As the year fades toward 2010, your EarthBox production is likely to be falling off, unless of course you live in the extreme South or in a tropical location like Hawaii. If you are still growing fruits and vegetables, don't forget to remain vigilant about pest control; warm temperatures mean healthy, active bugs as well as healthy plants. And remember, if you can't use all of your harvest, consider drying or freezing it for later use; we'll discuss how to do that a bit later in the section.

Tips for Colder Climes
If Old Man Winter is already tightening his grip where you live, it's a good idea to finish harvesting as much of your produce as you can before it falls to frost or freezing. If some of your plants haven't finished producing and you'd like to get more fruit out of them, use covers to keep the frost off. In extreme cases, you can bring your EarthBoxes indoors briefly.  

Tips for All Climes
The fall rains have once again gotten the slugs and snails moving through our gardens. If they seem especially bad in yours, try one of the remedies at this site to get rid of them.

One thing we should also mention is the widespread tomato blight that struck many home gardeners this season. For those affected, we have some tips on how to clean up and get your EarthBox sanitized and ready for the next growing season.

Blight Control. First of all, it's important to know that two types of blight struck this year, an early blight and a late blight.

Early blight can occur over a wide range of climatic
conditions. Part of prevention and control of this type of blight includes crop rotation, removal and destruction of crop debris from previous crops, staking, mulching, and timely application of fungicides.

Late blight is much fiercer, and it finds cool rainy weather ideal for its development. This year, it especially  affected EarthBoxes in cooler areas, particularly in the Northeast. It moves rapidly and spreads easily, as its spores can be carried by the wind. Timing is crucial for using fungicides on late blight. 

If either blight has occurred, sanitizing the entire EarthBox is advised. Empty out the soil and water, and discard them (DO NOT put them on your compost pile). Then clean the EarthBox thoroughly with a Clorox and water solution (1 to 10), rinse three times, and start over with fresh, sterile potting media. Furthermore, if the disease is known or expected to have occurred, the affected produce should not be consumed.

It's best to consult your County Extension Agent for advice for eradicating it and sanitizing your EarthBoxes before you start new plantings. You should also look to your extension agent for information on fungicides for blight control. Click here to find your local agricultural extension office.

Food Preservation
There are several ways to preserve your EarthBox produce for later enjoyment. Following are two of the most common: drying and freezing.

Drying simply involves removing the moisture in the produce to deter spoilage. The modern way of doing this is to use a food dehydrator, though you can also use an oven set on low heat to dry your produce. But if you've got access to a space with temperatures in excess of 85°F, low humidity, and good pest control (not just insect, but birds, raccoons, and rodents, too!) you can also dry fruits in the sun.

For complete instructions on how to prepare your produce for drying, click here.
 
Freezing is often your best choice for produce preservation, as it can help you maintain the highest quantity of nutrients. Vegetables will stay healthy for 12-18 months if kept at 0°F or lower, though frozen fruit doesn't seem to do as well, peaking at 8-12 months if it's packed in sugar or sugar syrups. Unsweetened fruits deteriorate significantly faster.