When to plant tulip bulbs in zones 6 to 7

Spring bulbs need two things from fall planting. Penn State says bulbs planted in fall have time to grow a solid root system before the ground freezes. Illinois says spring bulbs need a cold period during the winter in order to bloom, and Missouri Extension puts that at 10 to 14 weeks of cool temperatures.

Source: Penn State Extension, Plant Bulbs in the Fall for a Spring Celebration, checked October 9, 2026; Illinois Extension, Select and plant spring-flowering bulbs now (2020), checked October 9, 2026; MU Extension, Spring flowers shine from bulbs planted in the fall (2022), checked October 9, 2026.

Without enough cold, the flowers suffer: NC Extension says bulbs that don't get a long enough chilling period usually have shorter stems and bloom close to the ground.

Source: NC Extension (Wayne County), Plant Bulbs This Fall for Spring Flowers (2025), checked October 9, 2026.

Frost dates are NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for the station nearest each zip code. The 1 in 10 date is the early edge: about 1 fall in 10 freezes before it.

Source: Penn State Extension, Plant Bulbs in the Fall for a Spring Celebration, checked October 9, 2026; Illinois Extension, Select and plant spring-flowering bulbs now (2020), checked October 9, 2026; Maryland Extension, Bulbs Deliver a Brilliant Spring (2024), checked October 9, 2026; Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026; NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, annual/seasonal, checked October 7, 2026; NOAA 1991-2020 annual/seasonal normals documentation, checked October 7, 2026; PRISM 2023 USDA hardiness zone GIS datasets and zip-code listing, checked October 6, 2026.

• Oct 15start of Kentucky's planting windowKentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, October 9, 2026
• 10 to 14 wkof cool weather bulbs need to flowerMU Extension, Spring flowers shine from bulbs planted in the fall (2022), October 9, 2026
• 6 to 8 indeep for tulips and daffodilsIllinois Extension, Select and plant spring-flowering bulbs now (2020), October 9, 2026
• 2 to 3 inof mulch over the bed after plantingPenn State Extension, Plant Bulbs in the Fall for a Spring Celebration, October 9, 2026

The four pages line up with their own frost dates. Butler, with a typical first frost of October 14, gets Penn State's September to October. Lexington, at October 28, gets Kentucky's later window, which runs past the frost. Use your own first frost date to decide which end of the band you sit in.

Source: Penn State Extension, Plant Bulbs in the Fall for a Spring Celebration, checked October 9, 2026; Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026; NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, annual/seasonal, checked October 7, 2026.

1. 1

   Look up your first fall frost

   Type your zip code into the frost date lookup. Write down the typical first fall frost and the 1 in 10 earlier date.

   Source: NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, annual/seasonal, checked October 7, 2026.

2. 2

   Place yourself in the band

   Our rule of thumb from the table: a typical first frost in mid-October or earlier means plant in September to October, as Penn State and Illinois say. Late October or later, Kentucky's October 15 to Thanksgiving fits.

   Source: Penn State Extension, Plant Bulbs in the Fall for a Spring Celebration, checked October 9, 2026; Illinois Extension, Select and plant spring-flowering bulbs now (2020), checked October 9, 2026; Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026; NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, annual/seasonal, checked October 7, 2026.

3. 3

   Dig to the right depth

   Illinois says 6 to 8 inches deep for tulips and daffodils, and 3 to 4 inches for small bulbs such as crocus.

   Source: Illinois Extension, Select and plant spring-flowering bulbs now (2020), checked October 9, 2026.

4. 4

   Mulch after planting

   Penn State and Kentucky both cover the bed with 2 to 3 inches of mulch. Illinois uses a light 2 inch layer.

   Source: Penn State Extension, Plant Bulbs in the Fall for a Spring Celebration, checked October 9, 2026; Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026; Illinois Extension, Select and plant spring-flowering bulbs now (2020), checked October 9, 2026.

5. 5

   Write the date down

   Put the planting date on the bulb map. Next spring, the bloom date tells you if your week worked.

Kentucky's window runs to Thanksgiving, which falls on November 26 in 2026. Counting calendar weeks from that day, 10 weeks is February 4 and 14 weeks is March 4. Whether those weeks are cold enough depends on your winter, which is why the early end of the window is the safer bet in the colder half of the band.

Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026; MU Extension, Spring flowers shine from bulbs planted in the fall (2022), checked October 9, 2026.

South of the band the window moves later. NC Extension in Wayne County, zone 8a, plants spring bulbs in November, when the soil has dropped below 60°F, and says its climate stays too warm for tulips to come back year after year.

Source: NC Extension (Wayne County), Plant Bulbs This Fall for Spring Flowers (2025), checked October 9, 2026; PRISM 2023 USDA hardiness zone GIS datasets and zip-code listing, checked October 6, 2026.

Even inside the band, plan on tulips as a short run. Kentucky Extension says tulips will generally have to be replaced every 2 to 4 years, while crocus, daffodils and grape hyacinths naturalize in most gardens.

Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.