Lawn & Garden • Buying Guide • Updated October 29, 2026

Best Bulb Planters for Tulips and Daffodils: 3 Tools Compared

Explore related guides: When to plant tulip bulbs in Iowa · When to plant garlic in Iowa · Fall garden cleanup checklist · Gifts for gardeners under $50.

Planting 10 tulips with a trowel is easy. Planting 100 in heavy Midwest clay is a sore back. The best bulb planter depends on how many bulbs you plant, how hard your soil is and whether you would rather kneel or stand. This guide compares the three main types, a hand bulb planter, a long-handled step-on planter and a drill auger, with one pick for each, all sold by Amazon.com.

Quick picks

Types of bulb planters

Hand bulb planters are short metal cylinders with a handle. You twist one into the soil, lift out a plug, drop in the bulb and drop the plug back on top. They are cheap and precise, and depth markings on the side help you hit the right depth. You do have to kneel.

Long-handled bulb planters work the same way but have a foot step and a waist-high handle, so you plant standing up. They are easier on knees and backs. In heavy clay or rocky ground they can take more force to push in.

Auger bulb planters fit a cordless drill and spin a clean hole in seconds. They are the fastest option for large plantings and handle compacted soil better than a push-in tool. You need a drill with enough torque, and a long auger is easier to control than a short one.

Do you need one at all? For a dozen bulbs in loose garden soil, a sturdy trowel works fine. A bulb planter starts to pay off once you plant 25 or more bulbs, or when your soil is heavy clay, which is common across Iowa and much of the Midwest.

Our picks

Best hand bulb planter: Fiskars Bulb Transplanter

A simple, well-made hand planter with depth markings on the side, so it is easy to plant tulips at 6 to 8 inches and smaller bulbs shallower. It pulls a neat plug that drops back into the hole. A good fit for raised beds, containers and groups of up to about 50 bulbs. Trade-off: you plant on your knees.

Best long-handled bulb planter: Garden Weasel

Step on it, twist, lift and release the plug, all without bending over. This is the pick for gardeners with bad knees or a long border to fill. It also works for annuals, small perennials and vegetable transplants. Trade-off: in dense, dry clay you may need to water the area a day before planting so the tool goes in easily.

Best for big plantings and clay: Yard Butler Roto Driller

An auger bit that fits a standard cordless drill (not included) and drills a bulb hole in a few seconds. It is the fastest way to plant hundreds of crocus or daffodils, including naturalizing bulbs in a lawn, and it handles compacted Midwest clay better than push-in tools. Trade-off: you need a drill with a fully charged battery, and you will be kneeling or bending to use it.

Helpful extras

For small bulbs and tight spots: Fiskars Hori Hori Garden Knife

A hori hori has depth markings on the blade and slices into soil between existing perennials, where a round planter won’t fit. It is especially handy for small bulbs like crocus and grape hyacinth.

To stop squirrels digging bulbs: VEVOR Hardware Cloth

Squirrels love freshly planted tulip bulbs. Laying hardware cloth over the bed after planting, then covering it with mulch, keeps them from digging. Remove it in early spring before shoots come up, or cut holes large enough for stems.

For hours of planting: MaxWorks Garden Kneeler and Seat

Hand planters and augers mean kneeling. A padded kneeler with handles makes it easier to get up and down, and it flips into a low seat.

Bulb planting depth chart

A common rule is to plant bulbs about three times as deep as the bulb is tall, measured from the bottom of the bulb. Iowa State University Extension recommends 6 to 8 inches for tulips.

How to use a bulb planter

1. Pick a dry day when the soil is moist but not muddy. Wet clay sticks inside the planter.
2. Push or drill to depth. Use the depth markings; for tulips, 6 to 8 inches.
3. Lift the plug and set it beside the hole.
4. Drop in the bulb pointy side up. If you can’t tell which end is up, plant it on its side.
5. Replace the plug, firm it gently and water the area well.
6. Mulch after the ground freezes to help prevent heaving in freeze-thaw cycles.

In Iowa, ISU Extension says October is the ideal time to plant tulips, and bulbs can still go in as late as late November or early December if the ground is not frozen. See our full guide on when to plant tulip bulbs in Iowa.

FAQs

What is the best bulb planter for clay soil?
A drill auger, such as the Yard Butler Roto Driller, handles compacted clay better than push-in planters. Watering the area a day before planting also makes any tool easier to use.

Is a bulb planter better than a trowel?
For a dozen bulbs in loose soil, a trowel is fine. A bulb planter makes even, correct-depth holes faster and is worth it once you plant 25 or more bulbs.

Can I use a bulb planter standing up?
Yes. Long-handled bulb planters like the Garden Weasel have a foot step and a tall handle, so you can plant without kneeling.

How deep should I plant bulbs?
About three times as deep as the bulb is tall. Iowa State University Extension recommends 6 to 8 inches for tulips; small bulbs like crocus go about 3 to 4 inches deep.

Do I need a special drill for a bulb auger?
A standard cordless drill works for most bulb augers. Use a fully charged battery and a drill with enough torque for your soil.

Sources

• Lisa Slattery, ISU Extension – Planting and digging up bulbs in the fall (The Gazette)

Explore more Lawn & Garden guides.