When to plant hyacinths in Yellowknife: 4 September – 4 October

In Yellowknife, hyacinth: plant from 4 September to about 4 October. For planting stock, the places nearby include Boreal Garden Centre (garden centre, 3 km) and Arctic Farmer Landscaping (garden centre, 4 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 Yellowknife: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in October–April; the coldest, February, averages -27.2 °C.

Planting	4 September – 4 October
First autumn frost	4 October
Coldest nights	February, -27.2 °C
Soil back at 1 °C in spring	4 May
Daylight	14:09 on 4 September
Daylight at the winter solstice	4:58

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

Hyacinth in Yellowknife: 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 Yellowknife the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 37 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 Yellowknife, Whitehorse is 6 days earlier and Kelowna 27 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Edmonton	991 km	6 September – 19 October	2 days later
Whitehorse	1,107 km	29 August – 7 October	6 days earlier
Juneau	1,189 km	6 September – 12 October	2 days later
Saskatoon	1,235 km	6 September – 19 October	2 days later
Calgary	1,268 km	1 September – 26 October	3 days earlier
Kelowna	1,432 km	1 October – 27 November	27 days later

Where to buy hyacinth for planting in Yellowknife

Planting stock goes into the ground from 4 September to about 4 October; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Yellowknife OpenStreetMap lists 2 garden centres (collected 28 October 2026).

Boreal Garden Centre — garden centre
Drybones Drive 101 · 3 km
Arctic Farmer Landscaping — garden centre
Drybones Drive 106 · 4 km

Questions