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When to plant tulips in Omaha: 26 September – 30 November

In Omaha, tulip: plant from 26 September to about 30 November. For planting stock, the places nearby include Exist Green (farm shop, 4 km) and Wenninghoff's (farm shop, 11 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 Omaha: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–February; the coldest, January, averages -8.1 °C.

Planting26 September – 30 November
First autumn frost26 October
Coldest nightsJanuary, -8.1 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring13 March
Daylight12:01 on 26 September
Daylight at the winter solstice9:12

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

Tulip in Omaha: 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 Omaha the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 23 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 Omaha the three warmest months bring about 286 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 Omaha, Sioux Falls is 5 days earlier and Kansas City 6 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Lincoln79 km28 September – 7 December2 days later
Des Moines198 km27 September – 29 November1 day later
Grand Island206 km27 September – 1 December1 day later
Topeka249 km29 September – 30 December3 days later
Sioux Falls262 km21 September – 16 November5 days earlier
Kansas City267 km2 October – end of December6 days later

Where to buy tulip for planting in Omaha

Planting stock goes into the ground from 26 September to about 30 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Omaha OpenStreetMap lists 8 garden centres, 1 plant nursery, 5 markets and 2 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Omaha?

In Omaha, tulip: plant from 26 September to about 30 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 Omaha?

Last spring frost around 16 April, first autumn frost around 26 October.

Other crops in Omaha, with their dates