Greenly Garden
Get the app
EN

When to plant tulips in Dortmund: 17 October – end of December

In Dortmund, tulip: plant from 17 October to the end of December.

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.

Tulip in Dortmund: soil, season and weather

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

Planting17 October – end of December
First autumn frost16 November
Coldest nightsJanuary, 0.7 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring5 March
Daylight10:38 on 17 October
Daylight at the winter solstice7:50

The same dates in Dortmund hold for Garlic, Daffodil, Crocus and Hyacinth.

Tulip in Dortmund: depth, winter cold, pests and pets

Plant tulips at a depth of two to three times the bulb’s height, at least twice the bulb’s width apart, pointed end up (RHS).

In Dortmund 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 15–17 weeks at about 2–10 °C. The winter here gives that in the ground, so the bulbs need no pre-chilling.

Border tulips often fail to flower in their second year if left in the ground, so many gardeners grow them for one spring and plant fresh bulbs each autumn; Darwin hybrid and Kaufmanniana tulips reflower more reliably (RHS). Soils that stay wet in summer make reflowering difficult (RHS): in Dortmund the three warmest months bring about 228 mm of rain together.

Grey squirrels often dig up tulip bulbs: lay chicken wire over the bed until the leaves appear, or plant daffodils among them, which squirrels avoid (RHS). Tulips are toxic to dogs, cats and horses, the bulb most of all (ASPCA).

Sources: RHS, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, ASPCA.

Tulip in nearby cities

All the nearest cities on our list plant tulip later than Dortmund; the closest date is in Bielefeld, 2 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Duisburg50 km23 October – end of December6 days later
Düsseldorf57 km22 October – end of December5 days later
Cologne73 km21 October – end of December4 days later
Bielefeld92 km19 October – end of December2 days later
Hasselt162 km19 October – end of December2 days later
Liège165 km20 October – end of December3 days later

Where to buy tulip for planting in Dortmund

Planting stock goes into the ground from 17 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Dortmund OpenStreetMap lists 24 garden centres, 2 farm-supply shops, 3 plant nurseries, 21 markets and 35 farm shops (collected 28 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Dortmund?

In Dortmund, tulip: plant from 17 October to the end of December. 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.

When is the last spring frost in Dortmund?

Last spring frost around 17 April, first autumn frost around 16 November.

Other crops in Dortmund, with their dates