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When to plant tulips in Peoria: 1 October – 9 December

In Peoria, tulip: plant from 1 October to about 9 December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Bottom Line Solutions (garden centre, 12 km) and Ron's Produce (farm shop, 15 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 Peoria: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–February; the coldest, January, averages -6.7 °C.

Planting1 October – 9 December
First autumn frost31 October
Coldest nightsJanuary, -6.7 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring14 March
Daylight11:48 on 1 October
Daylight at the winter solstice9:15

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

Tulip in Peoria: 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 Peoria 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 Peoria the three warmest months bring about 266 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 Peoria, Cedar Rapids is 6 days earlier and Chicago 6 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Springfield99 km2 October – 22 December1 day later
Davenport129 km30 September – 30 November1 day earlier
Rockford180 km28 September – 25 November3 days earlier
Chicago211 km7 October – 3 December6 days later
Cedar Rapids224 km25 September – 25 November6 days earlier
St. Louis235 km5 October – end of December4 days later

Where to buy tulip for planting in Peoria

Planting stock goes into the ground from 1 October to about 9 December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Peoria OpenStreetMap lists 3 garden centres, 1 market and 1 farm shop (collected 28 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Peoria?

In Peoria, tulip: plant from 1 October to about 9 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 Peoria?

Last spring frost around 19 April, first autumn frost around 31 October.

Other crops in Peoria, with their dates