Sliver & Bite Blog

Day Thirty-Six: Reflections and Changes in the Garden Challenges with Pests and Plant Health Bug Bugs BUGS! Whenever I head out to the Sliver and Bite vegetable / herb garden and see leaves that are crispy or chewed by bugs, cocoons, and signs of leaf discolouration, I feel a mix of sadness and defeat. I sympathise with the plants, knowing it’s not their fault if I, as the gardener, have overwatered them, used the wrong soil, or placed the garden in a spot that doesn't get en

A look at concerns in your garden such as gnats and poor soil and taking steps to improve so your herb and vegetable garden can thrive.

Learn as You go Reflections After 25 Days Embarking on a gardening journey just 25 days ago has been both rewarding and challenging. There is so much to learn about starting and maintaining an urban garden, especially when faced with ever-evolving bugs and the risks of overwatering during autumn. Light is essential for the garden, yet it can be tricky to provide when working with narrow spaces and the changing seasons that influence the garden beds. Embracing Setbacks and Cha

Another caterpillar found yesterday, it is due to the moths around the house. I have now moved into damage control! 2nd Caterpillar Attack I have acquired a mint and thyme plant as they act as pest deterrents and welcome herbs to the Sliver and Bite garden. I am also ensuring the exterior of the house is clean to prevent any moth eggs being laid and hatching. I am not above installing some form of netting over the garden however I would prefer to keep the garden open to attra

Obviously, I am now addicted to my vegetable and herb garden. From the first day I have increased the plants from 8 to 16 a 100% increase. When creating my own Thai Red Curry Paste & Thai Green Curry Paste from scratch I knew I had to plant some chilli plants which saw bantam orange, jalapeno, serrano & habanero becoming additions to the garden. I replanted the trial potting mix bag method as which housed tomatoes and Lebanese cucumbers. Comparing them to the same seedlings t

With the garden beginning to gain a little height it was time to guide & train the snow peas, tomatoes and Lebanese cucumbers. With some thin stakes and malleable wire, I fed the wire over the stakes that met the garden bed then pokes the snow peas that were beginning to crawl along the top of the garden bed to the wire. Snow peas starting to climb The tomatoes and Lebanese cucumbers will be secured to the mesh, so they do not topple over when they begin to bear fruit, I bega

After 3 days of rain, I looked out my window and noticed half of my basil was gone. There were round balls the size of whole peppercorns on the basil leaves. All other herbs and vegetables had been spared for now. After a little google photo search I concluded it was caterpillars. I hadn’t noticed any motion bar the odd cricket which I relocated to heaven. Obviously keeping the Sliver and Bite garden organic I resorted to placing bruised garlic cloves on the garden bed. Befor

DAY FIVE Today saw an overcast day so I am going to ease up on the watering today as I don't want to drown the soil. When checking the carrot trough I saw some sprouts. The carrots were sewn 14 days using a seed tape. Check out the sprouts to the right. UPDATE: They weren't carrots it was the straw seeds (insert eye roll here). I will revisit planting the carrots as i dug them too deep should be 5mm not 5cm under the soil. Oops New growth?

I'm watering my vegetable and herb garden twice daily since Australia's summer temperatures are currently reaching 38°C (100°F), so the plants need plenty of water at all stages. I've taken photos to show the various ways I'm growing my crops, as this is my first edible garden I am trialing various ways to see what suits this urban garden space. Watering after a hot day in Perth Australia

Time to grow, with the prices of herbs and vegetables its certainly time to begin a garden that I can pick seasonal produce to minimise waste and save money.