How to Grow Bibb Lettuce Plants
About Growing Bibb Lettuce
Bibb Lettuce plants are a heading variety of lettuce. It forms a loosehead. It is tasty, with a distinctive flavor that’s popular with home gardeners. This guide on “How to grow Bibb Lettuce” will help you to grow it successfully in your home garden.
Like other lettuces, Bibb lettuce is a cool-weather crop. So, time your spring crop to mature before the onset of hot and humid weather. Summer’s heat can result in splitting bolting or rotting of heads. We recommend an indoor start in the spring for an early crop for your salad bowl. Additionally, bibb lettuce and other lettuces are great for a fall crop. It takes 55-60 days to maturity. However, add 7-10 days as daylight hours dimmish, elongating the days to harvest. Then, to calculate the planting date simply count back from the first expected frost date in your area.
Bibb Lettuce Plant Specifications
Day to Harvest: 55 to 75 days from planting, depending upon growing conditions. Leaves can be harvested as soon as they reach a size large enough to pick.
Plant height: Six to ten inches tall.
Light Needs: Full to partial sunlight.
Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.0
Plant Hardiness Zones: 7 – 9
Deer Resistant? No. Deer will eat these leafy greens.
Plant Type: Annual
Native To: 19th century farmer John Bibb developed this variety in Frankfort, Kentucky..
Botanical Name: Lactuca sativa
Other Names: Limestone Lettuce
Nutrition Facts
If you want to be healthy, then include this salad green in your diet plan.
100 grams of Bibb lettuce has approximately:
- 13 calories
- 2.2 g carbs
- 0 cholesterol
- 0 g fat
- 1.1 fiber
- 1.4 g protein
It has very little sodium, too.
Light Requirements
Bibb lettuce is a cool-weather plant. They wilt and suffer sun scald in hot, direct sunlight. The plant grows best in full sun in cooler areas of the country. However, during mid-summer heat and humidity, grow them in partial shade, especially in the middle of the day when the sun is the hottest. In hotter regions of the country, grow the plants in light sun to partial shade.
How to Grow Bibb Lettuce Plants
Bibb lettuce seeds can be sowed directly into the garden or started indoors. Direct sow seeds outdoors, spreading these small seeds as thinly as possible.
For indoor starts, sow a few seeds in each cell of a seed tray. Cover very lightly with a fine starter soil. Keep soil moist during the germination period. In about 7-10 days, the seedlings will sprout. Thin seedlings, after they are about 1/2″ to 1″ tall. To avoid disturbing the roots, snip plants off at the base, leaving just a few to continue growing.
Tip: Stagger the start of your seedlings to spread out the crop. For example, if you are going to plant 24 plants, sow seeds into six cells or peat pots. Sow six more 4-7 days later, etc. See Succession Planting
Transplant into the garden after all danger of frost has passed. Ideally, transplant them on a cool or cloudy day. Water well after transplanting. Space plants 10″ apart, in rows 18″ apart.
Like other lettuces, the trick to growing Bibb lettuce is to grow it quickly. The soil should be rich, fertile, and well-draining. Keep the soil moist. Frequent use of nitrogen-rich fertilizer is recommended. The plants respond well to regular applications of liquid fertilizer and compost tea.
Transplanting Tip: When transplanting any type of lettuce in hot weather, place some form of sunshade over the plant for a couple of days. Any makeshift shade helps to minimize transplanting shock.
It’s important to time the crop to mature before the onset of hot dry weather. In these conditions, the plant is bolt…go to seed. It can also split or rot.
For your fall crop, an indoor start is best. Lettuce seeds do not germinate well in the hot soil of mid-summer.
How to Grow Bibb Lettuce - Insects and Pests
Bunnies like lettuce. Got bunnies!? Then, a rabbit fence is in your future.
Insects can become a real problem, too. A wide variety of insects like lettuce. Lettuce is delicate and can absorb insecticides. If an infestation occurs, we recommend insecticidal soaps and organic repellents. If you choose chemical sprays, read the label carefully, to make sure it is safe to use on lettuce and other leafy vegetables. Also, heed the amount of time you have to wait to harvest the crop after spraying…it’s all on the label of the insecticide you purchase.
Slugs are a real problem for all types of lettuces. There are a variety of control methods. More on Slugs and snails.
Plant Disease
Bibb lettuce will wilt and rot in hot, humid weather. The plant will also bolt or go to the seed stage in higher heat. Rotting can also occur in wet soils. More on Bolting
Plant Problems – Diagnosis, causes, and cures for many common plant problems.
Harvesting Bibb Lettuce
Days to Harvest: Plants need 55-75 days to reach maturity. However, you can begin to harvest individual leaves as soon as they reach a size for picking.
Thinning lettuce? Use the thinned plants in your salad! If you just can’t wait for some fresh, homegrown Bibb lettuce, harvest the outer leaves as soon as they are big enough to use on a sandwich or in a salad. As you thin the rows, use culled plants.
Bibb lettuce forms loose heads when mature. If this is your first time growing, it’s sometimes hard to tell when they are fully mature. When in doubt, harvest a head, eat, and enjoy!
Bibb Lettuce Plant Hardiness
Most important, all lettuces thrive in cooler weather. It is also susceptible to frost. It does not like mid-summer heat, or dry conditions. Set your first crop outdoors after the last spring frost. Then, time your Fall crop to mature prior to the first fall frost date for your area.
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Please support our site. Shop for:
How To Grow
Other Gardening
Our Community
Contact Us
- rmmatthews100@hotmail.com
- 585-721-6528
- Rochester, NY
©1999-2026 GardenersNet.Com, All Rights Reserved