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When to plant tulips in Idaho Falls: 14 September – 14 November

In Idaho Falls, tulip: plant from 14 September to about 14 November. For planting stock, the places nearby include Town and Country Gardens (garden centre, 7 km) and R & D Wholesale Nursery (garden centre, 8 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

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 date is about two weeks before the average daily temperature here falls below 0 °C (ten years of weather): an estimate, not the day the ground freezes, and a cold spell can freeze it earlier. Sources: Iowa State University Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, UNH Extension, RHS, how the ground freezes (NRC Canada, CBD-26).

Tulip in Idaho Falls: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in November–March; the coldest, January, averages -9.4 °C.

Planting14 September – 14 November
First autumn frost14 October
Coldest nightsJanuary, -9.4 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring8 April
Daylight12:36 on 14 September
Daylight at the winter solstice8:57

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

Tulip in Idaho Falls: 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). Where winters are very cold, tulips benefit from deeper planting to protect them from frost penetrating the soil (RHS); here the average daily temperature drops below 0 °C in winter.

In Idaho Falls the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 29 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 Idaho Falls the three warmest months bring about 40 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 Idaho Falls, Helena is 11 days earlier and Boise 13 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Salt Lake City305 km26 September – 23 December12 days later
Boise336 km27 September – end of December13 days later
Helena345 km3 September – 5 November11 days earlier
Billings377 km14 September – 23 Novembersame day
Missoula406 km6 September – 12 November8 days earlier
Elko425 km13 September – 15 November1 day earlier

Where to buy tulip for planting in Idaho Falls

Planting stock goes into the ground from 14 September to about 14 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Idaho Falls OpenStreetMap lists 4 garden centres, 3 farm-supply shops, 2 plant nurseries, 2 markets and 1 farm shop (collected 28 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Idaho Falls?

In Idaho Falls, tulip: plant from 14 September to about 14 November. 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 Idaho Falls?

Last spring frost around 11 May, first autumn frost around 14 October.

Other crops in Idaho Falls, with their dates