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When to plant tulips in St. Gallen: 19 October – end of December

In St. Gallen, tulip: plant from 19 October to the end of December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Laternenhof (farm shop, 4 km) and Bio Hof Mädertal (farm shop, 10 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 St. Gallen: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–February; the coldest, January, averages -2.4 °C.

Planting19 October – end of December
First autumn frost18 November
Coldest nightsJanuary, -2.4 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring28 March
Daylight10:43 on 19 October
Daylight at the winter solstice8:27

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

Tulip in St. Gallen: 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 St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen the three warmest months bring about 416 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 earlier than St. Gallen; the closest date is in Zurich, 2 days earlier.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Zurich63 km17 October – end of December2 days earlier
Lucerne90 km20 September – 29 November29 days earlier
Bellinzona139 km16 October – end of December3 days earlier
Locarno146 km23 August – 27 October57 days earlier
Stuttgart152 km9 October – end of December10 days earlier
Innsbruck154 km7 September – 10 December42 days earlier

Where to buy tulip for planting in St. Gallen

Planting stock goes into the ground from 19 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of St. Gallen OpenStreetMap lists 7 garden centres, 3 farm-supply shops, 1 plant nursery, 3 markets and 24 farm shops (collected 27 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in St. Gallen?

In St. Gallen, tulip: plant from 19 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 St. Gallen?

Last spring frost around 14 April, first autumn frost around 18 November.

Other crops in St. Gallen, with their dates