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When to plant tulips in Knoxville: by 13 October

In Knoxville, tulip: plant by 13 October. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit. For planting stock, the places nearby include Stanley's Greenhouse (plant nursery, 2 km) and Mayo Garden Center (garden centre, 6 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Tulip in Knoxville: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in January; the coldest, January, averages -0.5 °C.

Plantingby 13 October
First autumn frost12 November
Coldest nightsJanuary, -0.5 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring25 January
Daylight11:24 on 13 October
Daylight at the winter solstice9:43

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

Tulip in Knoxville: 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 Knoxville the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 15 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 Knoxville the three warmest months bring about 280 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 Knoxville, Asheville is 10 days earlier and Atlanta 10 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Asheville130 km3 October – end of December10 days earlier
Chattanooga156 kmby 13 Octobersame day
Lexington231 km8 October – end of December5 days earlier
Atlanta249 kmby 23 October10 days later
Nashville258 kmby 15 October2 days later
Frankfort263 km4 October – end of December9 days earlier

Where to buy tulip for planting in Knoxville

Planting stock goes into the ground by 13 October; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Knoxville OpenStreetMap lists 7 garden centres, 1 plant nursery and 5 markets (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Knoxville?

In Knoxville, tulip: plant by 13 October. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit.

When is the last spring frost in Knoxville?

Last spring frost around 29 March, first autumn frost around 12 November.

Other crops in Knoxville, with their dates