Bulb Desk: when to plant spring bulbs by zone
Plant tulips, daffodils, crocus, and other spring bulbs once soil at 6 inches is below 60F. In zones 3 to 8 that is about 2 weeks before your typical first frost to 2 weeks after it, and you can keep planting until the ground freezes. In zones 9 and 10, chill tulips and hyacinths 6 to 10 weeks and plant them mid December to early January.
When to plant tulip, daffodil, crocus, and other spring bulbs in your zone, keyed to first frost. Depth and spacing, a bed calculator, deer ratings, and warm-zone pre-chill dates.
Spring bulb planting dates by zone
| Zone | Typical first frost | Best window | Last call (ground freezing) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | Sep 15 | Sep 1 to Sep 29 | Oct 27 |
| Zone 4 | Sep 25 | Sep 11 to Oct 9 | Nov 6 |
| Zone 5 | Oct 10 | Sep 26 to Oct 24 | Nov 21 |
| Zone 6 | Oct 20 | Oct 6 to Nov 3 | Dec 1 |
| Zone 7 | Nov 1 | Oct 18 to Nov 15 | Dec 13 |
| Zone 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 1 to Nov 29 | Dec 27 |
Best window is first frost minus 14 days to plus 14 days. Last call is first frost plus 42 days, the same ground-freeze estimate the Garlic Desk uses. Zone 8b, 9, and 10: refrigerate tulips and hyacinths by about Oct 20 and plant Dec 15 to Jan 5. Jonquil and tazetta daffodils go in Oct 1 to Nov 30 with no chill.
Depth, spacing, and deer ratings
| Bulb | Depth (to bottom) | Spacing | Bloom | Zones | Rutgers deer rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowdrops | 3 to 4 in | 3 in | Late winter | 3 to 7 | A |
| Crocus | 3 to 4 in | 3 in | Early spring | 3 to 8 | B |
| Siberian squill | 3 to 4 in | 3 in | Early spring | 3 to 8 | A |
| Daffodils | 6 to 8 in | 6 in | Early to mid spring | 3 to 8; jonquil and tazetta types in 9 to 10 | A |
| Grape hyacinth | 3 to 4 in | 3 in | Early to mid spring | 3 to 8 | B |
| Hyacinths | 6 in | 6 in | Mid spring | 4 to 7; pre-chill in 8b to 10 | B |
| Tulips | 6 to 8 in | 4 to 6 in | Mid to late spring | 3 to 7; pre-chill in 8b to 10 | D |
| Ornamental allium | 6 to 8 in | 8 to 12 in | Late spring to early summer | 4 to 8 | A |
Deer ratings: A rarely damaged, B seldom severely damaged, D frequently severely damaged (Rutgers Cooperative Extension).
Sources
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