When to Plant Bulbs — Seasonal Planting Guide

Contents

1 When Should You Plant Bulbs in the UK?
- 1.1 Related guides
2 Which Bulbs Should You Plant in Autumn?
3 Why Do Tulips Get Planted Later Than Other Bulbs?
4 When Should You Plant Snowdrops and Bluebells?
5 Can You Plant Bulbs Late — After Christmas?
6 What Is the Month-by-Month Bulb Planting Calendar?
7 When Is the Best Time to Plant Allium Bulbs?
8 When Should You Plant Anemone Corms?
9 Does Pot Planting Change the Timing?
10 How Do You Achieve a Succession of Flowers All Spring?
11 Does Soil Temperature Matter More Than the Calendar Date?
12 Frequently Asked Questions
13 Related Products
14 Related Articles

When Should You Plant Bulbs in the UK?

The right planting time depends almost entirely on when you want the bulb to flower. Spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths go in during autumn; summer-flowering bulbs such as alliums bridge the gap; and a handful of species — snowdrops and bluebells chief among them — are best planted “in the green” during late winter or early spring. Getting the timing right is the single biggest factor in whether your bulbs perform brilliantly or disappoint.

Related guides

Which Bulbs Should You Plant in Autumn?

The vast majority of popular spring-flowering bulbs are planted in autumn, between September and November, while the soil is still workable but cooling down. Cold winter temperatures trigger the chilling process (vernalisation) that bulbs need in order to flower well the following spring.

Aim to get most bulbs into the ground by the end of November. Tulips are the notable exception — they actually benefit from a late planting in October or November because cool soil reduces the risk of tulip fire disease. For everything else, September and October are ideal: the soil is still easy to dig, roots establish before the ground freezes, and the bulbs have the best possible start.

Bulb	Best Planting Window	Flowers	Notes
Daffodils & Narcissus	September–October	February–April	Plant early for best root establishment
Tulips	October–November	March–May	Later planting reduces disease risk
Crocus	September–October	February–March	Naturalises well in grass
Hyacinths	September–October	March–April	Excellent for pots and forcing
Fritillaria	September–October	April–May	Plant on their sides to prevent rot
Anemones	September–November	March–May	Soak corms overnight before planting
Alliums	September–October	May–July	Deep planting (3× bulb height) prevents toppling

Why Do Tulips Get Planted Later Than Other Bulbs?

Tulips are best planted in late October or November, once the soil temperature has dropped below about 10 °C. Planting earlier, when soil is still warm, encourages the fungal disease Botrytis tulipae (tulip fire), which can devastate a planting.

This later timing also suits gardeners with busy autumn schedules — you have plenty of time after planting daffodils and crocuses to get tulips in. In practice, tulips planted as late as the end of November will still flower perfectly well the following spring, though very late planting (December onwards) can result in slightly shorter stems. If the ground is frozen solid, store bulbs in a cool, dry, dark place and plant as soon as it thaws.

For the widest range, explore Double Early Tulips, Double Late Tulips, and Parrot Tulips — each group flowers at slightly different times, letting you extend the tulip season from March well into May.

When Should You Plant Snowdrops and Bluebells?

Snowdrops and bluebells are almost always best planted “in the green” — that is, as growing plants with leaves still attached — rather than as dry bulbs. The ideal window is January to March, immediately after or during flowering.

Dry snowdrop and bluebell bulbs have a frustratingly high failure rate: they desiccate quickly once lifted and often fail to re-establish. Plants supplied in the green, with roots intact and foliage present, transplant successfully and settle in to naturalise over the years. Our guide to Planting Snowdrops in the Green covers the technique in detail, and What Are Bulbs in the Green? explains the concept clearly if you’re new to it.

Browse our Snowdrops, Bluebells, and full Bulbs in the Green collection for in-season availability.

Can You Plant Bulbs Late — After Christmas?

Yes, most autumn-planted bulbs will still flower if planted in December or even January, though results may be slightly reduced. Tulips cope with late planting particularly well; daffodils and crocuses are less forgiving if the delay stretches into the new year.

The key rule is: plant them rather than store them. A bulb sitting in a bag loses condition every week. Even a late-planted bulb has a far better chance than one left on a shelf. If the soil is frozen, keep bulbs somewhere cool (a garage or shed), dry, and dark until the ground is workable again. Never store bulbs somewhere warm — warmth triggers premature sprouting and weakens them significantly.

What Is the Month-by-Month Bulb Planting Calendar?

A simple calendar removes all guesswork. Use this as your reference for the entire gardening year.

Month	Plant	Key Task
January–March	Snowdrops, Bluebells (in the green)	Plant in the green while foliage is present
March–April	Cyclamen (hardy outdoor types)	Plant corms just below surface in light shade
September–October	Daffodils, Crocus, Hyacinths, Fritillaria, Alliums, Anemones, Rockery Bulbs	Main autumn planting season — get most bulbs in now
October–November	Tulips (all types)	Wait for cool soil; plant by end of November
November	Remaining spring bulbs if not yet planted	Last chance for daffodils and alliums

When Is the Best Time to Plant Allium Bulbs?

Alliums are planted in autumn, ideally September to October, and reward you with their striking globe-shaped flowerheads from May to July — a useful bridge between the main spring-bulb season and summer perennials.

Because allium foliage tends to look untidy as it dies back, a popular design trick is to plant them among herbaceous perennials or ornamental grasses that will grow up and mask the yellowing leaves while the flowers are still spectacular above. Our How to Grow Alliums Guide covers depth, spacing, and variety choice in full.

Variety	Height	Flower Colour	Flowering Time
Purple Sensation	80–90 cm	Deep purple	May–June
Christophii	30–40 cm	Pale lilac-purple	May–June
Aflatunense	60–80 cm	Lilac-purple	May–June
Sphaerocephalon	60–80 cm	Burgundy-red	June–July
Millennium Pink	40–50 cm	Rose-pink	June–July
Nigrum	50–60 cm	White with dark centre	May–June

When Should You Plant Anemone Corms?

Anemone corms — particularly the popular Anemone coronaria and Anemone blanda types — can be planted in autumn (September to November) for spring flowers, or in spring for a summer display. The corms are small, knobbly, and easy to overlook, but they produce some of the most vivid colours in the spring garden.

One important tip: soak anemone corms in water for 2–4 hours before planting. They look almost unrecognisably shrivelled when dry, but hydrate quickly and plump up considerably. It can be difficult to tell which way up they are — planting on their side works perfectly well. Our range includes De Caen Group (single, poppy-like flowers in vivid reds, pinks, purples, and white), Blue Shades Anemone blanda for naturalising under trees, and the delicate Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa), which thrives in dappled woodland shade and is best planted in autumn.

Does Pot Planting Change the Timing?

No — the planting timing for bulbs in containers follows exactly the same seasonal rules as for open ground. Autumn bulbs go into pots in autumn; snowdrops in the green go into pots in late winter, just as they would in the garden.

What does change with pot planting is how you might manipulate flowering time. Bulbs in containers can be started in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse and moved into a sheltered spot when buds appear, advancing flowers by a week or two without the need for artificial heat. Equally, you can delay flowering in pots by keeping them in a very cool but frost-free place. Our guide to Growing Bulbs in Pots covers everything from compost choice to drainage, and How to Make a Bulb Lasagne shows you how to layer different varieties for a succession of colour from a single pot.

How Do You Achieve a Succession of Flowers All Spring?

The key is combining early, mid, and late-flowering varieties across different genera, so that as one group fades, the next comes into its prime. With careful selection, it is entirely possible to have colour from February to June from bulbs planted in a single autumn session.

Flowering Period	Good Choices
February–March (very early)	Snowdrops, early Crocus
March–April (early spring)	Early Daffodils, Hyacinths, Double Early Tulips
April–May (mid-spring)	Fritillaria, mid-season Tulips, Bluebells, Anemones
May–June (late spring)	Double Late Tulips, Parrot Tulips, early Alliums
June–July (early summer)	Late Alliums (e.g. Sphaerocephalon)

Our article When Do Bulbs Flower? gives a detailed flowering calendar for individual varieties, and Britain’s Favourite Spring Flowering Bulbs is a good starting point if you’re building a display from scratch.

Does Soil Temperature Matter More Than the Calendar Date?

For tulips in particular, yes — soil temperature is a more reliable guide than the calendar. Below 10 °C is the target for tulip planting; above that temperature, fungal disease risk is meaningfully higher.

For all other autumn bulbs, the calendar approach (September–October) works well for the UK because average soil temperatures across most of Britain fall reliably into the right range by mid-September. Gardeners in the far north of Scotland may find their soils cool slightly earlier; those in sheltered urban gardens in the south may have warmer soil into October. If in doubt, plant daffodils and crocuses by mid-October and tulips no earlier than late October. Soil thermometers are inexpensive and take the guesswork out entirely if you want precision. For more detail on the practicalities, see our How to Grow Spring Bulbs — Complete UK Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I plant bulbs in spring instead of autumn?

Most spring-flowering bulbs must be planted in autumn as they need winter chilling to flower. However, snowdrops and bluebells are planted as growing plants in late winter to early spring, and summer-flowering bulbs go in during spring.

Is it too late to plant bulbs in December?

Tulips planted in December often still flower well. Daffodils and crocuses planted in December will likely flower, though possibly later and with shorter stems. Plant immediately rather than storing further.

What happens if I plant bulbs at the wrong time of year?

Autumn bulbs planted in summer may rot in warm soil or sprout prematurely. Planted too late in winter, they may still flower but produce weaker stems. Timing affects vigour more than whether they flower at all.

When is the best time to plant daffodil bulbs?

September and October are ideal for daffodil bulbs. Early planting gives them maximum time to establish roots before winter. November planting usually works, though results may be slightly reduced.

When should I plant tulip bulbs?

Plant tulip bulbs from late October through November, once soil temperature drops below 10 °C. This reduces tulip fire disease risk. Do not plant tulips in September — the soil is still too warm.

When do you plant allium bulbs?

Plant allium bulbs in September or October alongside other autumn bulbs. They need winter cold to develop properly and will flower from May to July the following year.

When is the right time to plant snowdrops?

Plant snowdrops in the green from January to March. Dry snowdrop bulbs have poor success rates; plants with foliage still attached establish far more reliably and will naturalise over time.

Can I plant hyacinth bulbs outside?

Yes. Plant hyacinth bulbs outdoors in September or October, around 10 cm deep. They work equally well in borders and containers and will return for several years in free-draining soil.

When should I plant anemone corms?

Plant anemone corms September to November for spring flowers. Soak corms for a few hours before planting. They can also be planted in spring for a summer display in mild, sheltered gardens.

When do I plant crocus bulbs?

Plant crocus corms in September or October. They establish quickly and will naturalise in lawns and borders, spreading into larger clumps over time. Early planting gives the best results.

How late can you plant spring bulbs?

Daffodils and alliums are best planted by the end of November. Tulips can go in up to late November or even early December in mild areas. Beyond that, the risk of poor flowering increases, though planting is still worthwhile.

Should I plant mixed bulb collections for a longer display?

Absolutely. A Mixed Flower Bulbs collection planted in one session can deliver flowers from February to June, with varieties selected to follow on from one another naturally throughout spring.