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When to plant tulips in Portland, Maine: 5 October – 26 November

In Portland, Maine, tulip: plant from 5 October to about 26 November. For planting stock, the places nearby include Allen Sterling & Lothrop (garden centre, 7 km) and Skillins Greenhouses (Trees) (garden centre, 7 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 Portland, Maine: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–March; the coldest, January, averages -7.5 °C.

Planting5 October – 26 November
First autumn frost4 November
Coldest nightsJanuary, -7.5 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring17 April
Daylight11:34 on 5 October
Daylight at the winter solstice8:56

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

Tulip in Portland, Maine: 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 Portland, Maine the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 27 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 Portland, Maine the three warmest months bring about 263 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 Portland, Maine, Montpelier is 18 days earlier and Boston 9 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Augusta82 km4 October – 20 November1 day earlier
Concord115 km1 October – 25 November4 days earlier
Manchester (United States)122 km3 October – 27 November2 days earlier
Boston159 km14 October – 29 December9 days later
Montpelier196 km17 September – 11 November18 days earlier
Providence225 km9 October – 30 December4 days later

Where to buy tulip for planting in Portland, Maine

Planting stock goes into the ground from 5 October to about 26 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Portland, Maine OpenStreetMap lists 5 garden centres, 6 markets and 1 farm shop (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Portland, Maine?

In Portland, Maine, tulip: plant from 5 October to about 26 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 Portland, Maine?

Last spring frost around 15 April, first autumn frost around 4 November.

Other crops in Portland, Maine, with their dates