Why do I need a root cellar?

I’ve been gardening for about 15 years now. I’ve gardened at home, at a neighbor’s house, at a community garden, in full sun, in half-shade, in the ground, in raised beds, in containers of all sizes, in a small greenhouse, on the windowsill, under lights, and in the weedy strip between two parking lots. I’ve

Sprouting potatoes

I have something like 50 pounds of potatoes sprouting madly in the root cellar! What should I do with them, besides plant them? On a side note, all of the Kennebecs are sprouting, but very few of the Yellow Finns are.

Garden wrap-up 2011

Well, we finally got a hard frost on Oct. 22 (!!!) and I think I’ll get the last of the potatoes in this year. This year’s tally was a whopping 1200 pounds of produce! Seven hundred of that (and change) was squash. Those pink bananas were da bomb – prolific, tasty, and craaaaaaazy big. I’d

Root cellar update: the best bins for my root cellar

In mid-January, I did a complete inventory and assessed the success of a variety of storage bins and insulators. I tried three basic bin/insulation types: solid plastic Rubbermaid tubs filled with damp peat moss; the same with damp cedar shavings (as I don’t have access to clean sawdust); and either wicker or plastic baskets with

Root cellar update: ventilation and humidity

Overall, I am very pleased with the root cellar I built last spring.  It’s keeping temperature well, not showing signs of mold or infestation, and most of the produce is in very good shape.  I have learned a few things and made some changes from the original design, though, and I’ve got some good preliminary

Moving toward local eating: Storage

Part of the “Moving toward local eating” series Storing food is its own adventure.  No matter what climate you live in, different foods are harvested at different times of the year, and chances are you will want to store some food for the “off” season. It takes some space, especially if you start trying to,

Root cellar: full and experimental

So, I’ve loaded up the root cellar with goodies for the upcoming year.  I’m trying several different storage methods to see which works the best and is least annoying. Clockwise from top left: Wooden crate with jars of pickles and sauerkraut (unsealed jars – though I did boil the brine and dump it over the

Pictures of completed root cellar!

The root cellar is finished! Can I get a “hell yeah”? Click to embiggen: Yep, that’s water on the floor, from the spring rains. It always oozes in around the corners – the shelves are on bricks to keep the wood away from the moisture. (Update 2011: I had to take the dark red paneling

Root cellar: walls and ceiling done; ventilation and shelves in progress

So, I’ve kept chipping away at the root cellar. I am pleased to say, the walls and ceiling are finished, right down to the paint! I also put in a new light fixture that will work in cold, damp environs, because the original shop light wouldn’t turn on when it got below 40. The tour,

So close…root cellar insulation almost done.

It was a mixed bag working on the root cellar this weekend. Saturday, I got lots done (all the batts of insulation into the ceiling/floor joists) but on Sunday I was too tired and cranky (and breaking drill bits, and running out of hardware…) to get a whole lot done. But here’s the current status: