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When to plant tulips in Niigata: 20 November – end of December

In Niigata, tulip: plant from 20 November 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 Niigata: soil, season and weather

No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in January, average 1.1 °C.

Planting20 November – end of December
First autumn frost20 December
Coldest nightsJanuary, 1.1 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring26 February
Daylight10:00 on 20 November
Daylight at the winter solstice9:32

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

Tulip in Niigata: 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 Niigata 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 Niigata the three warmest months bring about 620 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

All the nearest cities on our list plant tulip earlier than Niigata; the closest date is in Hamamatsu, 2 days earlier.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Sendai165 km24 October – end of December27 days earlier
Tokyo255 km14 November – end of December6 days earlier
Nagoya360 km10 November – end of December10 days earlier
Hamamatsu376 kmby 18 November2 days earlier
Kyoto436 km7 November – end of December13 days earlier
Osaka479 km17 November – end of December3 days earlier

Where to buy tulip for planting in Niigata

Planting stock goes into the ground from 20 November to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Niigata OpenStreetMap lists 4 garden centres, 4 markets and 2 farm shops (collected 28 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Niigata?

In Niigata, tulip: plant from 20 November 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 Niigata?

Last spring frost around 8 March, first autumn frost around 20 December.

Other crops in Niigata, with their dates