When to plant tulips in Düsseldorf: 22 October – end of December

In Düsseldorf, tulip: plant from 22 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 Düsseldorf: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in January, average 1.1 °C.

Planting	22 October – end of December
First autumn frost	21 November
Coldest nights	January, 1.1 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring	21 February
Daylight	10:20 on 22 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	7:52

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

Tulip in Düsseldorf: 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 Düsseldorf the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 24 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 Düsseldorf the three warmest months bring about 231 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 Düsseldorf, Dortmund is 5 days earlier and Duisburg 1 day later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Duisburg	22 km	23 October – end of December	1 day later
Cologne	35 km	21 October – end of December	1 day earlier
Dortmund	57 km	17 October – end of December	5 days earlier
Hasselt	106 km	19 October – end of December	3 days earlier
Liège	108 km	20 October – end of December	2 days earlier
Bielefeld	149 km	19 October – end of December	3 days earlier

Where to buy tulip for planting in Düsseldorf

Planting stock goes into the ground from 22 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Düsseldorf OpenStreetMap lists 39 garden centres, 1 farm-supply shop, 8 plant nurseries, 46 markets and 64 farm shops (collected 28 October 2026).

Wochenmarkt Angermund — market
Angermunder Straße 1, 40489 Düsseldorf · Fri 07:00–14:00 · 11 km · duesseldorf.de
Wochenmarkt Freiheitplatz — market
Freiheitplatz, 40627 Düsseldorf · Thu 08:00–14:00 · 6 km · duesseldorf.de
Wochenmarkt — market
Kamper Acker, 40589 Düsseldorf · Wed 08:00–18:00; Fri 08:00–18:00 · 7 km · duesseldorf.de
Rochusmarkt — market
Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00; Sat 08:00–14:00 · 1 km · duesseldorf.de
Carlsplatz — market
Mon–Fri 08:00–18:30; Sat 08:00–16:00 · 1 km · carlsplatz.net
Hülsmeyerplatz — market
Tue 05:00–18:00; Sat 05:00–14:00 · 4 km · duesseldorf.de
Benrather Marktplatz — market
Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00; Sat 08:00–14:00 · 10 km · duesseldorf.de
Wochenmarkt Düsseltal — market
Thu, Sat 08:00–13:00 · 2 km · duesseldorf.de

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