Establishing a root cellar allows you to preserve and enjoy homegrown food all year long. Stored at low temperatures in a cool, humid environment that protects against spoilage and insects, food stored here will last longer in its storage than it would under conventional refrigeration methods.
Building a root cellar may not be difficult for do-it-yourselfers, but it requires serious effort and planning. A deep hole must be dug and the cellar must maintain an ideal temperature of 20 degrees below freezing; rigid foam or fiberglass batt insulation works best to block out warm temperatures from elsewhere in the basement; make sure that one eighth or quarter inch space exists between walls and joists above it to allow air circulation.
Some vegetables, like carrots and beets, thrive when stored at lower temperatures in a cellar, while squash or tomatoes prefer higher shelves. To satisfy all these different requirements, a cellar must have different levels of shelving at different heights to meet these different demands. It should also feature an adequate drainage system, including french drains to avoid seepage that may rot the produce in storage.
Ideal root cellar construction should use bricks, concrete blocks or cinder block to withstand moisture and cold conditions in a cellar, yet these materials remain relatively inexpensive. Wood such as pine or even recycled materials like old tires could also work. To maximize use from your root cellar it’s essential that the shelves or bins be marked with date of fill and type of produce stored on each shelf; this allows easy retrieval as well as tracking when foods may expire.
Pest control should also be taken into account when building a root cellar. Rodents and insects can wreak havoc on stored produce, so it’s crucial to take measures against their access. Physical barriers or using herbs known to repel insects could work. It is also crucial that regular inspections take place to detect any fruit, vegetables or herbs that have started rotting as this could quickly spread throughout your cellar and cost both you and your pocketbook time and money in the long run. Having an effective pest control plan in place before commencing construction will save both frustration and money in the long run!