DibbleWhen to plant tulips in Zone 3
In Zone 3, the last spring frost usually passes around May 15 and the first fall frost arrives around September 15, leaving about 123 frost-free days. The windows below are computed from those frost dates, with the same math the Dibble app uses.
Short, cool season. Start most warm crops indoors and protect from late frosts.
Planting windows for tulips in Zone 3
| Task | Window |
|---|---|
| Plant bulbs | Aug 4 to Aug 18 |
| Estimated harvest | Dec 2 to Dec 23 |
The harvest estimate counts 120 days to maturity, then a picking window of about 21 days. These windows use typical frost dates for Zone 3; Dibble pins them to your exact ZIP code.
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Tulip in a Zone 3 season
Zone 3 gives about 123 frost-free days. Tulip needs roughly 120 days from planting. That leaves about 3 days of slack, which is tight. Start indoors where you can and do not sow late.
How to grow tulips
Plant tulip bulbs 6 weeks before your first fall frost, pointy end up, so roots establish before winter. They bloom the following spring.
Companion plants
Good neighbors for Tulip:
Tulip in other zones
Not in Zone 3? Pick your zone for the same dated windows.
Keep exploring
Tulip: the full growing guide · The Zone 3 planting calendar · Every crop and zone
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Dates are estimates based on typical frost dates for the zone. Your yard has its own microclimate, so use them as a starting point and adjust as you learn your space.