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Planting tulips and daffodils in zones 6 to 7: one bed plan, from frost date to April
Quick answer
In zones 6 to 7, plant tulips and daffodils between mid-October and Thanksgiving, the window Kentucky Extension gives. If your typical first fall frost comes by mid-October, go earlier: Penn State and Illinois say September to October. At Iowa State's 6 inches apart, a 4 x 8 ft bed takes 128 large bulbs. Set them in 8 inch holes, pointed side up, water, cover with 2 to 3 inches of mulch and water again. In Kentucky, daffodils bloom around April 10 and tulips around April 25.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026; 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; Iowa State Extension, How deep should I plant tulips?, checked October 8, 2026; NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, annual/seasonal, checked October 7, 2026.
Decide first
Should you plant spring bulbs this fall?
Do it yourself
Plant them yourself
With a sunny bed that drains well, this takes one afternoon between mid-October and Thanksgiving. Kentucky's window is about six weeks long, so there's time to wait for a dry day.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.
Skip it
Skip a bed where water stands
Kentucky Extension says well-drained sites are essential and bulbs won't do well in heavy clay. If puddles sit on the bed after rain, plant somewhere else or wait until the soil is fixed.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.
Get help
Ask your county extension office
To find out which varieties come back in your county, or if the leaves look wrong in spring, call your county Cooperative Extension office. This page covers dates, counts and the bed layout, not plant problems.
- Oct 15start of Kentucky's window, which runs to ThanksgivingKentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, October 9, 2026
- 128large bulbs in a 4 x 8 ft bed at 6 inches apartArithmetic
- 8 inhole depth for bulbs 2 inches across or moreKentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, October 9, 2026
- Oct 28typical first fall frost, Lexington airport stationNOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, annual/seasonal, October 7, 2026
September to look up and order, one fall afternoon to plant
The steps, in order
Look up your first fall frost
Type your zip code into the frost date lookup and write down two dates: the 1 in 10 earlier first fall frost and the typical one. For zip code 40507 in Lexington, Kentucky, that's October 16 and October 28.
Have ready: Your zip code. Do it in September, before you order.
Source: NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, annual/seasonal, checked October 7, 2026.
Pick your planting week
Kentucky says to plant between October 15 and Thanksgiving. If your typical first frost comes by mid-October, use Penn State's and Illinois's earlier window instead: late September through October. Splitting at mid-October is our rule of thumb, read from where each state's frost dates fall.
Have ready: The two frost dates from step 1 and a calendar.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026; 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; NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, annual/seasonal, checked October 7, 2026.
Measure the bed and count the bulbs
Measure inside the boards and type the size into the bulb calculator. At Iowa State's 6 inches for tulips and daffodils, a 4 x 8 ft bed takes 8 rows of 16: 128 bulbs.
Have ready: A tape measure.
Garlic and bulb planting calculator
Source: Iowa State Extension, How deep should I plant tulips?, checked October 8, 2026.
Order, then keep the bulbs cool
Order the count. Kentucky says bulbs that flower at different times can share a bed, so you can mix daffodils and tulips. Until planting day, store them in a cool, dark place with good air circulation, as Maryland Extension says.
Have ready: A cool shelf in a garage or basement, away from the furnace.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026; Maryland Extension, Bulbs Deliver a Brilliant Spring (2024), checked October 9, 2026.
Dig 8 inch holes for the big bulbs
Kentucky uses 8 inch holes for bulbs 2 inches across or more, and 5 inch holes for small ones about 1 inch across. Iowa State says 6 to 8 inches for tulips and daffodils. Loosen the soil under each bulb well.
Have ready: A trowel or bulb planter marked at 5 and 8 inches.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026; Iowa State Extension, How deep should I plant tulips?, checked October 8, 2026.
Point up, half the soil, water, the rest
Set each bulb upright, which usually means pointed side up. Put back half the soil from the hole, water well, then fill the rest. That's Kentucky's order.
Have ready: A hose or a full watering can at the bed.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.
Mulch and water again
Cover the bed with 2 to 3 inches of mulch and water again, as Kentucky says. On a 4 x 8 ft bed that's 5.3 to 8 cubic feet of mulch. If the fall stays dry, water as needed.
Have ready: The mulch, already sitting by the bed.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.
Write it down, then log the bloom
On the planting map or the log below, note what you planted, where and when. In Kentucky's trials crocus bloomed around March 20, daffodils around April 10 and most tulips around April 25. Write your own dates next to those. After the petals fall, cut off the spent flowers and leave the leaves until they die back.
Have ready: The printed map, kept with the bulb receipts.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.
Free, one page, black and white
Print the working copy
Bulb planting map: the steps above as a checklist with a date box for each, on one US Letter page.
If a step gets skipped
What goes wrong
⚠️
Planting in December
The extension windows for zones 6 to 7 end at Thanksgiving. Missouri Extension says spring bulbs need 10 to 14 weeks of cool temperatures to flower, and each week of delay cuts into that.
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.
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Keeping the bulbs somewhere warm
Don't leave the bag in a warm kitchen. NC Extension says to keep bulbs bought in September or October in a cool area until planting time.
Source: NC Extension (Wayne County), Plant Bulbs This Fall for Spring Flowers (2025), checked October 9, 2026.
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Planting in single file
Kentucky plants bulbs in groups so the mass of color is easier to see: at least 10 to 12 small bulbs, or as few as 5 to 6 large ones.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.
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Cutting the leaves after bloom
Kentucky says bulbs won't mature properly when the leaves come off too early. Cut the spent flowers and leave the foliage until it dies back on its own.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.
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Counting on tulips forever
Kentucky Extension says tulips will generally have to be replaced every 2 to 4 years. Crocus, daffodils and grape hyacinths naturalize in most gardens. Put a reorder year for the tulips in your log.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.
When the steps change
Variants
🪴
Early-frost yard
Where the typical first frost comes by mid-October, like Butler, Pennsylvania, on October 14, plant in September to October, before the first frost, as Penn State says for western Pennsylvania. Illinois gives late September through October.
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; NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals, annual/seasonal, checked October 7, 2026.
🏙️
Small bulbs along the edge
Crocuses and grape hyacinths go 3 inches apart and 3 to 4 inches deep, Iowa State says. That's 16 per square foot. Choose small bulbs in the calculator to count an edge strip.
Source: Iowa State Extension, How deep should I plant tulips?, checked October 8, 2026.
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Bulbs you want to leave for years
For daffodils that stay put, Illinois spaces bulbs 6 to 12 inches apart to allow for spread and future divisions. At 12 inches the 4 x 8 ft bed takes 32 bulbs.
Source: Illinois Extension, Select and plant spring-flowering bulbs now (2020), checked October 9, 2026.
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The warm southern edge
Just past the band, NC Extension in Wayne County, zone 8a, plants in November once the soil drops below 60°F. If your yard sits on that edge, aim for the later half of Kentucky's window.
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.
What people learn the second year
Tips and tricks
- Mark the depth on the tool. Put a band of tape on the trowel or bulb planter at 5 and 8 inches. You'll stop guessing by the third hole.
- Lay them out before you dig. Set the bulbs on top of the bed in their groups first. It's easy to move a bulb on the surface and annoying to move one in a hole.
- Mix bloom times in one bed. Kentucky says bulbs that flower at different times can share a bed. Crocus around March 20, then daffodils, then tulips around April 25 keeps one bed going for weeks. (Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs)
- Stake the groups. Push a label in at each group. In March, before the shoots show, it keeps the fork out of the bulbs.
- Keep the map with the receipts. Next fall you'll want to know what you planted, where, and when it bloomed. Keep it on one sheet in one folder.
The one we checked the steps against
Primary source
HortFacts 52-04: Spring Flowering Bulbs for Kentucky Gardens, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, Department of Horticulture. Checked October 9, 2026.
University of Kentucky Extension wrote HortFacts 52-04 from its own bulb trials in a zone 6 to 7 state. It gives the October 15 to Thanksgiving window, the 8 inch and 5 inch holes, group sizes, the planting and watering order, 2 to 3 inches of mulch and the average bloom dates this plan uses.
The arithmetic and the background reading
Tools and guides in this system
- 🧄 CalculatorGarlic and bulb planting calculatorHow many garlic cloves or spring bulbs fit a bed or a row, how many heads to buy, and how deep to plant them, from extension spacing figures.Open the tool
- ❄️ LookupFrost date lookup by zip codeFind the typical last spring and first fall frost for your zip code from NOAA 1991 to 2020 station normals, with the 1 in 10 year dates and a printable card.Open the tool
🧰 Problem solverWhen to plant tulip bulbs in zones 6 to 7Extension pages for zones 6 to 7 put tulips and daffodils in from late September to Thanksgiving. Match the week to your first fall frost and the cold.Read the guide 
📘 Know-howHow many bulbs per square foot: tulips, daffodils and crocusTulips and daffodils at 6 inches apart come to 4 bulbs per square foot; crocus at 3 inches, 16. See the extension spacings and count a whole bed.Read the guide
Common questions
Questions
When should I plant tulip bulbs in zone 7?
Between October 15 and Thanksgiving, Kentucky Extension says. Maryland Extension in Washington County says by the end of October.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026; Maryland Extension, Bulbs Deliver a Brilliant Spring (2024), checked October 9, 2026.
When should I plant tulip bulbs in zone 6?
Penn State says September to October in western Pennsylvania, before the first frost. Illinois says late September through October.
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.
How many tulip bulbs go in a 4 x 8 raised bed?
At 6 inches apart, 128 bulbs in 8 rows of 16. At Kentucky's tighter 4 inches it's 288.
Source: Iowa State Extension, How deep should I plant tulips?, checked October 8, 2026; Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.
How deep do I plant tulips and daffodils?
Kentucky uses 8 inch holes for bulbs 2 inches across or more. Iowa State and Illinois say 6 to 8 inches.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026; Iowa State Extension, How deep should I plant tulips?, checked October 8, 2026; Illinois Extension, Select and plant spring-flowering bulbs now (2020), checked October 9, 2026.
Do I water bulbs after planting?
Yes, twice. Kentucky waters after half the soil goes back, then again after the mulch goes on, and as needed if the fall stays dry.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.
When will fall-planted bulbs bloom?
In Kentucky's trials, crocus averaged around March 20, daffodils around April 10 and most tulips around April 25. Write your own dates in the log; they shift with the spring.
Source: Kentucky Extension, HortFacts 52-04 Spring Flowering Bulbs, checked October 9, 2026.
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Sources
- HortFacts 52-04: Spring Flowering Bulbs for Kentucky Gardens, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, Department of Horticulture. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Plant Bulbs in the Fall for a Spring Celebration, Penn State Extension (Master Gardener, Butler County), published August 25, 2025. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Select and plant spring-flowering bulbs now, University of Illinois Extension, published September 16, 2020. Checked October 9, 2026.
- How deep should I plant tulips?, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden, published December 3, 2024. Checked October 8, 2026.
- U.S. Climate Normals (1991-2020), annual/seasonal normals by station, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Checked October 7, 2026.
- Bulbs Deliver a Brilliant Spring, University of Maryland Extension, Maryland Grows blog (Washington County), published October 25, 2024. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Spring flowers shine from bulbs planted in the fall, University of Missouri Extension, published October 19, 2022. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Plant Bulbs This Fall for Spring Flowers, N.C. Cooperative Extension, Wayne County Center, published October 30, 2025. Checked October 9, 2026.
- 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone GIS Datasets, PRISM Group, Oregon State University (for USDA). Checked October 6, 2026.
Planning guide, not a guarantee. See every source on the site on the sources page. Spotted an error? Tell us.