I'm just noticing a huge difference in color with my seedlings... just hoping its ok either way rather than most dying.

Several of my seedlings are a nice healthy rich greeen... others are a paler green, yellow. they are some of my newer sprouts that are so pale, could it just be that I had planted them so deep andwhen they first emerged they just didn't get enough light?

All of them look healthy, its just such a difference in color.. had to ask. They are also from another batch of key limes (same store, same packageing... so guessing they are the same type of fruit)

Any opinons on this would be great. I'm just hoping with more light, they'll get more green...

There are often seedlings that are completely yellow. They don't have the ability to produce chlorophyll, which in the presence of light, turns the leaves green. These seedlings, sometimes called 'albinos' or 'yellows' always die eventually.
Treatment of seeds with certain fungicides reduces the number of these yellow seedlings. Planting seeds from variegated parents, greatly increases them. So there are at least two distinct causes - one a fungus, one genetic.
A few seedlings can be intermediate - pale green or yellowish. They lack vigour and often don't survive very long.
I don't think planting too deep would result in yellow seedlings. Even quite dim light is enough to turn seedling leaves green. In fact some seeds in over-ripe citrus fruits can start growing within the fruit - and even these seem to get enough light to turn green.

I had some from my late-summer Key planting to be kinda whitish, Millet suggested theyd be less vigorous and I tossed em. I do have some color variations in babies tho. for the first few days, plants like Thai lime are much darker green than quat seedlings. I havent gotten any yellows.

Well, that totally bites I'm not going to give up on them though, their my healthiest seedlings!!!

I planted them all in the same way... just dont get why SO many would be so pale in color. I keep hoping they'll be ok... just the few that will make good plants. I know, wishful thinking... but after all the work... how to give up on them

heres a pic where you can see the color difference I'm talking about

So... is it a lost cause... even if they do grow large... will they lack fruit production?


heres the light green plant


heres the darker plant



I've noticed the new sets of leaves are a darker color... but still not a dark green. Could it be more of a heat problem, too much or too little? I know one day the heat source for my seeds was bumped and went pretty hot. sprouted a lot sooner than my first batch... but all light colored

any advice now that you see the pics?

It's a little difficult to see on the photos, but are you sure the light coloured 'leaves' aren't in fact the seed cotyledons? These are the parts of the original seed which split to produce a root and then a green shoot. Sometimes, if a seed is not deep enough in very light soil, the original seed rises up as the root tries to grow downwards. The split seed then appears above the surface. It will still then grow a green shoot and leaves, as long as the root provides enough nourishment.

I think you might be very correct in that statement. Looking more closly, they do tend to have a greener (still not as dark green as the others) shoot coming out.

Thank you for giving me possible hope that they'll survive. I guess it wouldn't hurt to lose a few as I have... hmmm, lets see... well over 50 seedlings... all of key limes. might be 2 or 3 lemons.. Either I'm going to be living off limes in a few years or gonna have to start pawning them off as they get bigger

definatly green seedlings! overnight I had a ton ofgrowth, I put all my pots on my back rest for my car (built inheaer... had to get creative) and they spouted like mad, I think giving them a bit of food yesaterday aided as well. Some are dark dark green whereas others are still a good greencolor, just not as dark. Pretty sure as long as they keep growing, all will be great. Now just to wait 2 + years and I'll have my ownfruit!