Planting Bulbs in Fall: How to Plant Spring Bulbs with a Hori Hori Garden Knife

by Grampa's Gardenware Co. October 23, 2026

Want tulips, daffodils and crocus popping up next spring? The secret is getting them in the ground this fall. At Grampa's Gardenware, our favorite tool for the job is a good hori hori garden knife. Here's a simple, step-by-step guide to planting bulbs in fall.

Why plant spring bulbs in fall?

Spring-blooming bulbs like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocus need a long stretch of cold soil over winter before they'll flower. Planting in fall gives them time to grow roots before the ground freezes, so they're ready to bloom when spring warms things up.

When to plant bulbs in fall

Timing depends on where you live, but a few rules of thumb work almost everywhere:

Wait for cool soil. Plant after the summer heat is gone and the soil has cooled down. Bulbs planted into warm soil can sprout too early.
Beat the freeze. Aim to plant a few weeks before your ground freezes, so the roots have time to settle in.
Check your local guide. In many areas that window falls somewhere between late September and November. Your local extension office can tell you what's typical where you live.

What you'll need

Healthy, firm bulbs (skip any that are soft or moldy)
A sunny spot with soil that drains well, since most bulbs don't like sitting in soggy, heavy clay
Grampa's Garden Knife, a 7" hori hori with a straight edge, a serrated edge and a sheath
Some mulch, and a hose or watering can
Optional: a gardening apron with pockets to carry bulbs from hole to hole

Hori hori garden knife with inch depth marks digging a planting hole for bulbs

How to plant bulbs with a hori hori knife

Clear the spot. Pull any weeds first so your bulbs don't have to compete. For big weeds in the lawn or yard, a stand up weed puller gets them out by the root with no bending or kneeling.
Dig to the right depth. A good rule: plant most bulbs 2 to 3 times as deep as the bulb is tall. The inch marks on the hori hori blade make it easy to check depth as you dig.
Loosen the bottom. Use the tip of the blade to loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole so new roots can spread.
Pointy end up. Set the bulb in with the pointed tip facing up and the flat, rooty end down.
Cover and water. Fill the hole back in, firm the soil gently, and give it a good watering to settle everything.
Mulch once it's cold. After the soil cools, add a layer of mulch to help protect the bed through winter. The serrated edge of the knife makes quick work of opening mulch and soil bags.

Tips for a great spring show

Plant in groups. Clusters of bulbs make a bigger splash than a single straight row.
Mark the spot. Stick in a label so you don't dig into your bulbs by accident later.
Keep the bed tidy. A clean bed now means less weeding in spring. A garden hook is handy for loosening soil and pulling small weeds between plants.
While you're out there: fall is a great time to pull weeds too. Our fall weeding guide explains why, and our step-by-step guide covers how to remove dandelions by the root.

Why a hori hori garden knife?

A hori hori is part knife, part trowel. It's narrow enough to slip a bulb hole between plants you already have, strong enough to work through firm soil, and the serrated edge cuts through roots and twine. Grampa's Garden Knife comes with a protective sheath, so it rides along on your belt from one bed to the next.

Where to get Grampa's tools

Shop the whole lineup at grampasweeder.com, or find us on Amazon:

Happy planting! What are you putting in the ground this fall? 🌷

Grampa's Gardenware Co. is a family-run business from Oregon. We started in 1999 out of our garage, and we still make the same simple stand-up weeder design from 1913.