Seed of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill ‘Celebrity’ were planted in four rooting substrates (Growers 20 mix, Fafard 4P, Johnny's 512 Select and Sunshine Planters mix) on August 21, 2007, in 72-cell plastic plug  trays. The Growers 20 mix (GM) rooting substrate was formulated by the researchers and composed of 4 peat: 1 perlite: 0.7 vermicompost (v/v/v) amended with feather and kelp meals at 19.53 and 8.40 L^.m^-3, respectively.The experiment was a four by four factorial design with four substrate and four covers with treatments arrange in a randomize complete block with four replication.The seeds in each substrate were either covered with vermiculite, coconut coir, or the respective rooting substrate; or left uncovered. The composits were watered as needed using a low flow nozzle hose with tap water. Leacheate samples were collected at the beginning and end of the experiment. After 10 days, mean germination percentage was highest in the Fafard 4P mix with the mix as the cover material (92.4%) and lowest in the GM without a cover (80.6%). However, at the end of the experiment, mean fresh and dry weights were significantly higher in the GM than in all other mixes. At week five, transplants grown in the GM were significantly taller (31.9 cm) than transplants grown in Sunshine Planters mix (4.90 cm).  The highest electrical conductivity (EC) was obtained from the GM leachate, while pH did not differ significantly among the different mixes. GM seems to utilize nutrients better than the other three mixes regardless of the cover material.