Bibb Lettuce
Bibb Lettuce
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Bibb
Butterhead-type
Currently unavailable, we suggest Buttercrunch Bibb, and Tom Thumb Butterhead as alternatives.
60 days — 'Bibb', also known as 'Limestone Bibb', is a butterhead-type lettuce with small, loosely folded heads. Its leaves are dark green, thick and smooth that blanches creamy yellow inside. Best is grown early in the season as it tends to bolt in hot weather.
Developed in his garden in the 1860s by John Bibb, a lawyer and amateur horticulturist from Frankfort, Kentucky. He began sharing it with townspeople who called the lettuce, "Bibb's." Each packet contains one gram, which is approximately 500 to 600 seeds.
Planting Instructions: Lettuce and other greens thrive in cool spring and fall weather (50° F to 60° F). A few greens can handle summer heat, but most of them prefer the cooler temperatures of spring and fall. Most lettuce and greens can withstand occasional exposure to light frost but if very cold weather is coming, protect your plants with a frost cover.
Sowing: Prepare the seedbed outdoors using a hard tined rake, smoothening out the soil. Lightly sow and just barely cover the seeds with soil. Keep soil moist until germination is achieved. You can also start seeds indoors by sowing into seed starting trays using fresh new seed starting potting mix into clean seed starting trays. Just barely cover the seeds and keep well watered until they sprout. Harden off and transplant into the garden after about 3 weeks.
Sowing: Prepare the seedbed outdoors using a hard tined rake, smoothening out the soil. Lightly sow and just barely cover the seeds with soil. Keep soil moist until germination is achieved. You can also start seeds indoors by sowing into seed starting trays using fresh new seed starting potting mix into clean seed starting trays. Just barely cover the seeds and keep well watered until they sprout. Harden off and transplant into the garden after about 3 weeks.
Informational References:
John Bibb was born on October 27, 1789, in Prince Edward County, Virginia to Richard and Lucy Booker Bibb. The family moved to Kentucky in about 1798. They first settled in Fayette County, moving to Bullitt County, and then Logan County.
John studied law under Judge H. F. Broadnax but then, during the War of 1812, he joined the 4th Kentucky Volunteer Brigade. Enlisting as a private, he ultimately attained the rank of major. In 1814 he returned home, was admitted to the bar, and began his law practice.
In 1827, while living in Logan County, he was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives; in 1831, and later to the State Senate.
He married Sarah "Sallie" P. Hopkins Horsley in 1831 and in 1856, relocated to Frankfort where they built Gray Gables, now known as the Bibb-Burnley house, at 411 Wapping Street. He had a large greenhouse in the back of the house where he developed his new variety of lettuce. The name first given to this new lettuce, was reportedly "Limestone." Later the lettuce would simply be called "Bibb" lettuce after its creator.
John Bibb died on April 13, 1884 and is buried in Frankfort Cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
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