Cool Ideas for Inexpensive and Easy to Make Root Cellars

[@lb476]

As a senior citizen, I got upset not being able to purchase fresh vegetables during the Pandemic. The produce was always empty, so I believed I had to grow my own. The truth is, until I see prices go back down I know I have to continue growing my own vegetables, or go without. Storage was hard for me because I'm extremely handicapped. But your video has given me some great ideas, thank you.

[@willowriver7918]

Im learning as well, ive been soaking information up like a sponge. I was raised basically growing everything we ate, with the exception of sugar, yeast, vanilla. We got 1 bag of chips a month for a treat. I remember sitting in my Grandfathers lap , looking up as told the family as long as we had the family land and the fresh water spring , we could survive anything. I did not understand he was talking about the cold war. Now we face a new war and memories lost for so many years have come flooding back, I see there hands and tools creating the gardens, I remember every step, Ill be canning this year, ive done well to ready my husband and myself, others after the bad , bad passes, with garden, studies every possibility. I can do anything, i may be slow, and i may or will haft to work at night , unable to controlle body temp.So thankyou so much , everyone stay safe!!!

[@NonToxicHome]

Few have eyes to see and ears to hear, but the first seal was opened in March 2020. So yes, this is spiritual war! Take heed that no man deceive you. (We have many videos up regarding the times we are living in.)

[@zone4garlicfarm]

I have been using the buried metal trash can for several years. I leave the rim and lid a couple inches above ground for easier access. The only insulating covering on top is natural snowfall. I place a 4 foot tall stake next to the can as a marker so I can easily find it in winter. Every couple weeks I dig through the snow to stock my pantry, then I shovel the snow back on top. Last winter the 4 foot stake wasn't tall enough. I was removing a foot of snow to find the stake so I would know where to dig.

[@myacrylicjourney624]

This has given me a lot of hope because I was getting a bit stressed trying to figure out how we were going to preserve the enormous amount of food that we need to grow for our family this summer. It just dawned on me that we have a crawl space around the outer edge of our home that would be a perfect place for putting totes of produce. Thank you so much!

[@notmeee8294]

I believe you don't want to store them in plastic totes in the crawl space. Cardboard boxes or wooden crates. You have to be careful with the critters, and make sure it's dry so there's no mold growth

[@hughmanatee7433]

We store all of our root crops plus apples cabbages etc in vented plastic crates (like milk crates but larger). In each crate we lay down a layer of soaking wet pine shavings then a layer of vegetables, placing them so that they don’t touch each other. We then keep layering up shavings and crops until the crate is full ending with a layer of shavings on the top. The wet shavings retain the right amount of moisture to keep everything crisp well into spring. Once we have eaten the contents of the crate we just use the shavings on the hen house floor. The pine shavings are acidic which discourages rot in the vegetables. Carrots come out just like they went in even into April. Unfortunately, we don’t have a root cellar yet but we do have a walk-in cooler that we use for our farm vegetable business. I installed a small strip of electric heat and a thermostat that can keep the room at 40F. This works for us in Maine where it is cold all winter. Our limitation is that our cooler is above ground and does not keep food cool enough in the spring. If we had a basement we would partition off a corner and insulate it heavily to keep the heat of the house out. The evaporative cooling from the wet shavings would easily reduce the temperature a little below the the temperature of the ground, perfect for root cellaring.

[@sjt4689]

Awesome video, thank you. Now I can increase my planting this year and keep myself through the winter. Self sufficiency rocks 😀

[@EileenHagerman]

I don't know why you all don't have more subscribers! I'm learning so much from your channel. :)

[@farmerbrown6157]

Put carrots onions in a box. With sand around them we use to just have a potato bin in the farm house cellar. By spring the eyes would be 3ft long lol. Squash dependin on variety would be in cellar on shelves. Fall squash would last better like hubbard acorn. . My granny born in 1800s been thro it all when i got big en9ugh to run the tracter with bucket would have me dig a hole in corner off garden about 3ft or so deep. .the frost can go that deep or deeper but thats the frost line here . Lay loose hay all over bottem piled the the carrots, summer squash. Cabbage taters and some other stuff in the whole cover it with hay then piled ft or so 9f dirt on top. And in match or so depending when she said so after frozt out of ground some yrs march some goin into april id dig the top dirt off and dig out the hayy and there be a bunch of fresh veggies. Slightly soft but still fresh . This was from a farm woman from the 1800s lived till 1988 ... stuff would be canned like peaches apples . Tomatoes corn beans. So.e stuffbl8ke taters carrots buried in sand would be in the root celler off the main celler with some canned goods there on shelves while some canned goods in regular celler and she had me diggin holes . Said it kept the food fresher. I think in the old days they spread the risk around.

[@mt8149]

How much dirt did you pile on top of the hay covered veggies? Is that 1 foot?

[@thinlizzy535]

You guys have the most amazing ideas for easy and functional root cellars that anyone can make, even if you rent or physically limited. Bravo!

[@dougtuck1449]

How cool is your basement ours stays around 45 degrees all winter will that work for squash?

[@florarix7091]

Your info and presentation are much better than most channels I've seen on this subject. Thank you. Has definitely given me some ideas.

[@anthonysharp9136]

Wow, that small hidden cubbie under the house's front steps is a great use of space.

[@johnpowell8568]

Greetings friends.I like your carrot-under-tops idea.Using half the row's tops from harvested carrots to cover the other half.Cool.I once found in spring time a vole's 'root cellar' under the late spring snow I was clearing from the garden area.It was simply a few small spuds, and some pieces of Dandelion roots, nestled into some dried grasses and covered with just a little more grass and left that way all through an Alaskan winter.Really opened my eyes to the amazing and timeless wisdom of Mother Nature's ways of taking care of Her children.We as 'civilized' folks are running around buying ENDLERSS gadgets and wondering why things don't work. Anyways, thanks for the part about principles of root cellars.I always thought they were supposed to be dry.

[@dustyflats3832]

We are in the process of building a root cellar with reclaimed refrigerated building panels above ground. We dug it down about a foot. We will put a vent in and cover with rubber. The whole box will then be domed with wood chips. I chose to put it out in the open because too many obstacles elsewhere, like roots and utilities. We will use a remote temp humidity sensor with alarm and we will see how that works. This winter may be a cold one. We need a better storage system as keeping a room cool doesn’t work. By opening a window it creates a draft in the house and not efficient. Z5a, WI. Love all the ideas. I have done carrots in ground before, but if it’s a really cold winter it may not work. The insulation would need to go way out around the carrots.

[@Soul.On.Fire.88]

Thank you so much. God Bless you both.

[@utbr2]

A cornucopia of ideas of Long term storage. I was amazed by the ideas presented. Great Content

[@marias835]

This is so fabulous!! You guys are amazing.

[@elizabethc9832]

This video really got me thinking on different ways to store root crops, especially potatoes. I've upped the amount I'm going to grow this year so I've been researching this. I think I might actually have one of those nooks in my basement with the little door. I've never even looked in there, but it goes out so it is actually outside the basement perimeter. Or one other method I might try from the video - using one of the bedrooms, sealing off the heat register and the light, and cracking the window a bit to chill it down. Certainly worth a try. I loved the idea of the black bags full of leaves, but I have a feeling I would be accused (here in town) of having bags of trash laying in my yard. I still might consider this if I can think of a way to disguise the bags. Thanks so much for all these ideas!

[@agrarianarc]

We have a large egress window in our basement that I experimented with as a root cellar this past winter in northern Wisconsin. It worked really well

[@hhhhhhhhh61]

So much information, delivered well! Thank you for sharing!

[@edwardcuevas5667]

Your helping so many people keep it up

[@TheProvidentPrepper]

You are so kind! Thanks for the encouragement!

[@fadeddenims501]

The last one would work for me the best, using totes in the garage. I have a two car garage that is deep, so if I have potatoes this year to harvest, I will be using this method. Thank you!

[@scotts595]

Amazing ideas! Thank you ✌🏻

[@Margarita-dt5th]

wow time to learn so glad i found you thank you so much may God bless us with your knowledge

[@sabiaknows]

Thank you!

[@ruthcrawford3015]

Awesome!! Thank you very much!

[@esrcornwell]

Thanks for this!

[@lindamoses3697]

Great ideas

[@gloryrow100]

Best vid on the topic!

[@crv20051]

Thanks for posting, a really helpful list of options.

[@whisperingsage]

I grew up with a basement, on a split level house, and it wasn't anything special, but a 40 lbs box of apples would keep for months. I just really miss that house and the way things were in it.

[@cynthiacarr2093]

Tyfs!😁❤

[@jackieo8693]

Great video

[@EskimoInAlaska]

THANKS SO MUCH

[@lulabelle4760]

The last idea-using a tote for potatoes. Would holes need to be drilled for ventilation? And could it be kept outside, say sitting on the deck, wrapped in a tarp? Appreciate you and your channel !

[@GamesWithSpawn]

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video. You are really a wealth of knowledge! I love in the PNW and am looking for inexpensive and small root storage solutions that won't be too wet when winter soaks the ground. We don't OWN the property, but we can fill a small hole when we move, so I was thinking of steel or plastic barrels in the ground. How much sand should we put in the bottom to increase drainage? Do you have any gems of knowledge to help me in this endeavor? Thanks!

[@ulaper6465]

You two are brilliant and good people

[@reeintili6927]

Thank you for a great video. I've wanted to store my root veggies in my basement but even now in the dead of winter is above 50° and less than 40% humidity. The north and south side of the interior basement all have the same reading more less. How would a cellar outside prove better and what can I doin the basement cheaply to utilize it? Thank you Ps, I'm in New Jersey

[@reeintili6927]

@@TheProvidentPrepper thank you very much but I'm still confused. Why doesn't a basement work as well? Isn't a root cellar essentially the same thing?

[@reeintili6927]

@@TheProvidentPrepper what an educated and well articulated response. Thank you. I will definitely heed your response

[@reeintili6927]

@@TheProvidentPrepper BTW, you gave no bad impressions

[@janacox3686]

I'm interested in the window well root cellar idea. One question I had was regarding the ventilation. In your freezer root cellar you installed pipes...one at the top and one at the bottom for warm/cool air exchange. The window well cellar idea didn't mention anything about doing that. Do you think a high/low pipe is just as necessary for a window well as it would be for other types of cold storage?

[@stanford2444]

So when you have a 6 foot frostline how well do these work?

[@jksatte]

These were really good ideas. I wonder if you have any ideas for us southerners. I know about a room with a cool bot is that the only way. I would love any ideas. Thanks! Janice

[@jksatte]

@@TheProvidentPrepper Thanks, I live in the city with a small plot. I want to move to a rural area with more land to grow my food so I am just researching. I doubt my current neighbors would have any idea lol. Thanks again. Janice

[@joseortiz5965]

Awesome

[@Redtoler8]

How about the pests and other living organisms??

[@christopherkeillor9728]

One thing I am trying to figure out and find out keeping my canned goods from freezing in the winter I don't have regular heat and if I don't keep my fire going things can freeze but if I keep burning my wood stove I go through a lot of firewood

[@LLjean-qz7sb]

Christopher Keillor.... Would you be able to get a chest freezer that does not work, or a stand up freezer that quit working and use that for a cupboard for your canned goods? It is insulated already, (I don't know how much room you have) and you can put it out of the way somewhere in the house! You can probably get one for free if someone is buying a new one and getting rid of their old one! Pick a size that fits your space, even a dorm room size refrig for a small storage space! Good luck and God Bless!

[@TaraandSky]

Hi I just found your channel and would love some help. I have a small basement and a small root cellar off of it and I wanted to begin storing food. Because my house is old and the basement floor is dirt, it is constantly wet if it rains. I am afraid to store in case there is mold ( I don't see any). I don't have the funds now to have someone come and seal the basement. Do you have any suggestions I could do myself to store food there? Thank you for your channel.

[@TaraandSky]

@@TheProvidentPrepper Oh wow, your reply was so beautiful. Thank you! I didn't expect such a lovely reply. Wow! That is a fantastic idea! I will look that book up now and look into plastic buckets. I was always afraid of mold. I do have a dehumidifier down there. Wow, thank you so much!!! Bless you!

[@TaraandSky]

@@TheProvidentPrepper Thank you. You made my day. I so appreciate it now.

[@jonimarie4255]

You asked the question I was going to ask! An old farmhouse basement that gets wet from time to time but small dark rooms with rock walls, I am going to find plastic shelves tomorrow because I have turnips to dig and potatoes soon after! I appreciate the question you asked and the fantastic answers from the Provident Preppers! Appreciate all the information and I just went and bought the suggested book.

[@setapart6613]

Has anyone tried any of these methods in Minnesota?

[@saflem1]

Can you tell me why holes in the buckets are necessary? I watched another video where they did not do this... thank you!! :)

[@cominginthecloudsforus]

What is your basement's average temperature when you are storing your produce down there? Do you have to regulate the humidity? Thanks!

[@sageclark5473]

where I live we get a lot of snow. I trying to find a temporary solution to building a root cellar but we have a lot of potatoes that need storing and most of these ideas wouldn't work because of the amount of snow we get(in some places the snow is up o my waist!)

[@florarix7091]

Don't know your circumstances but perhaps you could build a lean-to to help keep the snow off whatever you put into the ground.

[@velmahenson981]

Get containers sawdust or straw,layer not touching put on North side of house.

[@disgruntledvet11b18]

At least you can freeze your meats and dairy in the snow for free all winter long,)

[@eternalvitality]

What about storing insulin?

[@NotAnAngryLesbian]

...the need for a well regulated root cellar..

[@astatine0085]

How do you keep worms and grubs out of the vent holes?

[@13kingofbattle47]

Paint one side of window black and insulate the other side will foam

[@marybethstephens6576]

I live in Michigan. Would an old fridge or freezer unplugged in the garage work?

[@marybethstephens6576]

So in lower Michigan, I would have to dig down at least 48 inches to get below the frost line so food would not freeze during winter? That’s 4 feet. Seems excessive.

[@Shanmammy]

How do you keep varmints out?

[@agrarianarc]

For the last example, the plastic tote, do you need to drill holes in the tote?

[@agrarianarc]

@@TheProvidentPrepper thank you!

[@Tina-7773]

@@TheProvidentPrepper Hi, would the last example with the potatoes in the tote, work in the Florida heat, either buried in the ground or in the garage? If so, about how long would the potatoes last? Thank you.

[@Tina-7773]

@@TheProvidentPrepper Ok, thank you.

[@AnnBearForFreedom]

The only thing getting in the way of my having a coolish root cellar is.....my desert. Zone 9b to 10, in other words. I've had some luck storing indoors, in my pantry, but it won't hold anything over the winter. It seems to be a no-can-do. :(

[@JohnnyFuckup]

I'm sorry, I don't understand your comment. You live in a desert, right? In zone 9b-10? And that prevents you from using natural refrigeration because...? Look up Iranian windcatchers and the coandă effect.

[@JohnnyFuckup]

@@AnnBearForFreedom I assumed there was something I was missing concerning your situation. Apparently not.

[@clncaaquintero3595]

Did you have any problem with mice in the basement with your produce there?

[@dewuknowofHyMn]

In a garage w no heat...does the "tote" potatoes freeze ?

[@snvm69]

What about -20 temps and 3 to 5 feet snow .....

[@borispetkau1246]

Ventilation will save your lfe

[@milo74156]

how about saving your long term food in the summer without electricity

[@mt8149]

A root cellar or very deep hole in the ground is still your best bet depending on where you live. If you live far enough north, you could put large blocks of ice in a tote or other container (to control moisture and melting) and place those in the cellar and that might get you by fair bit of the summer depending on the conditions. You could adapt this concept to any of the buried containers with a layer of insulation to prevent direct contact freezing and a container to keep the melting ice from getting everything wet. I live in Michigan and this works here.

[@JAYWAY1982]

No mention of what region/climate this would or wouldn’t be good.

[@anthonysharp9136]

The good thing about going underground is the math is simple. Once you reach the right depth they tend to stay around the average of your summer and winter temps.

[@denisegirmer4550]

How would I protect my veg. Or potato’s from mice in my unfinished part of basement

[@leegalloway9508]

if the screen openings are a 1/4" which they look like they could be, a mouse can get in it.

[@ajb.822]

Most of this won't work in nw WI or esp. in the coming years of super cold due to the grand solar minimum. Too cold.

[@robertkadow3367]

Please do not over act - would like to hear what you have to say but you seem to be natural

[@donnaleicach832]

I 3

[@robertkadow3367]

Not natural

[@MrThidj901]

she speaks like Justin Trudeau gave her drama courses