[massa]

Hi, ive seen many people talking about potting on and planting upto the cotyledons  but i dont know what they are! can anyone enlighten me? thanks massa.

[Nobbie]

They are the first leaves on a seedling when they germinate.

[Salmo]

Often these are called the seed leaves. They are the first leaves that appear when a seed germinates and are usually rounder and fleshier than the true leaves. The growth stages of plants are often refered to as cotyledon, first true leaves, second true leaves....... flower bud, flower, seed set ...  and so on.

Not all plants have seed leaves above ground. Peas, broad beans and runner beans all leave the cotyledens below ground in the seed husk so the first leaves you see are true leaves.

In the GROWING STICKIES section there is a Glossary of Terms which will tell you what most gardening words mean. Unfortunately cotyleden in not in there?

[massa]

ok thanks ive got some toms which i think are about ready to pot on they had the roundish seed leaves and now have some other leaves should i pot them right upto the first leaves then?

[rhysdad]

What about the cotyledons on chilli plants? They aren't rounded at all, very spiky in fact. I'm going to pot them up to those. I hope that's right..

[Lardman]

What about the cotyledons on chilli plants? They aren't rounded at all, very spiky in fact. I'm going to pot them up to those. I hope that's right..

Its always the first pair of leaves - they normally look different to the other leaves on th plant. You'll also see they normally fall off when the plant develops a good leaf system above them.

You'll be fine - I bury mine right up to their necks ! 

[peapod]

the definition of cotyledons is in the glossary in growing stickies