Planting spring bulbs in a GTA yard: when, how deep, and keeping squirrels off them

Planting spring bulbs in a GTA yard comes down to three decisions: which bulbs go in first, how deep each one goes, and what you do the same afternoon so squirrels do not dig them back up. The dates below come from the Toronto Master Gardeners and the Toronto Botanical Garden, and the two sources disagree on tulips, so both are shown. On the last day of September, the answer to the timing question is already different for daffodils than it is for tulips.

When should you plant spring bulbs in the GTA?

Start in September, and put daffodils, alliums and the small early bulbs in first. The Toronto Master Gardeners' autumn guide says to begin planting bulbs in September, that Narcissus (daffodils), allium and small bulbs should be planted by the end of September or early October, and that tulips can be planted as long as the ground can still be worked before freeze-up.

The Toronto Botanical Garden gives the same order with a later tulip date. Its bulb tips say to plant bulbs as soon as Halloween is over, except daffodils, which can be planted as early as possible in the fall so they can build strong roots before the frost. The Master Gardeners' tulip guide puts tulip planting from mid-September until the ground freezes, and adds that the soil needs to have cooled off from the summer before tulips go in.

So if one bag has to wait, let it be the tulips. If the tulips are already bought and the bed is ready, planting them now still sits inside the Master Gardeners' window.

How deep do you plant bulbs?

Plant each bulb at least two to three times as deep as its diameter. That is the general rule in the Toronto Master Gardeners' guide to naturalizing bulbs, and it adds that the depth shifts with the soil: in heavy soil that has not been amended it may be better to plant a little shallower, and in light soil a little deeper. The tulip guide says to dig the hole deeper than the planting depth, to loosen the soil below and let it drain, and to set the bulb pointy end up.

The hyacinth figures are the one real disagreement in the table. When two published depths differ, measure the bulb in your hand and apply the two-to-three-times rule; it settles the question for the bulb you actually bought.

Depth also matters for pests. The Master Gardeners note that voles tunnel underground to eat tulip bulbs but generally do not tunnel as deep as 20 cm, so their advice for tulips is to plant deep.

Where should the bed go, and what soil do bulbs need?

Bulbs need drainage first. Both the Master Gardeners and the Toronto Botanical Garden put well-drained soil at the top of their lists, because waterlogged soil rots the bulb. Tulips also want sun: the tulip guide lists cold winters, winter-spring moisture, a sunny location, dry summers and good drainage as the conditions under which they come back for several years.

• Clay or sandy soil: the Master Gardeners suggest amending it with compost before planting, to improve structure and drainage.
• Manure: never plant into newly manured soil; the naturalizing guide says it can burn the new roots and shoots.
• Fertilizer: bone meal or a phosphorus fertilizer can go in at planting, but the same guide cautions that high phosphorus harms beneficial fungi in beds with trees and shrubs, and advises a soil test first.
• Under deciduous trees: choose bulbs that flower before the tree leafs out, or ones that tolerate part shade. Bulbs do not thrive in dense shade.
• Buying: a sound bulb is hard to the touch, with no soft spots and no visible damage.

If the bed under a mature maple is the one you are planning, the reasons grass struggles there are covered in what grows under mature maples, and the Master Gardeners suggest bulbs that flower before the tree leafs out for exactly that spot.

Do you need a locate before you dig a bulb bed?

If you are cutting a new bed or lifting a strip of lawn, yes. Ontario One Call's homeowner page describes the service as the step to take when you are planting a tree, building a fence or deck, or digging a new garden, and the City of Burlington's page lists digging a garden the same way. The request is free and has to go in at least five business days before you dig.

The public locate only covers the utilities' own lines. Ontario One Call says private lines are the homeowner's job to have marked, and its list includes lights on the property, a gas line running to a barbecue or pool heater, and electrical lines out to a shed or detached garage. If landscape lighting runs through the bed, find its cable before the spade does.

How do you stop squirrels digging up bulbs?

Hide the evidence and cover the bed. The Master Gardeners explain that bulbs are most exposed right after planting, because the soil is loose and easy to dig, and that squirrels are drawn by the smell of the papery tunic scraps dropped while planting. The Toronto Botanical Garden gives the same advice: clean up the area and tamp the soil down so animals cannot sniff the bulbs out as easily.

1. 1Plant at full depth and firm the soilCover the bulbs, press the soil down firmly to remove air pockets, and water well, as the tulip guide describes. The Master Gardeners say loose soil right after planting is what makes new bulbs easy to dig out.
2. 2Pick up every papery skinWork over a tray or a bag, and sweep the bed surface when you finish. Loose tunic scraps are the scent the Master Gardeners name as the attractant.
3. 3Lay chicken wire over the bedThe Master Gardeners call metal or plastic mesh often the most effective deterrent, and the Toronto Botanical Garden calls chicken wire one of the more effective solutions. The Master Gardeners lay it on the soil surface and say tulips grow through it in spring; the London Middlesex Master Gardeners weigh it down with bricks and lift it in spring before growth begins. The Toronto Botanical Garden puts it in the planting hole over the bulbs instead.
4. 4Mix in bulbs they leave aloneThe Toronto Botanical Garden says Fritillaria and Narcissus do not tempt squirrels, rabbits or deer. The Master Gardeners suggest planting species tulips, or interplanting tulips with daffodils, alliums and fritillaria, whose odour discourages rodents.
5. 5Look at what is feeding them nearbyThe London Middlesex Master Gardeners point to spilled seed from bird feeders as an attractant for squirrels, mice, voles and raccoons. If a feeder hangs over the new bed, move it or catch the spill.

For the wider picture of what draws mice and squirrels toward a house in autumn, see rodents moving toward the house in autumn.

Can you plant bulbs in the lawn?

Yes, if you pick early, small bulbs and accept that the lawn cannot be cut over them for a few weeks in spring. The Master Gardeners' naturalizing guide explains that bulb leaves feed next year's flower and should generally be left for about six weeks. A few small bulbs finish faster: it names winter aconite, glory-of-the-snow, crocus and snowdrops as bulbs that allow the grass to be cut within about a month.

For small bulbs, the same guide describes lifting a strip of turf, setting the bulbs on the soil and laying the turf back. Larger bulbs go deeper, with a trowel or bulb planter. It advises against scattering small bulbs by hand, because they get lost.

The part that decides whether this works is the first mow of spring. Mark the drift, or write down where it is, and tell whoever cuts the grass so that patch is skipped until the leaves have yellowed. If the lawn is on a regular mowing schedule, mention the bulb patch when the season starts.

Which spring bulb should you not plant?

Siberian squill, Scilla siberica. The small blue flower is sold as a spring bulb, but in April 2026 the Toronto Master Gardeners called it an invasive that is taking over large areas of ravines and wild land. They note it is not on the Government of Ontario's or the Ontario Invasive Plant Council's short list, while the Society for Ecological Restoration Ontario's 2025 ranking puts it in its top-priority category, with the advice to control it where possible and not plant it. It is also on Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program tracked species list.

• It spreads by seed and by ants, and its bulbs sit deep, which makes it hard to dig out of a lawn.
• The whole plant is poisonous to animals; the Master Gardeners suggest gloves when handling it.
• To remove it, pull leaves, flowers and as much of the bulb as possible before it seeds, put it in a municipal leaf bag rather than the compost, and repeat for several years.
• Do not accept it from a neighbour's divided clump, and check the label on mixed bags of small blue bulbs for the name Scilla siberica before planting.

Glory-of-the-snow, crocus, snowdrops and winter aconite are all on the Master Gardeners' list of bulbs that naturalize well, and the Ontario Invasive Plant Council's Grow Me Instead guide lists non-invasive choices for Ontario gardens.

What happens after the bulbs flower?

Take the spent flower off and leave the leaves. The tulip guide says to deadhead as soon as the flower fades, keep as much stem as possible, and cut the foliage only after it yellows and dies back, which can take about six weeks. That is also why the Master Gardeners suggest planting large-leaved bulbs where later perennials will hide the fading foliage.

The same guide says hybrid tulips have lost much of their ability to return year after year, and that many gardeners treat them as annuals and replant each autumn. Species tulips are hardier, and it names Darwin Hybrid tulips as one of the more reliable returners. If you want a planting that comes back without replanting, daffodils and the naturalizing small bulbs are the better choice.

Bulbs in pots are possible, but the pot has to allow the same planting depth as a bed and needs protecting through the winter. The tulip guide suggests mulching, grouping the containers, wrapping them, or moving them into an unheated garage. The rest of the autumn bed work, including what to leave standing, is in the autumn bed cutback guide.