Greenly Garden
Get the app
EN

When to plant tulips in Baltimore: 23 October – end of December

In Baltimore, tulip: plant from 23 October to the end of December.

Bulbs are best planted early in the window: late-planted bulbs may flower later or less well. Late planting works only while the soil can be dug. Mulch after planting.

The average daily temperature here stays above 0 °C all winter, and at least three months average 7 °C or less: our rule of thumb for the winter cold spring bulbs need. Sources: Iowa State University Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, UNH Extension, RHS.

Tulip in Baltimore: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in January; the coldest, January, averages -1.2 °C.

Planting23 October – end of December
First autumn frost22 November
Coldest nightsJanuary, -1.2 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring28 February
Daylight10:54 on 23 October
Daylight at the winter solstice9:24

The same dates in Baltimore hold for Garlic, Daffodil, Crocus and Hyacinth.

Tulip in Baltimore: depth, winter cold, pests and pets

Plant tulips at a depth of two to three times the bulb’s height, at least twice the bulb’s width apart, pointed end up (RHS).

In Baltimore the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 19 weeks a year (our estimate from ten years of monthly weather). For this bulb Wisconsin Horticulture Extension gives a cold period of 15–17 weeks at about 2–10 °C. The winter here gives that in the ground, so the bulbs need no pre-chilling.

Border tulips often fail to flower in their second year if left in the ground, so many gardeners grow them for one spring and plant fresh bulbs each autumn; Darwin hybrid and Kaufmanniana tulips reflower more reliably (RHS). Soils that stay wet in summer make reflowering difficult (RHS): in Baltimore the three warmest months bring about 492 mm of rain together.

Grey squirrels often dig up tulip bulbs: lay chicken wire over the bed until the leaves appear, or plant daffodils among them, which squirrels avoid (RHS). Tulips are toxic to dogs, cats and horses, the bulb most of all (ASPCA).

Sources: RHS, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, ASPCA.

Tulip in nearby cities

Around Baltimore, Allentown is 19 days earlier and Dover 4 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Annapolis37 km20 October – end of December3 days earlier
Washington, D.C.56 km17 October – end of December6 days earlier
Dover95 km27 October – end of December4 days later
Philadelphia144 km12 October – end of December11 days earlier
Allentown175 km4 October – 30 December19 days earlier
Trenton188 km13 October – end of December10 days earlier

Where to buy tulip for planting in Baltimore

Planting stock goes into the ground from 23 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Baltimore OpenStreetMap lists 8 garden centres, 4 plant nurseries, 20 markets and 3 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Baltimore?

In Baltimore, tulip: plant from 23 October to the end of December. Bulbs are best planted early in the window: late-planted bulbs may flower later or less well. Late planting works only while the soil can be dug. Mulch after planting.

When is the last spring frost in Baltimore?

Last spring frost around 31 March, first autumn frost around 22 November.

Other crops in Baltimore, with their dates