19 October – end of December	3 days earlier
Zielona Góra	175 km	14 October – end of December	8 days earlier

Where to buy hyacinth for planting in Potsdam

Planting stock goes into the ground from 22 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Potsdam OpenStreetMap lists 16 garden centres, 1 farm-supply shop, 8 plant nurseries, 12 markets and 28 farm shops (collected 28 October 2026).

Rosengarten — plant nursery
5 km
Ergänzungs-Rosengarten — plant nursery
6 km
Baumschule Kania — plant nursery
6 km
Gärtnerei Lärz — plant nursery
8 km
Lorberg — plant nursery
11 km
Gärtnerei Zabel — plant nursery
14 km
Foerster Stauden — garden centre
Am Raubfang 6, 14469 Potsdam · Tue–Sat 09:00–19:00; Sun 11:00–14:00; Mon 14:00–19:00 · 4 km · foerster-stauden.de
Potsdamer Staudenkulturen GbR — garden centre
Golmer Chaussee 47, 14469 Potsdam · Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00; Sat 08:00–14:00; Sun 10:00–12:00 · 6 km · potsdamer-staudenkulturen.de

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