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michelelc_gw

How long does it take for true leaves to develop?

michelelc
13 years ago

I started my tomatoes from seed about 3 wks ago and I still don't have true leaves. I started them in a dome, and put them under lights as soon as they germinated. But, I still have not true leaves. How long do true leaves take to develop?

Thanks,

Michele

Comments (13)

  • tn_veggie_gardner
    13 years ago

    It seems like forever sometimes! lol...Mine, typically, will germinate in 5-15 days & right after they do, will start growing nice looking Cotyledons for about 2 weeks. Then, finally you see a tiny set of leaves trying to grow in the middle and bam! They take off. Patience. =) You have any pictures? Sounds like within a week or so yours will start to grfow their first true set of leaves.

    - Steve

  • michelelc
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks, I will try to be patient! I don't have any pics right now.

  • timmy1
    13 years ago

    I'm getting true leaves in 14 days from seeding and transplanting on the 17th day. This is under ideal conditions 75* days and 67* nights.

  • californian
    13 years ago

    I get my true leaves usually in less than a week from the day the seeds sprout, and pot up at 17 or 18 days from the day I planted the seed, and by that time the plants are working on their second set of true leaves. But I really baby my plants. During daylight they sit out in the sun outside on my patio, and at night I take them inside and put them under my powerful fluorescent lights for another five or six hours, and the indoor temperature under my reflective blankets is usually 80 to 88 degrees. My plants are stocky selling size in about six weeks from the day I planted the seed. Plants I started in mid February to the end of February my customers report are over two feet high and have flowers on them, and that's after planting them deep like I recommend they do.

  • TomatoMamma
    10 years ago

    I must have some sort of mutant tomato seeds...XD I planted 6 Black Krim seeds about a week ago (I am only doing a really small garden). 3 of those sprouted after 5 days of planting. After having sprouted 3 days ago, two of those are an inch high and already starting to grow true leaves. Is that normal? It seems to me that it's really fast compared to the other variety I planted a month ago. I planted Red Siberian a month ago, and they grew slower than this--they didn't get true leaves until at least a week after sprouting. The Black Krim seeds are a year newer than the Red Siberian--could that have something to do with it? Or maybe the seed company I got them from? Or because they're different varieties?

    This post was edited by TomatoMamma on Tue, May 28, 13 at 18:35

  • hoosier40 6a Southern IN
    10 years ago

    Black Krim's are very vigorous growers, at least for me. The ones I grew this year were from three year old seed and they grew as good or better than any new seed of other varieties.

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    Different varieties. Different genetics. Can't really compare the performance of them with any accuracy. Like comparing why one child growes taller or faster or wider than another. :)

    Dave

  • PRO
    none
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    No true leave been gowing now from seed for 22 day they 3 inch will I get true leave growing money makers added photos too

  • digdirt2
    7 years ago

    3" tall, 22 days old? And no true leaves? No you won't. Something is very wrong given that limited info.

    Dave

  • Michelle Jessee
    last year

    Need more light

  • Labradors
    last year

    They've probably sprouted by now as this post is 12 YEARS old!!!!!


  • Mokinu
    last year

    While this is up, I want to add my two cents. ;) How quickly the first true leaves grow depends. They can take a really long time to grow, or they can grow really fast (like the day after they sprout). There are a lot of factors:

    - Warmth (this is a big one)

    - Fertility (if you've got wood chips in the soil, it's probably going to slow the growth by taking nitrogen out of it; if you don't have wood chips, you shouldn't need to worry about this much, if at all)

    - Light

    - Watering (if they dry out a certain amount, they won't grow as fast, and if they're too wet too long, that's an issue, too)

    - Shock (If the plants are shocked, such as if their leaves get scorched, they may grow more slowly.)


    With my seed-starting method (I grow them outside on a table in full sun, and take them inside when it's too cold outside), what makes the difference most is temperature. If it's cold, they take a long time. If it's warm, they grow true leaves very fast.


    I'm sure there are other factors I haven't mentioned.