In the May/June 2009 issue, National Home Gardening Club members shared tips on organic techniques that have been successful in their gardens. Here are more organic gardening tips from NHGC members:

twice as nice
Double mulch your vegetable garden with a thick layer of black and white newspaper covered with grass clippings or other finely chopped material. The double layer effectively chokes out weeds but still looks neat and tidy. ?Judy Mackinder, Battle Creek, MI

cheers!
To get rid of slugs, put a bowl of beer between your plants. The slugs will drown in the beer. ?Carol Shade, Jamestown, TN

on a roll
I make all the seed-starting pots I need for free. I cut empty toilet tissue, paper towel, and wrapping paper tubes into three-inch lengths, cut four one-inch notches in one end, and fold the tabs in like a box top. Filled with seed starting mix, they make biodegradable pots that can be transplanted without disturbing the seedlings. ?Lisa Livermore, New Carlisle, Ohio

paper trail
To slow down slugs and cutworms, place shredded paper around any plants they bother. Their soft bodies don't seem to like crawling across the curls of paper, and it’s a great way to recycle what would otherwise be waste. ?Sherri Ohnsted, Duluth, MN

pests on the menu
When bugs get especially bad, I order some natural predators from an Internet source or catalog. Depending on the pest, I’ll bring in praying mantis, lacewings, or ladybugs with the understanding that they probably won’t make a home in my garden, but will stay long enough to bring the pests under control. ?Tammy Goebel, Saint Charles, MO