Greenly Garden

When to plant tulips in Potosí: 3 January – end of June

In Potosí, tulip: plant from 3 January to the end of June.

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 Potosí: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in June–August; the coldest, June, averages -0.9 °C.

Planting3 January – end of June
First autumn frost2 February
Coldest nightsJune, -0.9 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring23 July
Daylight13:17 on 3 January
Daylight at the winter solstice10:57

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

Tulip in Potosí: 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 Potosí the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 52 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 Potosí the three warmest months bring about 285 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 Potosí; the closest date is in La Paz, 77 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Oruro228 kmby 31 March87 days later
La Paz426 kmby 21 March77 days later
Puno614 kmby 26 March82 days later
Cusco944 kmby 16 May133 days later
Ayacucho1,151 kmby 1 May118 days later
San Juan1,359 kmby 21 May138 days later

Where to buy tulip for planting in Potosí

Planting stock goes into the ground from 3 January to the end of June; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Potosí OpenStreetMap lists 16 markets (collected 27 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Potosí?

In Potosí, tulip: plant from 3 January to the end of June. 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 Potosí?

Last spring frost around 21 November, first autumn frost around 2 February.

Other crops in Potosí, with their dates