How late into the season can bulbs be planted?

How late into the season can daffodils and tulips be planted? Can they be planted right up to the ground freezing, or do they need to go in earlier?

If the ground is workable plant 'em! Although Sept. & October is when it normally done.

Tom


This message was edited Oct 31, 2006 8:25 PM

I am in Chicago - Zone 5. I usually plant my bulbs the second week of Nov. You should be OK to get them done this weekend. If you have to wait until later into the winter, please do put tons of munch over them.

Also I use my dog's poopie & Mothballs as Repellent to Squirrels and other DIGGING animals. It usually works.

Have fun planting!!

I'm LOL remembering a couple of DGers (Kenton, for one) who were prying up chunks of frozen ground in the middle of the winter and planting bulbs in the unfrozen soil below. I wonder how well they bloomed last spring.... :-)

Any time the ground isn't frozen seems to work fine... even a January thaw will work if the ground isn't too soggy. (Wet is a problem for me in planting into this heavy clay soil.)

I haven't started planting bulbs yet because I'm still trying to get a few more potted perennials into the ground! I'm also trying to restrain myself on bulb purchases, promising myself a good splurge during the November sales if I get reasonably caught up.

I'm a lid prier if the dirt beneath is workable and the clearance price is good enough. LOL Oh, bulbs planted last December did bloom this year right on schedule. :)

I'm from S. Jersey and planted my tulip bulbs right before Thanksgiving on a warm November day. They bloomed no problem. That is, the ones that the voles didn't devour!.

I have bulbs and rhizomes that I haven't planted yet. I plan to do it this weekend. It'll be dry and fairly warm (50s and 60s).

I see all the fall sales, and I do try mightily to restrain myself. I'm not sure if I have places to put everything now.

I have planted bulbs on Christmas Eve. I think the later (and deeper) the better with tulips.

my sister and i always call each other on the eve of the first snow forecast, and inevitably we are both about to head outside with flashlights to get the last batch of bulbs in- sounds like we all have these stories!