When is the best time to plant daffodil and tulip bulbs?

[ChilliGirl]

I haven't done any of these for years, mainly because I'm usually so busy with other things, but when I have done them in the past I've usually put them in around early to mid September. However, I've since heard from two very reliable sources, that it's best not to put them in until late October.

Does anyone have any definitive answer here?

 

[gata montes]

Hi ChilliGirl and welcome.

To be honest its not easy to give you a definite answer on this one - as although somewhere between October and December is generally regarded as the best time of year to plant spring flowering bulbs in most Countries - I think that when is the best time to do this will depend very much on your climate - like for instance - in some parts of the world - late September to late October is considered to be the best time to plant Daffodils and November for Tulips - where as where I live - as its still far too hot at that time of year to plant spring flowering bulbs - we normally plant ours somewhere between late November and January.

In other words I think in reality if you are not living in a hot climate - you can't go too far wrong if you were to plant your daffodils and tulips somewhere between late October to November

Oh and I would just add that as there are many different varieties these days - there are sometimes even guidelines on the packaging as to when the best time for planting is

 

[evelynmcgregor]

I grew up on Texas and my mom always put her flower bulbs in the ground in late November due to the heat. Here in North Alabama, I put mine in the ground in late October because by then the heat is past. I always have blooms in the spring, so I must be doing something right. I also do not dig the bulbs and store them until the next year.

 

[Jewell]

I put mine in the ground as soon as they are available in my area. They store much better in the ground than anywhere else and are more likely to start root growth when the weather changes. Bulbs that go on year after year are in the ground already, so varieties that do well in your climate and propagate are happy in the soil.

 

[Pat]

When you plant your bulbs will depend on when you expect your first frost, if you are in an area that gets cold earlier in the beginning of fall you will plant the bulbs then, but if you are in a area that does not get cold until early November that is when you want to be prepared to plant before the first frost.

 

[ChilliGirl]

Hi ChilliGirl and welcome.

To be honest its not easy to give you a definite answer on this one - as although somewhere between October and December is generally regarded as the best time of year to plant spring flowering bulbs in most Countries - I think that when is the best time to do this will depend very much on your climate - like for instance - in some parts of the world - late September to late October is considered to be the best time to plant Daffodils and November for Tulips - where as where I live - as its still far too hot at that time of year to plant spring flowering bulbs - we normally plant ours somewhere between late November and January.

In other words I think in reality if you are not living in a hot climate - you can't go too far wrong if you were to plant your daffodils and tulips somewhere between late October to November

Oh and I would just add that as there are many different varieties these days - there are sometimes even guidelines on the packaging as to when the best time for planting is

Thank you gata montes. I'll certainly look into that more closely. I confess to never reading the 'when best to plant' bits on the packs of bulbs; I've always just gone with my gut, if you know what I mean. Good point.

I grew up on Texas and my mom always put her flower bulbs in the ground in late November due to the heat. Here in North Alabama, I put mine in the ground in late October because by then the heat is past. I always have blooms in the spring, so I must be doing something right. I also do not dig the bulbs and store them until the next year.

Thanks, evelynmcgregor. We had a very cool August here in the UK, although September looks to be starting fairly well. I think the chance of any hot spells now are fairly small, so I'll probably plant in late September.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

October / November. in my area.

 

[LouisFerdinand]

One year I got a request from a businessman to plant 200 tulip bulbs. I began planting in late August.

 

[jonereb]

What if I dug up my Tulips in the spring after they've bloomed and died back, store them in the refrigerator for 4 months, and then re-plant them in August? Will I have blooms again in the fall?

 

[Logan]

When the bulbs start to come into the garden centres or from catalogues, that's the time to start planting. The daffodils need a long time so they'll be planted first, crocus in September, the tulips from about November.

 

[LouisFerdinand]

How early can you plant tulip bulbs?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Tulips can be very forgiving. I have a friend who came across a sack of tulip bulbs he had contracted to plant and forgotten. Southern England and they should have gone in about now, he discovered them in late January. It was a particularly hard winter and the ground was frozen solid, so he took a six foot crowbar to make holes and put them in. They all came up beautifully come Spring..
Not that I would recommend it.

 

[LouisFerdinand]

A lady inquired: Should daffodil bulbs be planted on the east side or on the west side?

 

[LouisFerdinand]

How to plant Tulip bulbs

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Wentto reply and realised the thread started in 2021, last post before Louis Ferdinand 2022.