When to plant tulips in Dresden: 19 October – end of December

In Dresden, tulip: plant from 19 October to the end of December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Eberhard Hermann Saat- und Pflanzgut (garden centre, 3 km) and Gärtnerei Kühnel (garden centre, 15 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.

Tulip in Dresden: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in January, February; the coldest, January, averages -1.3 °C.

Planting	19 October – end of December
First autumn frost	18 November
Coldest nights	January, -1.3 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring	25 March
Daylight	10:32 on 19 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	7:54

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

Tulip in Dresden: 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 Dresden the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 26 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 Dresden the three warmest months bring about 202 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

Around Dresden, Liberec is 17 days earlier and Potsdam 3 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Ústí nad Labem	48 km	13 October – 10 December	6 days earlier
Liberec	98 km	2 October – 7 December	17 days earlier
Leipzig	101 km	18 October – end of December	1 day earlier
Prague	119 km	9 October – end of December	10 days earlier
Plzeň	147 km	6 October – 30 December	13 days earlier
Potsdam	157 km	22 October – end of December	3 days later

Where to buy tulip for planting in Dresden

Planting stock goes into the ground from 19 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Dresden OpenStreetMap lists 20 garden centres, 2 farm-supply shops, 12 plant nurseries, 23 markets and 34 farm shops (collected 28 October 2026).

Gärtnerei Kühnel — garden centre
Wachauer Straße 9, 01454 Radeberg · Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00; Sat 09:00–12:00 · 15 km
Eberhard Hermann Saat- und Pflanzgut — garden centre
Hofmühlenstraße 20, 01187 Dresden · Mon–Fri 09:00–17:30; Sat 09:00–13:00 · 3 km
Fontane Center-Wochenmarkt — market
Sagarder Weg 1, 01109 Dresden · Apr–Oct: Wed 08:00–16:00; Nov–Feb: Wed 09:00–15:00 · 9 km · fontanecenter-dresden.de
Naturmarkt Tharandter Wald — market
Pienner Straße 1, 01737 Tharandt · Sat 09:00–13:00 · 13 km · johannishöhe.de
Stralsunder Straße — market
Stralsunder Straße, 01109 Dresden · Apr 05–Oct 24: Thu 08:00–16:00 · 8 km · dresden.de
Wochenmarkt Alaunplatz — market
Thu 09:00–17:00; Sat 09:00–13:00 · 3 km · dresden.de
Münchner Platz — market
Apr 05–Oct 24: Wed 08:00–13:00 · 3 km · dresden.de
Sachsenmarkt - Lingnerallee — market
Fri 08:00–16:00 · 1 km · dresden.de

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