Is it too Late to Plant Bulbs in Southern Ontario?
Suddenly December is upon us and yet you come across a bag (or a few) of bulbs in your home. You panic. “Is it too late to plant it? Have I missed the chance to get my spring bulbs in the ground?!”
Spring bulbs under fresh snow in Spring 2021
Is it too late to plant my spring bulbs in Southern Ontario?
Every year, the final cut off looks different but I won’t keep you waiting:
If you can still dig the soil, you can still plant your spring bulbs. Daffodils, tulips, hyacinth, crocus etc.
Usually, even if we’ve had freezing temperatures, only the surface of the soil will be frozen. If covered in leaves, wood chips or another form of mulch, it might only be the mulch that has frozen.
In Southern Ontario the date of when the soil freezes too solid and you’ve missed your window can be anywhere from end of November to January. Usually though, assuming we haven’t received much snow, mid December is your last chance.
My preferred time to plant (I’m in Durham Region, hardiness zone 5b/6a) is the first week of November. It’s past most, if not all the possible “Indian Summer” mild days, so your bulbs won’t waste energy sprouting this fall and it’s late enough that squirrels won’t be as active digging and storing . However it’s still mild enough so that it’s not a miserable experience for the person planting.
Some years we get flurries mid October, other years we’re popping outside to harvest fresh herbs in t-shirts for Christmas. Our Autumn weather can vary widely in Southern Ontario which is why picking a specific calendar date as a cut off does not work.
One problem I’m finding by planting in November (or December), is that big box stores, nurseries etc have already completely transitioned out of the gardening season and into holiday decor. If you are seeking amendments such as sheep manure, chicken poop pellets etc, or mulch such as straw bales, they have all been packed away. Even hand tools or bulb augers are no longer available on the shelves. This wasn’t the case 2-3 years ago but this year (2024) and last it has been tricky finding products due to the push to get Christmas products out sooner.
Odds are if you’re reading this it’s because you did not plan ahead and did not ensure you had all the materials you might need ahead of time, to get your spring bulbs planted in the ideal fashion. The priority at this point is just getting your bulbs in the ground. You can fertilize in the spring (or not at all). Leaves make a great mulch (and are free!) and can help cover the fresh soil and hopefully deter squirrels and chipmunks. Chicken poop pellets are great deterrent to keep them from digging but the best solution is a physical barrier of hardware cloth (like a tighter weave chicken wire) which is usually available year round in hardware stores.
My ground has frozen already, can I plant my bulbs in pots?
You can and this can be a beautiful spring feature too. However, you need to do some safekeeping of those planters if you want to take this route. Do not leave the planter outside exposed to rain and snow. Ideally you will want to plant them and then leave them in a protected area like a shed or garage to get their chill hours in but not have the moisture freeze and thaw them until they rot.
The ground and (low) raised beds do the best but container planting is great in a pinch. The bulbs can be transplanted the following year and you can still enjoy the flowers in the spring!
In order to bloom, some bulbs have “chill hour requirements” so there is a final cut-off of being too late in a sense. They usually require at least 6 weeks of chill time. Luckily this can be replicated in a fridge should you find your bulbs in February/March!
So hop to it my little bulb planting procrastinators! There is still time (as of publishing) to get your early spring flowers into the ground and secure yourself a bountiful bloom next spring.
P.S. This advice applies to all bulbs including hardneck garlic! So if you have some of those still in a to do list and not in the ground, let’s get it done!!
It is my goal with Buying Thyme to connect the community to nature and practice sustainability practices so we can better our patch of the ecosystem. Our flowers invite you to slow down, savor simple joys, and celebrate the beauty of the seasons wherever you take them, but our blog teaches you how you can apply everything we have learned, on your own property! For our Southern Ontario specific gardening tips make sure to peruse our other blog articles here.
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