Root vegetables require similar conditions to their outdoor growing situation: a dark, moist environment where humidity approaches 100 percent. It’s a bit of a vegetable waltz, and starting most vegetables indoors under lights four weeks before transplanting is how we are able to maximize harvests for the cellar and our summer table.įinally, for successful root cellar keeping, you need two types of storage to maximize your efforts: damp and dry. Onions and garlic go into the garden early and come out in time for fall crops such as lettuce, peas, celery and radishes. Potatoes and butternut squash take a full season, too, requiring dedicated area. Brussels sprouts are space hogs but a holiday tradition in our family, so they get their own garden space from May until November. Root cellar carrots are sown late-June through mid-July, in beds where spring cabbage and broccoli have been harvested. The first seeds destined for the cellar get sown outdoors as early as mid-April, and continue to be sown through August. About one-third of our summer and the vast majority of our fall garden harvests go into the cellar. Succession planting is key to having food for the root cellar garden. We plant a diverse lineup of food, and keep planting all summer long, starting plants from seed throughout the summer. We really enjoy the planning process, mapping out square footage requirements for each vegetable. To have a root cellar, you need to grow the right food at the right time. We are not nearly there yet, but each year we adjust our fall planting schedule to give everything the best chance possible to mature before winter sets in. Having this much space makes the concept of feeding ourselves year-round so tangible that we want to taste that freedom. Some deer-resistant vegetables, such as onions and leeks, are planted outside the fence. We currently have about the same amount of space as our prior lot had in total in a fenced vegetable garden to keep out deer. Our former city lot was too small to grow enough food for year-round eating, but on a larger suburban lot we have room to grow much more. You need three things to grow a root-cellar garden: space, careful timing and most importantly, proper storage. A passive refrigeration system that extends our undeniably short growing season deep into winter is like having your own daily farmers’ market. Root cellars are simple, practical and a little romantic. And that’s why my family built root cellars to help store the harvest from our one-eighth acre vegetable garden. Whether it’s August or the middle of February, I like my vegetables homegrown and fresh. Grab a carrot, a couple potatoes, maybe an onion or garlic and cook a simple family dinner. Some of these vegetables have a shorter lifespan time, but natural col storage solutions, like root cellars, keep foods nutritious longer that modern fridges.By Meg Cowden - It’s simple, really. Here is a short list of foods that can be kept on storage shelves in a root cellar for several months: canned food, dry food, fall fruits and root vegetables, apples, beets, Brussel sprouts, Chinese cabbage, carrots, horseradish, onions, parsnips, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, pumpkins, rutabagas, squash, turnips, tomatoes. If you have a root cellar, of if you plan to make one for your winter food storage, you need to familiarize yourself with various root cellar designs and best storage solutions for foods.Ģ5 root cellars adding unique structures to backyard designsĢ5 wine storage ideas adding extravagant luxury to modern interior design It is important that rood cellar be kept dark. Sand, mulch, sawdust or gravel on your dirt floor help improve the root cellar designs, absorb excessive surface humidity from the dirt floor and offer the best natural color storage solutions. A root cellar can have a natural dirt floor, which will provide humidity. Some humidity can help keep your stored vegetables from shriveling. Root cellar exterior can be made with wood, brick, concrete or natural stones, but it is a good idea to build food storage shelves inside. Root cellar designs vary, creating beautiful or simple and practical backyard structure. Healthy food storage solutions and eco friendly kitchen decorating ideas Root cellar designs Wooden root cellar design with Green roof Energy saving advanced food storage system bringing Green technology into modern homes
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