How to Grow Butterhead Boston
Lactuca sativa 'Boston'
Butterhead Boston lettuce offers tender, sweet leaves perfect for salads and sandwiches. Gardeners prize this heirloom variety for its compact size, excellent flavor, and ability to thrive in cool weather without bolting too quickly.
📷 Wikimedia CommonsStarting Butterhead Boston: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Butterhead Boston is not usually started indoors.
This variety is best grown by direct sowing outdoors rather than transplanting seedlings.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, fertile soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. As a cool-season crop, sow seeds directly outdoors or start indoors two to six weeks before the last spring frost. Press seeds gently into the soil at a depth of about half an inch. Expect germination within seven to ten days once conditions are right.
Space plants eight to twelve inches apart to ensure good air circulation and head formation. Keep moisture consistent by watering one inch per week, avoiding wetting the leaves directly. Apply light mulch around the base to retain soil moisture and suppress weeds, but avoid heavy feeding as lettuce requires minimal nutrients.
Watch for aphids, slugs, snails, cutworms, flea beetles, downy mildew, lettuce drop, bottom rot, and tipburn. Prevent issues by watering at the base, using row covers, and ensuring good airflow. Harvest outer leaves or whole heads fifty-five to sixty-five days after sowing when the head feels firm.
When to Plant Butterhead Boston
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | June – July | August – September |
| Zone 2 | — | May – July | July – September |
| Zone 3 | — | May – June | July – October |
| Zone 4 | — | April – June | June – October |
| Zone 5 | — | April – May | June – November |
| Zone 6 | — | April – May | June – November |
| Zone 7 | — | March – May | May – November |
| Zone 8 | — | March – April | May – December |
| Zone 9 | — | February – March | April – December |
| Zone 10 | — | January – March | March – December |
| Zone 11 | — | January – February | February – December |
| Zone 12 | — | January – February | February – December |
| Zone 13 | — | January – February | February – December |
Companion Plants for Butterhead Boston
✓ Good companions
Deep roots don't compete with shallow lettuce roots and help aerate soil
Repels aphids and improves lettuce flavor while providing natural pest control
Attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings that control lettuce pests
Natural pest deterrent that repels aphids and other soft-bodied insects
Repel nematodes and aphids while attracting beneficial insects
Act as trap crop for aphids and flea beetles, protecting lettuce
Attracts beneficial insects and has similar water requirements without competition
Break up soil for lettuce roots and mature quickly without competing for space
Similar growing requirements and can be interplanted for efficient space use
✗ Keep away from
Heavy feeder that competes for nutrients and can shade out lettuce
Allelopathic compounds inhibit lettuce growth and tall plants create excessive shade
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
