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When to plant tulips in Richmond: by 17 October

In Richmond, tulip: plant by 17 October. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit. For planting stock, the places nearby include The Great Big Greenhouse (garden centre, 14 km) and Cross Creek Nursery & Landscaping Midlothian (garden centre, 14 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Tulip in Richmond: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in January; the coldest, January, averages -0.1 °C.

Plantingby 17 October
First autumn frost16 November
Coldest nightsJanuary, -0.1 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring16 January
Daylight11:12 on 17 October
Daylight at the winter solstice9:34

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

Tulip in Richmond: 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 Richmond the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 16 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 Richmond the three warmest months bring about 309 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

1 of the nearest cities share Richmond's date.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Washington, D.C.156 km17 October – end of Decembersame day
Annapolis179 km20 October – end of December3 days later
Baltimore207 km23 October – end of December6 days later
Raleigh224 kmby 20 October3 days later
Dover246 km27 October – end of December10 days later
Atlantic City332 km23 October – end of December6 days later

Where to buy tulip for planting in Richmond

Planting stock goes into the ground by 17 October; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Richmond OpenStreetMap lists 6 garden centres, 4 farm-supply shops, 2 plant nurseries, 5 markets and 2 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Richmond?

In Richmond, tulip: plant by 17 October. The winter here is too mild for our late-planting rule, so we give no later limit.

When is the last spring frost in Richmond?

Last spring frost around 26 March, first autumn frost around 16 November.

Other crops in Richmond, with their dates