Recycled bank statements keep strawberries in the pink

Growing your own vegetables is a great way to save money. We receive so many great gardening tips from our oily raggers that we could write a book about it. Here are some of our favourite suggestions sent in by readers.
When planting my strawberries I gave them a mulch of wet shredded paper from my shredding machine. It mats together nicely, keeping light out to prevent weeds. Use old bank statements and advertising junk is very colourful when shredded. Will break down eventually and feed the worms, helping the soil.
Instead of expensive sprays to protect your brassicas try potting up mint and placing the pots in and around your young plants. Cabbage white butterflies do not seem to like mint and stay away. Just don't plant the mint in your garden directly or it may take over.
- Canny Scot, Christchurch.
To make rich compost put lawn clippings, weeds and other garden waste into a big black plastic bag (such as a big garbage bag). Seal the bag and leave. Turn it once a week and after three months you will have good garden compost.
-GB
I have four round, black plastic compost bins. I fill these with the household scraps and clean garden weeds. When bin 1 is full, I start bin 2. By the time bin 4 is full, bin 1 is ready to use. If there is any uncomposted material in the first bin I transfer it to one at the far end of the line.
-GB
I made a cheap "greenhouse" by purchasing clear plastic shower curtains and attaching them to the inside of my balcony.
-Trixie, Christchurch.
When my grandchild was a preschooler we spent many long hours in the organic garden. One thing Emma wanted to do was to grow something herself. We chose silverbeet, which Emma planted and cared for. Now she will go down to the garden, pick the leaves, wash them and then loves to eat them.
-Nannie Suzanne, Rotorua.
When planting large seeds like beans, use the inners of toilet rolls, part fill with potting mix, put in the seed and top up. You can get about 12 of these to stand up in an icecream container. And in due course plant out the whole tube. No transplant shock. The cardboard will rot away quickly. -GB
Next time you think about throwing out your old icecream boxes, cut them into strips and make little plant markers with them.
-Canny Scot, Christchurch.
I crushed a piece of newspaper and shoved it among my plants. Next morning it was full of slugs. I then tried using more paper traps which were just as successful. Previously I had used expensive slug pellets that didn't seem to work. Crumbled paper is the answer. It's a plant-saver and a money-saver. -PM
Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Submit tips online at www.oilyrag.co.nz.