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An experiment was carried out to assess the physical and chemical evolution of three substrates and their relation to the vegetative development of seedlings of citrus rootstock, cultivated in containers. The experiment was carried out in greenhouse conditions on 27 September 2001 and continued until 120 days after sowing. The experimental design was randomized block in a split-plot scheme. In the plots, there were tested substrates: two of them were specialized for horticulture (commercial 1 and 2) and a mixture (turf plus carbonized rice husk). In the subplots, there were four citrus rootstocks (Trifoliate orange, "C13" Citrange, "C37" Citrange, and "Rangpur" Lime). The main results showed that the physical characteristic of the substrate that had undergone the most modification during cultivation was the remnant water; the chemical characteristics of the substrate were determined for the proper development of the rootstocks, with high salinity being harmful. The nutrient availability, before and after cultivation, must be adjusted to the capacity of each of the citrus rootstock to absorb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]