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When to plant tulips in Milwaukee: 2 October – 25 November

In Milwaukee, tulip: plant from 2 October to about 25 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.

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 Milwaukee: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–March; the coldest, January, averages -8.2 °C.

Planting2 October – 25 November
First autumn frost1 November
Coldest nightsJanuary, -8.2 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring10 April
Daylight11:43 on 2 October
Daylight at the winter solstice9:00

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

Tulip in Milwaukee: 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 Milwaukee the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 26 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 Milwaukee the three warmest months bring about 287 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 Milwaukee, Madison is 5 days earlier and Traverse City 8 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Madison121 km27 September – 20 November5 days earlier
Rockford128 km28 September – 25 November4 days earlier
Chicago131 km7 October – 3 December5 days later
Green Bay165 km30 September – 17 November2 days earlier
Grand Rapids182 km4 October – 29 November2 days later
Traverse City266 km10 October – 26 November8 days later

Where to buy tulip for planting in Milwaukee

Planting stock goes into the ground from 2 October to about 25 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Milwaukee OpenStreetMap lists 9 garden centres, 10 markets and 1 farm shop (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Milwaukee?

In Milwaukee, tulip: plant from 2 October to about 25 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 Milwaukee?

Last spring frost around 27 April, first autumn frost around 1 November.

Other crops in Milwaukee, with their dates