Bibb
Bibb is a small, compact butterhead with cupped leaves lettuce with fruit around 4-6 inches across. Ready from roughly day 55-60. Germination takes 7-10 days. Space 8-10 inches apart at pH 6.0-7.0. Full sun to partial shade (4-6+ hours). It will crop in a container.
Sowing
Start indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost or direct sow in early spring. Prefers cool weather for best head formation.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade (4-6+ hours)
- Water
- 1 inch per week, consistent gentle moisture
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained soil high in organic matter
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.0
- Spacing
- 8-10 inches
- Height
- 6-12 inches
- Season
- Cool season
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Light to medium green
- Size
- 4-6 inches across
- Shape
- Small, compact butterhead with cupped leaves
- Flavour
- Sweet, delicate, buttery with no bitterness
In the kitchen
Gourmet salads, lettuce cups, fine dining presentations, delicate sandwiches
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Aphids, slugs, cutworms, flea beetles
- Diseases
- Tipburn, downy mildew, lettuce drop, bottom rot
- Resistance
- Moderate disease resistance. Sensitive to heat stress and tipburn.
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | — | June – July | July – September |
| 2 | — | — | May – July | July – September |
| 3 | — | — | May – June | June – October |
| 4 | — | — | April – June | June – October |
| 5 | — | — | April – May | June – November |
| 6 | — | — | April – May | May – November |
| 7 | — | — | March – May | May – November |
| 8 | — | — | March – April | April – December |
| 9 | — | — | February – March | March – December |
| 10 | — | — | January – March | March – December |
| 11 | — | — | January – February | February – December |
| 12 | — | — | January – February | February – December |
| 13 | — | — | January – February | February – December |
Companion planting
8 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 3 to avoid.
Avoid
Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Protein (g)
- 0.742
- Fat (g)
- 0.0738
- Carbohydrate (g)
- 3.37
- Vitamin K (µg)
- 20.5
- Vitamin B6 (mg)
- 0.0401
- Calcium (mg)
- 14.2
- Iron (mg)
- 0.0332
- Magnesium (mg)
- 6.31
- Phosphorus (mg)
- 19.2
- Potassium (mg)
- 139
- Zinc (mg)
- 0.173
Where to buy seed and equipment
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Cultivar facts compiled from public horticultural references including USDA GRIN and NC State Extension. Descriptions are original to this catalogue.
Grown Bibb?
Post a crop report — day counts, reservoir readings, what worked. Variety-specific logs are the most useful thing on the forum.
Similar varieties
Other lettuce with a comparable time to harvest, so a season that suits Bibb suits these too.
- Crisp Mint Romaine 55 days
- Butterhead Boston 55 days
- Salanova Green Oakleaf 55 days
- Perseo 55 days
- Buttercrunch 55 days
- Cimmaron Romaine 55 days