Greenly Garden

When to plant tulips in Sherbrooke: 27 September – 8 November

In Sherbrooke, tulip: plant from 27 September to about 8 November. For planting stock, the places nearby include Serres Yargeau (garden centre, 14 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 Sherbrooke: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in November–April; the coldest, January, averages -12.9 °C.

Planting27 September – 8 November
First autumn frost27 October
Coldest nightsJanuary, -12.9 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring26 April
Daylight11:57 on 27 September
Daylight at the winter solstice8:43

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

Tulip in Sherbrooke: 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 Sherbrooke the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 29 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 Sherbrooke the three warmest months bring about 403 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 Sherbrooke, Montpelier is 10 days earlier and Burlington 7 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Trois-Rivières116 km29 September – 8 November2 days later
Montreal132 km2 October – 13 November5 days later
Montpelier137 km17 September – 11 November10 days earlier
Burlington146 km4 October – 23 November7 days later
Quebec City165 km28 September – 4 November1 day later
Augusta206 km4 October – 20 November7 days later

Where to buy tulip for planting in Sherbrooke

Planting stock goes into the ground from 27 September to about 8 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Sherbrooke OpenStreetMap lists 3 garden centres, 2 markets and 5 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant tulips in Sherbrooke?

In Sherbrooke, tulip: plant from 27 September to about 8 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 Sherbrooke?

Last spring frost around 8 May, first autumn frost around 27 October.

Other crops in Sherbrooke, with their dates