On 4/10/2013, as I looked down the plastic jug holes, little leaves finally sprouted!  From the looks of the leaves and the jug itself (the pink plastic ring on the top), they are kohlrabi and Swiss chard.  This wasn’t planted back on 3/22/2013, but one I prepped later on 3/28.  You will notice the spray bottle in the picture.  It’s my secret weapon (don’t tell anyone) to watering once the jugs are sealed up.  The WinterSown.org instructions say to take the duct tape off to water, but that sounded like a lot of work.  I just spray water in from the top, thus not disturbing the seeds nor over watering.

The other jugs are also making progress, though not as much as this first one.  The Apiacea (or Umbelliferae) family jug (carrots, cilantro, celery, and chervil) is almost totally barren, but I’m not surprised as these usually takes longer to germinate than others.  If you look closely though, you can see a little green at the top of the picture, but since they are all the same family, I’m not sure which plant it is.  The Snarky Gardener will taste them later to see who is who.  If it tastes like licorice, it’s the chervil.  Cilantro and celery are very distinct tasting also.

Snarky Gardener fact:  they are known as Umbelliferae because their flowers spread out like little umbrellas (think Queen Anne’s lace).

The broccoli, leek, echinacea, and carrot below are still at a standstill, though you can see a few broccoli poking their little heads out at the top of the picture.  Seeds from the Brassicaceae family (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard, kale, radishes, and turnips) tend to sprout pretty quickly, with radishes being one of the first to develop (ready to eat in 3 to 4 weeks).