When to plant hyacinths in Van: 29 September – 21 November

In Van, hyacinth: plant from 29 September to about 21 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.

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 Van: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in November–March; the coldest, January, averages -9.8 °C.

Planting	29 September – 21 November
First autumn frost	29 October
Coldest nights	January, -9.8 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	11 March
Daylight	11:54 on 29 September
Daylight at the winter solstice	9:29

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

Hyacinth in Van: 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 Van the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 30 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 Van, Vanadzor is 34 days earlier and Ganja 43 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Yerevan	212 km	3 October – 4 December	4 days later
Erzurum	240 km	16 September – 20 November	13 days earlier
Gyumri	259 km	20 September – 23 November	9 days earlier
Vanadzor	275 km	26 August – 29 October	34 days earlier
Diyarbakır	282 km	26 October – end of December	27 days later
Ganja	353 km	11 November – end of December	43 days later

Where to buy hyacinth for planting in Van

Planting stock goes into the ground from 29 September to about 21 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Van OpenStreetMap lists 2 markets and 1 farm shop (collected 28 October 2026).

Cheese bazar — market
2 km
Büyük Rus Pazari — market
2 km
meskenler mevsim manavı — farm shop
2 km

Questions