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When to plant tulips in Lille: 22 October – end of December

In Lille, tulip: plant from 22 October to the end of December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Champignonnière Duribreux (farm shop, 4 km) and Otera (farm shop, 6 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 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 Lille: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in January, average 1.3 °C.

Planting22 October – end of December
First autumn frost21 November
Coldest nightsJanuary, 1.3 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring1 February
Daylight10:22 on 22 October
Daylight at the winter solstice7:58

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

Tulip in Lille: 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 Lille the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 24 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 Lille the three warmest months bring about 179 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 Lille, Charleroi is 6 days earlier and Bruges 9 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Bruges65 km31 October – end of December9 days later
Ghent66 km25 October – end of December3 days later
Brussels94 km23 October – end of December1 day later
Charleroi101 km16 October – end of December6 days earlier
Hasselt164 km19 October – end of December3 days earlier
Reims167 km18 October – end of December4 days earlier

Where to buy tulip for planting in Lille

Planting stock goes into the ground from 22 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Lille OpenStreetMap lists 14 garden centres, 3 farm-supply shops, 4 plant nurseries, 20 markets and 33 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Lille?

In Lille, tulip: plant from 22 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 Lille?

Last spring frost around 8 April, first autumn frost around 21 November.

Other crops in Lille, with their dates