When to Plant Tulip Bulbs by Zone
Plant tulips once soil at 6 inches is below 60F: early October to early November in zone 6, mid September to early October in zone 4. Zones 9 and 10 chill...
Published by ThriveThyme
bulbs tulips fall planting zones
The Short Answer
Plant tulip bulbs in fall once the soil at 6 inches deep is below 60F. In zones 3 to 8 that lands about 2 weeks before your typical first frost through 2 weeks after it. You can keep planting until the ground freezes. In zones 9 and 10, chill the bulbs in the refrigerator for 6 to 10 weeks, then plant from mid December to early January.
Get your own dates, plus a bed calculator and planting checklist, on the Bulb Desk.
Tulip Planting Dates by Zone
Dates come from the ThriveThyme zone first frost table. The best window is first frost minus 14 days to first frost plus 14 days. The last call is our estimate of when the ground freezes: first frost plus 6 weeks, the same estimate the Garlic Desk uses.
- Zone 3: Sep 1 to Sep 29. Last call about Oct 27.
- Zone 4: Sep 11 to Oct 9. Last call about Nov 6.
- Zone 5: Sep 26 to Oct 24. Last call about Nov 21.
- Zone 6: Oct 6 to Nov 3. Last call about Dec 1.
- Zone 7: Oct 18 to Nov 15. Last call about Dec 13.
- Zone 8a: Nov 1 to Nov 29. Last call about Dec 27.
- Zone 8b, 9, and 10: refrigerate bulbs by about Oct 20, then plant Dec 15 to Jan 5. Grow them as annuals.
Your yard can run a week or two off the zone average. If you set a first frost date in My Garden, the Bulb Desk uses it.
How to Tell the Soil Is Ready
Push a soil thermometer 6 inches down in the morning. A reading under 60F for several days means plant. Nebraska Extension gives the same rule: plant when soil falls below 60F so roots grow before the ground freezes.
Bought bulbs early? Keep them dry at 60 to 65F, out of the sun and away from apples and other ripening fruit.
How to Plant Tulips
- Depth: 6 to 8 inches to the bottom of the bulb.
- Spacing: 4 to 6 inches apart. That is about 6 bulbs per square foot.
- Pointy end up. Firm the soil so there are no air pockets.
- Water well. If fall is dry, water once a week until the ground freezes.
- Add 2 to 3 inches of mulch after the ground freezes.
More detail is in how deep and how far apart to plant bulbs.
Why Tulips Need Cold
Spring bulbs need 12 to 16 weeks at 40 to 45F to bloom, per Iowa State Extension. Zones 3 to 8 supply that outdoors. Zone 9 and 10 winters do not, so you supply it in the refrigerator. Steps are in how to pre-chill tulip bulbs.
Can You Plant Tulips After Frost or in December?
Yes, as long as you can dig. A late bulb in cold ground does better than one left in the garage. Bulbs dry out in storage and will not keep until next fall. If the ground is already frozen, pot the bulbs and keep the pots in an unheated garage at 35 to 48F, then set them out in spring.
Deer, Squirrels, and Voles
Rutgers rates tulips as frequently severely damaged by deer, their worst rating. Squirrels and voles dig and eat the bulbs. Lay hardware cloth or chicken wire over the bed after planting, or plant daffodils, which animals leave alone. See deer-resistant spring bulbs.
Will Tulips Come Back Next Year?
Many hybrid tulips bloom best the first spring and fade after that. In zones 8b to 10 treat them as annuals. Small species tulips are the most likely to return. For flowers that come back for years, plant daffodils.
Sources
- Nebraska Extension, Spring Flowering Bulbs (G1742)
- Iowa State University Extension, Handling Spring-Flowering Bulbs During Fall
- Texas A&M AgriLife, Tips for Fall Bulb Planting
- LSU AgCenter, Time to Plant Tulips and Hyacinths
- Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance
Next Steps
Check your zone on the Bulb Desk, confirm your date on the first frost date page, and plant garlic the same weeks if you grow it.