The vegetative phase is characterized by the development of tillers and more leaves, and a gradual increase in plant height. The number of days the vegetative stage takes varies depending on the variety of rice, but is typically between 55 and 85 days. The early vegetative phase begins as soon as the seed germinates into a seedling and ends at tillering. The seedling stage starts right after the first root and shoot emerge, and lasts until just before the first tiller appears. During this stage, seminal roots and up to five leaves develop. As the seedling continues to grow, two more leaves develop. Leaves continue to develop at the rate of one every 3–4 days during the early stage. The late vegetative phase starts when tillering begins, which extends from the appearance of the first tiller until the maximum number of tillers is reached. This typically happens 40 days after sowing. The stem begins to lengthen late in the tillering stage and stops growing in height just before panicle initiation about 52 days after sowing, which also signals the end of the vegetative phase.