My grandmother told me that when she was a kid her family dug holes in the ground under the porch (in the hills of Kentucky), lined them with straw and put apples, potatoes, carrots, cabbages, etc. into the holes. Then they covered them with straw and boards. When they pulled them out, they were almost as fresh as the day they were picked. Thanks for your ideas on doing it. I might have to try this.
@@MizzQueenBreNaturally I'm not sure how exactly how long they were able to keep them in the ground, but my grandma seemed to think they stayed fresh all winter. :)
@@MizzQueenBreNaturally Well she was pretty old ...lol. But she was sharp so I think she was telling it right. I loved hearing her talk about how they raised a cow and a pig every year and had fruit trees and a big garden. They grew all the food they ate except things like sugar and coffee. They canned and preserved everything. She said it was a hard life but a good life. :) My mom was born in the 1940s so it must have been in the 1930s or so.
America oh's so much to the peppers, off-grid persons, and homesteaders who put their way to keep the country living and farmer live styles of United States alive.
Mt Dad left carrots/beets etc in the ground ...raked alot of leaves on top of them during the winter and just dug them out for Sunday dinners ! That really worked
@@JakeHawken Carrots and beets are biennial. The first year they grow and store sugars in their tap root. The second year they flower and make seeds. When they start growing new leaves in the spring you don't have long before they bolt and the root loses its flavor and gets woody.
@@zone4garlicfarm thank you that’s interesting. I have beets in my garden and they have been left in situ. when I want one I just go out and get one. I’m eating it within minutes of harvesting it. Great to know I can reliably do this.
I had to smile at this My Mom was born in 1912 and told a fond childhood memory of eating crisp apples in the evening around the wood stove as a child. Her Dad buried large lard cans in the yard between house and barn. Lined with straw and layered with apples, also many other vegetables, each in their own lard can. Her Dad would stop on the way back from the barn doing evening chores and bring in apples to share around the fire while he told stories from his childhood. We were fortunate enough to have a basement that was cool and stored ours By that time my grandparents had made their own root cellar in the side of the hill behind their log home.
Our basement had a place for coal as well as a root cellar. No longer have that home tho. This idea is great if it is under a roof, because those galvanized cans lids leak where the handles are.
This is a smart cellar. With it being located in the barn among the hay bales who would think about searching for food? Great way to not only keep your food fresh but well, keep your food. With a serious food shortage coming this maybe the best food cellar yet! Great build
@@beebob1279 Some places will see it. The UN reports on famines and lack of Food in Africa and some despot or communist nations like China almost yearly. American food banks get stressed but haven’t really run out. The question is, will there come a day when there are enough issues everywhere combined to mean no food on the store shelves or little trucking getting food where it needs to go bc of a war external or internal. FEMA says have a minimum of 3 months prepared for yourself of food and WATER. The feds require their employees to maintain a 3 month stock also bc they are expected to work even after a SHTF or crisis where they are no longer getting paid but will in a few months. We export a lot of our crops. We turn under a good bit of our crops. Do you live where crops are plentiful if you had no store food? Are you surrounded by thousands or millions of ppl in your region?
Even easier and larger is to bury an old chest freezer or refrigerator laying on its side, they are already insulated and hinged doors work great, Just add vent pipe !!! Zone 3 in northern Minnesota 🥶
Great idea!!! Did you add a drainage on the bottom or just vent the top? Also, did you place it below the frost line? You should make a video for the northerners.
You probably already know this, but the way to dig in hard clay or gravel is to dig a small hole to full depth, then expand it by shearing off little slices, going round and round until it’s to full size. A sharp shovel with good handle, damp soil and good boots like military type or cowboy boots all help A LOT. A narrow long shovel helps to make the initial hole, don’t know what they’re called, not a trench shovel with the funny bend in it.
That is a good point, I’d toss a pallet over the mulch and be done with it. Kids aren’t going to lock themselves in a trash can, and if they are, a little of that is good for the gene pool.
I went to Appomattox VA. One time and toured the house were the surrender papers were signed. In the yard was a two thirds buried little structure with steps going down inside to a dirt floor if I remember right. It was summer time and I had short sleeves on. As I walked down inside, it was freezing. I just thought it was the spirits of the dead but no it was a root cellar. I have never forgotten that day.
Rootcellars have been used for centuries for food, nice twist here. Btw, for those who want to store fuel and do not have a huge fueltank, a kind of separate rootcellar for jerrycans for gasoline and/or some propane tanks works too. No direct sunlight, fairly consistent temp. And when dug a bit away from the house it also means much less risk in case of a fire, either at the house or outside. Doesn't have to be huge either. I did say separate, as I personally would not recommend mixing the storage of food and fuel in the same cellar/area.
After about two and a half months and I finally got my answer. I dug the hole 36in put my 30 gallon trash can in the hole back filled the sides with soil... that left about 18" above the trash can lined the rest with 1" inch pink styrofoam. I made 2 baskets out of green plastic wire attached to strings to it so I can pull them up. Then I froze salt water in 2 gallon jugs and some with half gallons of ice and put two or three of those down in the hole...insulated a wooden lid and now my temperature is around 49 to 50 plus in the middle of July in Atlanta area 100% success.
We're building a new homestead. This would be a great storage place for short term for us, I'm going to need a whole ROOM. I may need to ME fit inside :-)
In the middle of the shed , with a foam board on top of a lid. What a genius. I wish I could be so creative. Please do a follow up one year later to show us your actual produce that made it through the winter.
Thank you Abraham. We will surely do a follow up video for you. From experience with my Dad's root cellar when I was a kid, this method works very well and keeps the food fresh all winter.
I wonder lining the lid with the foam, cutting it in circle shape might make a better insulator. Stick the pvc pipe right through the foam. That way it does not not have to be loose on the floor.
Before the advent of refrigeration, my mother's family owned an ice house. To keep the ice from melting during the heat of summer, sawdust and hay was used as insulation. I enjoyed watching this video.
My great great grandfather was an Iceman in Eagle, Colorado. They stored the ice in the same manner as you've said. Later in the year he delivered ice and he would chip a piece of ice off and give it to the children that he came across. I love to hear how life was done back in the old days😊
Great video. I'd like to suggest the use of mesh with very small holes in the bottom of the can to reduce bug intrusions. Also, put several inches of gravel under the can for drainage--not only from the can, but from the surrounding land too. I saw that another poster mentioned using anti rust paint on the edges of the drilled holes to prevent rust. That's a good idea too. The idea of using a buried garbage can, or as another poster mentioned, an old fridge or freezer is also a good idea. I'm going to pass on this info to my brothers. They have a mini farm not far from me. I live in a handicap accessible apartment, so I can't make use of the info myself. I did do some gardening when younger. Thanks for the informative video.
Hi Eric great video. Do you know in Toronto Ontario in the 50's some builders actually built root cellars in the basement of new houses and they worked very well. My husband remembers helping his Dad when he was a kid putting on a door for it. My mother in law kept all her canning and vegetables in it and it was very cool. Can you imagine builders doing that today. Life was much simpler back then and people actually knew how to do things.
We had a old house that sat above a root seller there was a door that you walked through to get into it kind of like a basement with a walk in door from the outside there was no way to get into it from the house though This was very common back then I believe the house was built in the late 1800s it’s been in our family before a long time The only problem with this was I’ll the humidity that would come up into the houses like this and actually caused some people health problems
My grandparents had one under their Oklahoma home, doubled as a tornado shelter. Meanwhile in the 21st century I live in a house made of ticky tack and pay for everything but air… soon they will tax us for cleaning that up too. sigh.
I think they’re called “cold rooms” used for food storage. I’ve seen a lot of them on HGTV on “Holmes on Holmes” with Mike Holmes. He’s a Canadian building contractor who repairs other “builders” bad work. I grew up in Oklahoma and many farms used root cellars that were built under their houses. They also doubled as storm shelters to escape tornadoes!
I am doing a lot of research into homesteading and wanted a small manageable root cellar. This never entered my mind. Thank you so much for this. I could hide it under anything!!! Thank you again!!
You should have sprayed the holes you drilled with Rustoleum spray galvanize compound. The bottom will rust out prematurely. When you drilled through the galvanized can, you exposed the steel. All that moisture will rust it out.
@@lisakukla459 sure, but in E TX its so lush & every kind of varmint bug & spider will eventually find the easy way in...these nice people from was it Minnesota? may not have learned that yet lol...to keep mice out is why he made holes 3/8" wide...theres also lots more surface water seepage due to rain all year long
I think a major issue with anyone who gets a lot of rain is the water coming up through the 3/8" holes in the bottom of the can. I think it is a good idea to have it 'indoors', but out in a yard might be a bit risky. If I was to do this, I'd seriously overdig the depth, fill with gravel, then place the can in the hole, to prevent a water issue rising up into the can. The gravel would act like a french drain.
Even more simply, just don't drill the holes to begin with. Not very much air will "rise" up and through those tiny holes anyways. Air doesn't travel much/very well in compacted soil. What does happen is that the metal conducts thermal energy up from or down into the ground depending what area is warmer or colder--that in turn either cools or warms the air inside. While you may get some condensation, all you really need to do is to put something like diamatcaeous earth or the like on the bottom, so that if condensation does build enough on the wall to run down to the bottom, it will be absorbed (and slowly released into the air) and kept directly away from the food. You still want a vent, but mostly to vent excess humidity and the warmer air on the top. Generally though, even with holes, there is not going to be much air circulation going on anyways. Most of the air circulation will just be from cold air and warmer air exchanging that thermal energy, which convects/moves the air in very weak, slow "currents". But more importantly, you want to vent the excess humidity out.
In the old days, in Michigan, one of my jobs was to tear a sheet out of a Sears and Roebuck or Montgomery Wards catalog, and individually wrap each apple before packing it into a barrel. That extended their shelf life. Didn’t do it with other fruits or veggies. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
Do remember many other things your parents did for food preservation? What were your main food staples and what were you most excited for when it was time? If it's too long for a comment maybe I can interview you sometime?
@@rosehuynh1572 We grew garden vegetables, so Mom did a lot of canning. Dad bought an old ice cream freezer from some drug store that was upgrading. So, we were freezing foods in the early mid 40s. I think Dad was way ahead of the norm on that. Dad hunted a lot, so we ate a lot of small game fresh. None of that was preserved. We made our own homemade ice cream. We cured and smoked much of our own ham and bacon. We made our own maple syrup and maple sugar. We made our own sauerkraut.
Apple skins emit ethylene gas that causes other fruit and vegetables to ripen faster. (So if you buy unripe fruit set some next to an apple or two.) By wrapping the apples you did 2 things, you protected the apples from getting bruises and you protected the other fruits and vegetables from ripening too fast. Back in the old days, they may not have known the scientific reasons for wrapping the apples, just that it worked. It is the same reason that at the grocery stores, they display all the apples together and away from the fruits like bananas. It is not just because it looks pretty. There is a good reason for it. Apples make bananas turn brown.
@@tommielourogers4327 G’day, Tommie. Good to know. We would plant an extra long row of carrots. In the fall, before the ground froze, we put stakes in the ground about 2’ beyond each end of where there were still carrots. Then,, take apart a bale or two of straw, section by section, each section is about 2” thick. Spread a single layer along the row, covering it, butting them tightly. Then cover those with a second layer that is twice as wide, butting their edges centered right down the row. As carrots are dug, move the stake along, and re-cover the remaining carrots plus a couple of feet beyond. These will be the sweetest, most flavorful carrots you have ever tasted! Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I’m going to do this. My great grandfather was a farmer and they had a sand ridge on the edge of the woods, that’s where they would dig out a “cave” and laid there carrots, potatoes and other root vegetables in it, then covered them with the sand and did several more layers and covered with more sand, Grandma said it worked great.
You can also convert an old chest freezer into and in ground root cellar. Drill holes in the bottom, add a vent in the side and bring the pipe up just above the ground. The insulated flip up lid is very handy.
Great info. I live in East Texas north of Tyler and thought root cellars would not be as good here as places with cooler climate. My dad just put hay down on high spot on ground and put potatoes then more hay with a tarp to keep moisture out. Worked fairly well but the temp changes were problematic. Will give serious thought to maybe building a big root cellar. Have a steel tank 7ft by 12ft plus could stand on end and sink. Some prepping family near could use such more than myself but they don't have my resources for such. On 8ac here on sandy Hill well off county road with good drinking water 20ft down. Land was open 4 decades back but covered with trees for now. As health let's, will be removing most pines to make lumber to finally start building self a cabin or 2. Had goats and chickens here for a while and giving thought to such again. Being retired disabled with nothing else but staying alive to do, all my focus is on my place I call Dirtwater. No longer a workaholic but still need to keep these old bones moving. Thanks for the vid.
I started taking omega 3 oil with the polyphenols in it. It has done amazing things in my body. I'm 64 female- had horrific blood pressure- neuropathy pain in my feet, screwed up sleep schedule, up 3-4 times a night to pee, stiff achey joints. Lots of lower back pain. 3 months ago I started the oil. Increased my D3 to 20,000 units per day and added K2 200 mg per day. Last time I bought a 50 lb bag of feed I had to drag/ flip/ push rest and fight again to gey it from the car to house. Yesterday, I picked up the 50 lb bag threw it over my shoulder- grabbed the second one and slide it up on my other shoulder and carried them into the house with little effort!! Thought they had given me the 28 lb bags because we had discussed that option briefly. But NOPE 50 pounders!!! ❤❤❤❤ P.S. my blood pressure went from 189/110 down to 120/73 this morning!!! No blood pressure meds- no diabetes meds- just the oil D3 and K2.
Great Idea! The seller of my house left me two new metal trash cans. I have a basement that I put all my food stores in, but this would be great to hide food elsewhere. I have a place behind my house that would work perfectly and no one would notice anything. It's in the shade all year as well. I would just have to make sure everything is in and ready before the snow comes in late December. I'm going to start digging the holes now since it might take a while.
My fam in Ky did the same thing, big hole dug under the house, they put straw and burlap sack in hole, put their potatoes in it, they also hung their onions over a line strung out under the house, kept for a long time.
I think you should cut the foam to fit around the top of the lid with the hole through it for the pipe, glue the styrofoam together so it will stay. I figure if you're going to put all that work into it, you might as well finish off the top. Excellent video by the way.
My father-in-law put those leaves in a big plastic bag that he used to insulate the cellar. Easy to move and didn't make a mess. Then in the extreme cold he would put an extension cord to the cellar and place a 40W incandescent lightbulb to hang in the can and keep the cold from penetrating into the cellar. Carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes stayed fresh all winter.
Hi I just seen this video…great info!! A few questions…I live in the city but have a private backyard…could I dig holes 18-20 inches deep use the straw to insulate and cover it? Also wearing the produce in cloth bag spreading out thru the bag to also preserve them? Or do you know a simple method for my situation? Single mom I’m doing this on my own. Thanks!
@@Isisndaflesh Hello. You would need to have some sort of container to keep out bugs. !8 to 20" will not be deep enough. You have to go down quite far to take advantage of the coolness of the soil.
I Grew Up On The Northern Fring Of The Florida Everglades.... My Grandpa And Grandma Had Wild Hogs, A Few Chickens, And An Outhouse And No Electricity..... Back Then, As A Kid, I Would Be One Of The Boys That Gathered Firewood From The Oak Trees In Early Feb.... Hog Killing Time... Cold, Cold, And More Cold.... Grand Would Dig A Large Hole, Line It Wwith Hay, And With Some Green Oak Branchs On The Sides And Bottom... At The Bottom He Placed Feed Sacks That Were Wet And Frozen.... I Remember Any Food Put There Lasted Untill Tha Thaw
This is what Korean people used to do before refrigeration for the winter. This is why Korean ceramic pots to store food is a big deal culturally. This was mostly to store kimchi - spiced fermented pickled vegetables - to be eaten with rice through the winter. Nowadays, there are specialized kimchi refrigerators that mimic root cellar temps so that the kimchi lasts the longest. In normal refrigerators, kimchi doesn’t last as long. They are very much like the wine fridges.
Yes, absolutely. I have many Korean friends and most have the kimchi refrigerators. They tell me it is to also separate the smell of the fermenting kimchi from the rest of the refrigerated food.
I'm watching your video in 2022. While I've heard about these types of root cellars before, I found your video helpful. I especially like that you hand dug it, even in your packed soil. So many homestead videos rely on using mechanical equipment for everything. While there is nothing wrong with that, it can be frustrating to a small landholder with no such equipment. I live in the mountains of northern California where our ground is full of volcanic rocks. We have to use a pick axe to dig as well. I'm inspired to give this a try!
Believe it or not, LoseTube suggested this to me and it’s just what I need. Great idea- inexpensive and fairly quick to create. Well done. New subscriber.
I just started mine. I put it in my shop building. I wrapped it several times with the rolls of thin silver insulation left over from shop construction. I used ground up corn cob I got from rural king, huge bag $4.99. Instead of hay. I had an extra roll of interior insulation with I sat on top of the lid. . The can is sitting on top of a dolly so it has circulation underneath it. I filled it up with. 40 lb of potatoes two days ago. I bought an inexpensive. I bought an inexpensive thermometer $8 at Tractor Supply. It tells you your inside temperature and outside temperature too. It has A second device that you put outside, but I put it in the trash can. Now I can look at my main unit in the house. And I know the temperature in the can. It is 52 degrees right now. Not too bad. But I will work on getting the temperature down to below 40.
@@lisakukla459 you mean the husks you’d peel off the corn, or the central core you’d cut the corn off? When I’ve seen animals eat a head of corn they seem to leave the inner core, so I guess that bit isn’t attractive. That’s what you’re calling cob, of course. Weirdest and saddest thing I’ve ever seen was an African farmer feeding his goats shredded cardboard, they were so poor, and the goats accepted it when there was nothing else. There’s calories in cellulose and glue (Meaning the critters might still eat your insulation) We don’t know we’re born, people!
I lived in a KOA campground in Slidell Louisiana one winter....Our campsite was just above sea level. The ground did freeze, but I don't know how far down. We dug a ditch about 2.5-3 foot deep,. and put plastic in it. We put bacon and ham in it. I forget what else we kept, but our leftovers went in it too. We weren't really vegetable eaters at the time. We put ice in bags and laid them over the top, with a piece of carpet on top of that...we kept food cold for 6 months. We left before summer set in, but in the meantime, we had fresh meat all winter.
@@stormeyholmes267 that's our problem here in the southeast. The water table is just a few feet down. Unless we build a mount or a cinder block above ground cellar it doesn't seem like it will work.
@@stormeyholmes267 we use small hills or raised beds and keep a ditch and drain around the garden so rain drains away. Buckets work as well but if you mean for potatoes laundry baskets might do or nested buckets with panels cut if the inner bucket to make potato retrieval easier. Look growing potatoes in containers or Ruth Stout method.
As I sit here and dream about my homestead…I thank you for sharing with us…it reminds me of days living with my grandma (RIP )tending to her chicken and making jams with her …I am from Michigan too! And thinking to move to Texas …this is just more confirmation for me 🫶🏽🥹
@@CountryLivingExperience I looked for a follow up video, but did not see one. Have you stored a container of potatoes in it before...? How did they hold up? Thank you!!!
@@robinsnestfarm7322 Hi. I didn't make a follow up video. The potatoes and carrots stored for several months but lost some moisture. The carrots were still edible but the potatoes had chitted. I planted them and had a great crop though. I would say that it was great for edibles short term but only for seed long term in this climate. In the North, results are different.
@@CountryLivingExperience Where in East Texas are you? I live outside of Longview. Just found your channel. Thought about trying the root cellar until I read your last comment.
I'm so excited for this. I have a great shed/shop about 22 x 12, dirt floor. I am in my 70s so getting down on ground level is a crybaby's painful experience. Trying to figure how i can keep root veggies in mesh bags so I can pull them up via a cord tied to it. Maybe have a weeks worth per bag. Wrap each veg in paper?. I think I'll shoot for 3 cabs. Roots. Cabbages. Apples, pears?
Hi! If you live in an area with hard packed clay too hard to dig, could you possibly build a wood structure (maybe pallets?) with a trash can inside and surrounded by dirt or sand? Maybe a tarp over top with a layer of dirt? I’m in a rental so not only clay is an issue but digging would honestly require heavy equipment. Any suggestions welcome
This way is worth thinking about. A pallet structure lined with hay bales? Or maybe Styrofoam? House insulation ?Or foam veggie boxes are free. Or combine the idea of the old fridge with a vent and build an insulated shed for it if you can't dig a hole. My thoughts are going around now. Maybe position it in the summer shade too?
I live in Australia and we don't get snow in winter where I live and there are sweltering summers and NO BASEMENTS either. So what would be the best way to store our spuds and carrots etcetera?
Brilliant! ;) Our garage is cement floor but I think the same idea can be achieved in a garage with straw bales surrounding the can. I love this & thank you!
Thank you so much for this information. I’m growing potatoes for the first time this year and was wondering what I was going to do about a root cellar.
Dig a hole large enough to hold what you got line with straw is got to be 18 inches below ground so ground freezing won't happen cover with straw the left over dirt will last all winter when need produce dig up what you need then cover back will keep cabbage potatoes apples beets I have used in the past because no root cellar works fine my grandfather taught me this when young used it and it works great.
My Father-in-Law had a 55 gal drum buried in the barn for potatoes. They lasted until the next harvest. Potatoes were an every Breakfast & dinner staple.
Just wondering if you have two of those root cellar, trash cans. Apples, excrete, a lot of gas and cause other fruits and vegetables to go bad. Are you putting your apples in a different place than the rest of your fruits and vegetables?
i think a great solution to this would be designing some kind of vegetable steamer-like contraption and then lowering that cage into the trash can, tie strings to both handles of the cage, then it would be rather simple to just pull the entire cage (holding all the preserved food) out.
Took about two years, but between me, Hubs and my son (and alittle help from a neighbor boy) we dug out enough of our hard clay here in north Texas to sink in an old broken chest freezer. I had to fill in the vents and holes with a special hard and non-porous foam. once you remove the machinery it makes the box much lighter and you have even more room inside, so worth doing that. We buried it so the lip is about 6-8 inches above grade, and edged the hole with brick pavers. It's inside a insulated shed, so should stay pretty cool down there. Also pretty much out of sight. I keep a table over top. You never know when it might be a good idea to have a place like that.
@@AbolishFamilyCourt Yes! Working great. I added a more secure latch. The temp seems pretty solidly at 67 to 70 degrees during the summer. I keep a sachet of baking soda and some plain (no additives) clay kitty litter in the bottom, just in case of excess moisture or funky odors. So far so good.
I subbed, liked and rang the bell. First video I have ever watched from you. Valuable info. I also NEVER ring the bell. So I mean it, valuable info. Thanks
I'm glad you just happened to be from Michigan because that's where I live and I wanted to know how far to dig more Michigan climate so that was helpful:)
Nice video. It might work in a lot of areas, not so much in central Florida. Holes drilled in the bottom here would get you a half barrel of water. I have been looking for a solution for a high ground water level area. I will keep looking.
I also live in Florida. I wonder is we could dig down a foot or so, lay flat stepping stones as a floor, cinder blocks as walls and build up a few feet high. Then haul dirt in to cover it. Still thinking if this could work, how to make an entrance to it and how to insulate it. Fire ants and carpenter ants are a problem around my property and those dang palmetto bugs.
Nothing has gotten in so far. I think it is below the depth that bugs usually burrow sans ants. I have had the occasional spider get through the top but only about 3.
I was going to ask the same question because we have cutter ants here in my part of Texas. They strip vegetables and leaves of many trees and shrubs. Thanks for the video and the question! :)
@@sarahsoutar252 it is believed the ethylene gas emitted by apples as they ripen causes other produce to spoil. With potatoes, it’s believed the ethylene stops potatoes from sprouting. It’s a widely held belief although there are some who say it’s nonsense.
Question: Will this work at sea level, in a tropical climate, like Florida? You can't dig too far without hitting water, but you have to dig a little deep to get to cool soil.
Here in florida we can dig down a little, also if you put drain rock at the bottom and build up the soil around it, that rock will really help keep it cool (I accidentally changed the pH on a tomato by putting drainage rock in the bottom of a planter and that rock kept the soil cool even though it was all above ground and VERY warm here)
Love how you repeatedly credited "WE" in the build. I watched and only saw "YOU" in the dig. 🤣 This is such a BRILLIANT PLAN!!! I am an over thinker proceed this comment fully aware. Would a gravel bed be beneficial in the base? Is there any value in using spray foam? Excelsior an option for saw dust or straw? Do I understand the key to which ever medium used is separation of the produce and to provide air circulation between? *Would have loved to see a thermometer or barometer down in the base in your can. (See I told you I was an over thinker, failed to tell you I am a back seat driver too) ha ha.
@@CountryLivingExperience Of course, we all do. Well DONE TEAM! Should have added how grateful I am for this simple solution. I kept thinking without the structure that is yet to be built I can't store up provision. I have a barn just as you do...and even if you do have an actual root cellar a back up to the back up is a fabulous plan and all should utilize it. Thanks again!
Just a curious question, since I live in the South just like you, do you ever worry about snakes sneaking in? Were we live, we have copperheads. Would hate to reach for carrots and see one curled up.
@Laura Newman - Oh My Word! That would be the WORST possible thing to happen! I live in northwest british columbia Canada, we have only garter snakes, but even those are too much for me!
Cool idea. Seems like a pain in the butt to pull out veggies if they are stacked on top of each other. I guess this works best for one type of root vegetable? Or is there a way to have easy access to more than one type of root vegetable in one garbage can?
Here in mountains around Landisburg, Pa we used to dig a hole, line with straw and store apples and our veggies then stuff straw and cover it with dirt everything lasted till spring. Later we dug down about 5 feet, built a block container about 8 feet square and 8 foot tall. We built a heavy door for the side of it about 3 feet wide. Built an entrance way and a second door about 5 feet away from the first. Then covered the whole thing with about 4 feet of dirt. Had a vent pipe out of the top. Stored the same stuff but was a lot more convenient. Lasted till spring. Used it until around 1968.
@@songbirdforjesus2381 Yes, rodents DO CHEW/BITE/SCRATCH through plastic. Even thick, hard plastic. It takes longer but they ARE PERSISTENT & CONSISTENT if a meal is involved!!! The holes in neighborhood trash cans and direct observations prove it.
Finally! A diy root cellar video by someone who lives in a hot climate! We live in FL and what we really need something that will work in the esp heat. Even more so because we are more likely to lose power and be unable to refrigerate produce during hurricane season. But how do you keep bugs from getting through the 3/8 in holes you driilled in the bottom of the can?
Hello. Keep in mind this does not work well in the extreme heat of the summer. The other seasons are no problem. The holes in the bottom are no issue for us because we have hard clay soil. You can put screen in the bottom if you have s softer soil with bugs in your area.
House water pipes used to be galvanized. Water is ok but you can get some destabilization of the zinc coating if storing water. In the case of the root cellar, the food is never touching the sides of the can. It always insulated by a layer of straw, sawdust, etc. so no worries.
Living in the High Desert in Southern California, about 3,000 ft elevation. Gets VERY hot in the summer, obviously, hot & dry. Winters are usually not too bad. Wonder how this would work for us.
Gives me an idea I want to test... I have a property in Sebring Florida (the high elevation middle of Florida in what they call the Lake Wales Ridge) . The soil is very sandy and there is no pavement within 3 miles.. Summer nights are cool compared to the coast.. like tonight in the middle of July it's around 74F vs 80F in Miami. Those 6 degrees make a very big difference for sleeping without AC at night. I recently dug a shallow well by hand noticed the water and soil a few feet down was much cooler. I am wondering.. I like to park my van on the property and looking for a passive way to pull cool air into the van. I wonder if hammering 8" PVC pipes 8 feet into the ground and flushing soil out so they are empty but likely full of water at the base.. if it might be possible to get some cooler air up by pushing some surface air in under the van that has been blocking the sun all day.
I would add maybe a good layer of gravel on the bottom of the hole to help with drainage. Also you mentioned weekly checking but that would mean uncovering each week and with the straw layering that would mean quite literally finding all your produce in a haystack. If one has access to moss that may be better for layering. Great video, thank you.
I live in Texas. They say the whole state is on top of one big fire ant mound. We have never had an issue with any bugs in the can sans 1 spider. We have hard pan clay that is 18" down so no insects venture through that medium. You can put screen on the bottom if you are concerned about it.
Kind of off the subject but I’m wondering if when you dig your potato’s do you leave a potato in the hole so you get 2 crops of them in one summer. My grandpa taught me this years ago
I live in Michigan. I know you said my frontline is about 48 inches. If I were to do this inside of my little greenhouse do you think that would help make it so I don’t have to go down so far?
You may be able to go down 36 to 42 inches and be ok. I just wouldn't want this to not work for you for not digging another 6 to 12 inches. We had ours in the barn in MI and they were 42.
Cool! Welcome to the channel. I mix different veg together. I usually have carrots and potatoes in different layers. As for how long it lasts, it varies on your outside temps and humidity. I have had them last for 4 months to 6 months. After a few months, they start to lose moisture and shrivel a bit though.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thanks for taking the time to answer, i just ordered a few steel bins, frost depth here in middle England as a foot and a half. Have you noticed more visitors to your channel due to these challenging times, and the real probability of coming food shortages due to weather and covid ?
Maybe you could double up your trash cans. Put a slightly larger rubber/plastic trash can in the hole, then set your smaller galvanized steel trash can with in it. Everything will stay dry.
@@jgjg3848 That could work! I'd have to dig the hole in the hottest driest part of the summer but it would be worth a try. I've been trying to figure out how to get a root cellar without inadvertently digging a well! 😂
My grandmother told me that when she was a kid her family dug holes in the ground under the porch (in the hills of Kentucky), lined them with straw and put apples, potatoes, carrots, cabbages, etc. into the holes. Then they covered them with straw and boards. When they pulled them out, they were almost as fresh as the day they were picked. Thanks for your ideas on doing it. I might have to try this.
Awesome! I love hearing those king of stories. It works well for sure.
Do you know when she pulled them out lol??
@@MizzQueenBreNaturally I'm not sure how exactly how long they were able to keep them in the ground, but my grandma seemed to think they stayed fresh all winter. :)
@@mycozygardencottage lol you say seem to think like she was hallucinating or sun lmaoo thats funny and I appreciate you and yo grandmother💛💛💛
@@MizzQueenBreNaturally Well she was pretty old ...lol. But she was sharp so I think she was telling it right. I loved hearing her talk about how they raised a cow and a pig every year and had fruit trees and a big garden. They grew all the food they ate except things like sugar and coffee. They canned and preserved everything. She said it was a hard life but a good life. :) My mom was born in the 1940s so it must have been in the 1930s or so.
America oh's so much to the peppers, off-grid persons, and homesteaders who put their way to keep the country living and farmer live styles of United States alive.
Amen
"Oh's so much"? 🤣🤣🤣 And to the peppers? 😂😂😂
@@macksministry3587 *owes
Mt Dad left carrots/beets etc in the ground ...raked alot of leaves on top of them during the winter and just dug them out for Sunday dinners ! That really worked
Whoa, they don’t rot?
@@JakeHawken Carrots and beets are biennial. The first year they grow and store sugars in their tap root. The second year they flower and make seeds. When they start growing new leaves in the spring you don't have long before they bolt and the root loses its flavor and gets woody.
@@zone4garlicfarm thank you that’s interesting. I have beets in my garden and they have been left in situ. when I want one I just go out and get one. I’m eating it within minutes of harvesting it.
Great to know I can reliably do this.
My beetroot has been in the garden all winter. I jus harvest what I need as I need them.
Can you use grass clippings or mulch between layers or maybe cheese cloth or something? To keep from having to get straw. I don't have a truck.
I had to smile at this My Mom was born in 1912 and told a fond childhood memory of eating crisp apples in the evening around the wood stove as a child. Her Dad buried large lard cans in the yard between house and barn. Lined with straw and layered with apples, also many other vegetables, each in their own lard can. Her Dad would stop on the way back from the barn doing evening chores and bring in apples to share around the fire while he told stories from his childhood. We were fortunate enough to have a basement that was cool and stored ours By that time my grandparents had made their own root cellar in the side of the hill behind their log home.
That is awesome. I love hearing these stories. Thank you for sharing.
Our basement had a place for coal as well as a root cellar. No longer have that home tho. This idea is great if it is under a roof, because those galvanized cans lids leak where the handles are.
That just made me feel really good. I wish life was like that.♥️
What a beautiful memory!
@@chrisroper2731 They painted the can on the outside with "pitch' whatever that is---kept them from leaking.
This is a smart cellar. With it being located in the barn among the hay bales who would think about searching for food? Great way to not only keep your food fresh but well, keep your food. With a serious food shortage coming this maybe the best food cellar yet! Great build
Thank you. Yes, it has a lot of advantages.
Agreed
“They” will take the hay for their animals in a SHTF situation.
How do you know a food shortage is coming? Documentation?
@@beebob1279 Some places will see it. The UN reports on famines and lack of Food in Africa and some despot or communist nations like China almost yearly. American food banks get stressed but haven’t really run out. The question is, will there come a day when there are enough issues everywhere combined to mean no food on the store shelves or little trucking getting food where it needs to go bc of a war external or internal. FEMA says have a minimum of 3 months prepared for yourself of food and WATER. The feds require their employees to maintain a 3 month stock also bc they are expected to work even after a SHTF or crisis where they are no longer getting paid but will in a few months. We export a lot of our crops. We turn under a good bit of our crops. Do you live where crops are plentiful if you had no store food? Are you surrounded by thousands or millions of ppl in your region?
Even easier and larger is to bury an old chest freezer or refrigerator laying on its side, they are already insulated and hinged doors work great, Just add vent pipe !!!
Zone 3 in northern Minnesota 🥶
That is a good method too. I wouldn't say easier....especially digging through that insane hard pan clay in my area.
Maybe a small college room size one.. those get thrown away. Hmmm.
Great idea!!! Did you add a drainage on the bottom or just vent the top? Also, did you place it below the frost line? You should make a video for the northerners.
You probably already know this, but the way to dig in hard clay or gravel is to dig a small hole to full depth, then expand it by shearing off little slices, going round and round until it’s to full size. A sharp shovel with good handle, damp soil and good boots like military type or cowboy boots all help A LOT. A narrow long shovel helps to make the initial hole, don’t know what they’re called, not a trench shovel with the funny bend in it.
That is a good point, I’d toss a pallet over the mulch and be done with it. Kids aren’t going to lock themselves in a trash can, and if they are, a little of that is good for the gene pool.
In FL you dig that far and you get an unplanned well. LOL
lol
That would be a blessing for me here.lol
In Wales uk, i cannot dig
The hole will be filled with rain water all year round😢
He would come out in the morning with the can sticking up. As the ground water came into the hole it will float.😅
@@wolin289 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I went to Appomattox VA. One time and toured the house were the surrender papers were signed.
In the yard was a two thirds buried little structure with steps going down inside to a dirt floor if I remember right.
It was summer time and I had short sleeves on. As I walked down inside, it was freezing.
I just thought it was the spirits of the dead but no it was a root cellar.
I have never forgotten that day.
It is amazing the temp difference just a few feet under the earth.
Rootcellars have been used for centuries for food, nice twist here.
Btw, for those who want to store fuel and do not have a huge fueltank, a kind of separate rootcellar for jerrycans for gasoline and/or some propane tanks works too. No direct sunlight, fairly consistent temp. And when dug a bit away from the house it also means much less risk in case of a fire, either at the house or outside. Doesn't have to be huge either.
I did say separate, as I personally would not recommend mixing the storage of food and fuel in the same cellar/area.
Thanks. Good idea about the fuel.
Good tip on storing fuel, loved it.
That might be a really great idea. That would be especially helpful so that it won’t get stolen!
Good tip. Maybe I'll have to vent them less if the temperature stayed somewhat consistent.
Thank you for the very helpful tip!
After about two and a half months and I finally got my answer. I dug the hole 36in put my 30 gallon trash can in the hole back filled the sides with soil... that left about 18" above the trash can lined the rest with 1" inch pink styrofoam. I made 2 baskets out of green plastic wire attached to strings to it so I can pull them up. Then I froze salt water in 2 gallon jugs and some with half gallons of ice and put two or three of those down in the hole...insulated a wooden lid and now my temperature is around 49 to 50 plus in the middle of July in Atlanta area 100% success.
That is awesome!
How often do you have to refreeze the water?
Have you thought about using sand around the container to keep wet similar to how Indians have done with the clay pots forever?
Great idea !
Well done! 🌅
We're building a new homestead. This would be a great storage place for short term for us, I'm going to need a whole ROOM. I may need to ME fit inside :-)
Yes, It is good for utility use but not for massive storage.
In the middle of the shed , with a foam board on top of a lid. What a genius. I wish I could be so creative. Please do a follow up one year later to show us your actual produce that made it through the winter.
Thank you Abraham. We will surely do a follow up video for you. From experience with my Dad's root cellar when I was a kid, this method works very well and keeps the food fresh all winter.
I wonder lining the lid with the foam, cutting it in circle shape might make a better insulator. Stick the pvc pipe right through the foam. That way it does not not have to be loose on the floor.
@@CountryLivingExperiencedid it work?
@@LCLand Yes. In this climate it works well in late fall, winter, and spring. Summer is too hot.
Before the advent of refrigeration, my mother's family owned an ice house. To keep the ice from melting during the heat of summer, sawdust and hay was used as insulation. I enjoyed watching this video.
Awesome! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you!!
My great great grandfather was an Iceman in Eagle, Colorado. They stored the ice in the same manner as you've said. Later in the year he delivered ice and he would chip a piece of ice off and give it to the children that he came across. I love to hear how life was done back in the old days😊
Great video. I'd like to suggest the use of mesh with very small holes in the bottom of the can to reduce bug intrusions. Also, put several inches of gravel under the can for drainage--not only from the can, but from the surrounding land too. I saw that another poster mentioned using anti rust paint on the edges of the drilled holes to prevent rust. That's a good idea too.
The idea of using a buried garbage can, or as another poster mentioned, an old fridge or freezer is also a good idea.
I'm going to pass on this info to my brothers. They have a mini farm not far from me. I live in a handicap accessible apartment, so I can't make use of the info myself. I did do some gardening when younger.
Thanks for the informative video.
Thanks
Maybe you could do some vertical hydroponic gardening ? I'm going to try that as well
Hi Eric great video. Do you know in Toronto Ontario in the 50's some builders actually built root cellars in the basement of new houses and they worked very well. My husband remembers helping his Dad when he was a kid putting on a door for it. My mother in law kept all her canning and vegetables in it and it was very cool. Can you imagine builders doing that today. Life was much simpler back then and people actually knew how to do things.
Thank you Lynda. I remember my grandparents house having one. They lived in Detroit. It was always cool for sure.
We had a old house that sat above a root seller there was a door that you walked through to get into it kind of like a basement with a walk in door from the outside there was no way to get into it from the house though
This was very common back then I believe the house was built in the late 1800s it’s been in our family before a long time The only problem with this was I’ll the humidity that would come up into the houses like this and actually caused some people health problems
My grandparents had one under their Oklahoma home, doubled as a tornado shelter. Meanwhile in the 21st century I live in a house made of ticky tack and pay for everything but air… soon they will tax us for cleaning that up too. sigh.
I think they’re called “cold rooms” used for food storage. I’ve seen a lot of them on HGTV on “Holmes on Holmes” with Mike Holmes. He’s a Canadian building contractor who repairs other “builders” bad work. I grew up in Oklahoma and many farms used root cellars that were built under their houses. They also doubled as storm shelters to escape tornadoes!
My house outside Hamilton Ontario had a full root cellar as part of the basement, separated by a door. I’d kill for that thing now lol.
I am doing a lot of research into homesteading and wanted a small manageable root cellar. This never entered my mind. Thank you so much for this. I could hide it under anything!!! Thank you again!!
You’re welcome
You should have sprayed the holes you drilled with Rustoleum spray galvanize compound. The bottom will rust out prematurely. When you drilled through the galvanized can, you exposed the steel. All that moisture will rust it out.
Good point. I will add that to the process.
@@CountryLivingExperience And I wonder about little critters getting inside… add mesh screen to the holes?
It would still function with no bottom.
@@CountryLivingExperience could this be done with a plastic trash can since it doesn't rust?
@@lisakukla459 sure, but in E TX its so lush & every kind of varmint bug & spider will eventually find the easy way in...these nice people from was it Minnesota? may not have learned that yet lol...to keep mice out is why he made holes 3/8" wide...theres also lots more surface water seepage due to rain all year long
I think a major issue with anyone who gets a lot of rain is the water coming up through the 3/8" holes in the bottom of the can. I think it is a good idea to have it 'indoors', but out in a yard might be a bit risky. If I was to do this, I'd seriously overdig the depth, fill with gravel, then place the can in the hole, to prevent a water issue rising up into the can. The gravel would act like a french drain.
Correct, it is about placement. Mine have always been in barns with dirt floors. The gravel is a must if doing this outside.
How do you keep worms out?
Even more simply, just don't drill the holes to begin with. Not very much air will "rise" up and through those tiny holes anyways. Air doesn't travel much/very well in compacted soil. What does happen is that the metal conducts thermal energy up from or down into the ground depending what area is warmer or colder--that in turn either cools or warms the air inside. While you may get some condensation, all you really need to do is to put something like diamatcaeous earth or the like on the bottom, so that if condensation does build enough on the wall to run down to the bottom, it will be absorbed (and slowly released into the air) and kept directly away from the food. You still want a vent, but mostly to vent excess humidity and the warmer air on the top. Generally though, even with holes, there is not going to be much air circulation going on anyways. Most of the air circulation will just be from cold air and warmer air exchanging that thermal energy, which convects/moves the air in very weak, slow "currents". But more importantly, you want to vent the excess humidity out.
In the old days, in Michigan, one of my jobs was to tear a sheet out of a Sears and Roebuck or Montgomery Wards catalog, and individually wrap each apple before packing it into a barrel. That extended their shelf life. Didn’t do it with other fruits or veggies.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I do that now with potatoes that I have in the house.
Do remember many other things your parents did for food preservation?
What were your main food staples and what were you most excited for when it was time?
If it's too long for a comment maybe I can interview you sometime?
@@rosehuynh1572 We grew garden vegetables, so Mom did a lot of canning. Dad bought an old ice cream freezer from some drug store that was upgrading. So, we were freezing foods in the early mid 40s. I think Dad was way ahead of the norm on that. Dad hunted a lot, so we ate a lot of small game fresh. None of that was preserved. We made our own homemade ice cream. We cured and smoked much of our own ham and bacon. We made our own maple syrup and maple sugar. We made our own sauerkraut.
Apple skins emit ethylene gas that causes other fruit and vegetables to ripen faster. (So if you buy unripe fruit set some next to an apple or two.) By wrapping the apples you did 2 things, you protected the apples from getting bruises and you protected the other fruits and vegetables from ripening too fast.
Back in the old days, they may not have known the scientific reasons for wrapping the apples, just that it worked. It is the same reason that at the grocery stores, they display all the apples together and away from the fruits like bananas. It is not just because it looks pretty. There is a good reason for it. Apples make bananas turn brown.
@@tommielourogers4327 G’day, Tommie. Good to know. We would plant an extra long row of carrots. In the fall, before the ground froze, we put stakes in the ground about 2’ beyond each end of where there were still carrots. Then,, take apart a bale or two of straw, section by section, each section is about 2” thick. Spread a single layer along the row, covering it, butting them tightly. Then cover those with a second layer that is twice as wide, butting their edges centered right down the row. As carrots are dug, move the stake along, and re-cover the remaining carrots plus a couple of feet beyond. These will be the sweetest, most flavorful carrots you have ever tasted!
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I’m going to do this. My great grandfather was a farmer and they had a sand ridge on the edge of the woods, that’s where they would dig out a “cave” and laid there carrots, potatoes and other root vegetables in it, then covered them with the sand and did several more layers and covered with more sand, Grandma said it worked great.
I read that carrots last forever in sand!
Awesome!
So how long do they keep for?
Great idea!!!❤
You can also convert an old chest freezer into and in ground root cellar. Drill holes in the bottom, add a vent in the side and bring the pipe up just above the ground. The insulated flip up lid is very handy.
Absolutely. Another good option for sure.
Don’t freezers all have frion in tubes all around the freezer? Why would you drill through those???😊
@granmabern5283
....that's what I'm sayin
Great info. I live in East Texas north of Tyler and thought root cellars would not be as good here as places with cooler climate. My dad just put hay down on high spot on ground and put potatoes then more hay with a tarp to keep moisture out. Worked fairly well but the temp changes were problematic. Will give serious thought to maybe building a big root cellar. Have a steel tank 7ft by 12ft plus could stand on end and sink. Some prepping family near could use such more than myself but they don't have my resources for such. On 8ac here on sandy Hill well off county road with good drinking water 20ft down. Land was open 4 decades back but covered with trees for now. As health let's, will be removing most pines to make lumber to finally start building self a cabin or 2. Had goats and chickens here for a while and giving thought to such again. Being retired disabled with nothing else but staying alive to do, all my focus is on my place I call Dirtwater. No longer a workaholic but still need to keep these old bones moving. Thanks for the vid.
Awesome. You're welcome
I know what you mean I live here in Paris Tx .
I started taking omega 3 oil with the polyphenols in it. It has done amazing things in my body. I'm 64 female- had horrific blood pressure- neuropathy pain in my feet, screwed up sleep schedule, up 3-4 times a night to pee, stiff achey joints. Lots of lower back pain. 3 months ago I started the oil. Increased my D3 to 20,000 units per day and added K2 200 mg per day.
Last time I bought a 50 lb bag of feed I had to drag/ flip/ push rest and fight again to gey it from the car to house. Yesterday, I picked up the 50 lb bag threw it over my shoulder- grabbed the second one and slide it up on my other shoulder and carried them into the house with little effort!! Thought they had given me the 28 lb bags because we had discussed that option briefly. But NOPE 50 pounders!!! ❤❤❤❤ P.S. my blood pressure went from 189/110 down to 120/73 this morning!!! No blood pressure meds- no diabetes meds- just the oil D3 and K2.
Wow, Thanks for the share!💕
Great Idea! The seller of my house left me two new metal trash cans. I have a basement that I put all my food stores in, but this would be great to hide food elsewhere. I have a place behind my house that would work perfectly and no one would notice anything. It's in the shade all year as well. I would just have to make sure everything is in and ready before the snow comes in late December. I'm going to start digging the holes now since it might take a while.
Awesome
I was thinking of buying an auger- mainly fence posts but now even more great uses for it❤
My fam in Ky did the same thing, big hole dug under the house, they put straw and burlap sack in hole, put their potatoes in it, they also hung their onions over a line strung out under the house, kept for a long time.
Awesome!
Great idea! Maybe some gravel below the barrel for better drainage.
TH-cam is a great educational tool thank you
You’re welcome
I think you should cut the foam to fit around the top of the lid with the hole through it for the pipe, glue the styrofoam together so it will stay.
I figure if you're going to put all that work into it, you might as well finish off the top. Excellent video by the way.
Great idea!!
My father-in-law put those leaves in a big plastic bag that he used to insulate the cellar. Easy to move and didn't make a mess. Then in the extreme cold he would put an extension cord to the cellar and place a 40W incandescent lightbulb to hang in the can and keep the cold from penetrating into the cellar. Carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes stayed fresh all winter.
Awesome. Love the leaves in bags idea.
This is such a great idea. I live in the city but hopefully in retirement I can move into the country and have a garden. This channel is so awesome.
Thank you so much! We are glad you are here.
Hi I just seen this video…great info!! A few questions…I live in the city but have a private backyard…could I dig holes 18-20 inches deep use the straw to insulate and cover it? Also wearing the produce in cloth bag spreading out thru the bag to also preserve them? Or do you know a simple method for my situation? Single mom I’m doing this on my own. Thanks!
@@Isisndaflesh Hello. You would need to have some sort of container to keep out bugs. !8 to 20" will not be deep enough. You have to go down quite far to take advantage of the coolness of the soil.
So excited to find all you great folks!!!
I Grew Up On The Northern Fring Of The Florida Everglades.... My Grandpa And Grandma Had Wild Hogs, A Few Chickens, And An Outhouse And No Electricity..... Back Then, As A Kid, I Would Be One Of The Boys That Gathered Firewood From The Oak Trees In Early Feb.... Hog Killing Time... Cold, Cold, And More Cold.... Grand Would Dig A Large Hole, Line It Wwith Hay, And With Some Green Oak Branchs On The Sides And Bottom... At The Bottom He Placed Feed Sacks That Were Wet And Frozen.... I Remember Any Food Put There Lasted Untill Tha Thaw
Awesome! Good method.
This is perfect for us who live in an HOA who restricts building a root cellar! Thanks!
You’re welcome
Finally.. Someone's dirt is hard as it is at my place
Lol, yep. Hard pan clay
Ozarks. Almost solid rock. Cry me a river rofl!! 😛
This is what Korean people used to do before refrigeration for the winter. This is why Korean ceramic pots to store food is a big deal culturally. This was mostly to store kimchi - spiced fermented pickled vegetables - to be eaten with rice through the winter.
Nowadays, there are specialized kimchi refrigerators that mimic root cellar temps so that the kimchi lasts the longest. In normal refrigerators, kimchi doesn’t last as long. They are very much like the wine fridges.
Yes, absolutely. I have many Korean friends and most have the kimchi refrigerators. They tell me it is to also separate the smell of the fermenting kimchi from the rest of the refrigerated food.
Nice video. Dry sand works much better than straw. Root vegetables will keep clear up until next harvest.
I'm watching your video in 2022. While I've heard about these types of root cellars before, I found your video helpful. I especially like that you hand dug it, even in your packed soil. So many homestead videos rely on using mechanical equipment for everything. While there is nothing wrong with that, it can be frustrating to a small landholder with no such equipment. I live in the mountains of northern California where our ground is full of volcanic rocks. We have to use a pick axe to dig as well. I'm inspired to give this a try!
Thank you. Glad we could help.
Believe it or not, LoseTube suggested this to me and it’s just what I need. Great idea- inexpensive and fairly quick to create. Well done.
New subscriber.
Awesome, thank you. Welcome to the channel.
Root cellars are coming back hardest times are coming. This very helpful Thank You
You're welcome
I just started mine. I put it in my shop building. I wrapped it several times with the rolls of thin silver insulation left over from shop construction. I used ground up corn cob I got from rural king, huge bag $4.99. Instead of hay. I had an extra roll of interior insulation with I sat on top of the lid. . The can is sitting on top of a dolly so it has circulation underneath it. I filled it up with. 40 lb of potatoes two days ago. I bought an inexpensive. I bought an inexpensive thermometer $8 at Tractor Supply. It tells you your inside temperature and outside temperature too. It has A second device that you put outside, but I put it in the trash can. Now I can look at my main unit in the house. And I know the temperature in the can. It is 52 degrees right now. Not too bad. But I will work on getting the temperature down to below 40.
How you planning to get the temp down? Mine stays around 63 here in Georgia and It needs lowered as well. It's 22 inches deep.
@@DsHomeyGarden dig deeper in soil
Corn would attract mice and rats
@@bbikermama Not corn; Corn cob. It's bedding.
@@lisakukla459 you mean the husks you’d peel off the corn, or the central core you’d cut the corn off? When I’ve seen animals eat a head of corn they seem to leave the inner core, so I guess that bit isn’t attractive. That’s what you’re calling cob, of course.
Weirdest and saddest thing I’ve ever seen was an African farmer feeding his goats shredded cardboard, they were so poor, and the goats accepted it when there was nothing else. There’s calories in cellulose and glue (Meaning the critters might still eat your insulation) We don’t know we’re born, people!
I lived in a KOA campground in Slidell Louisiana one winter....Our campsite was just above sea level. The ground did freeze, but I don't know how far down. We dug a ditch about 2.5-3 foot deep,. and put plastic in it. We put bacon and ham in it. I forget what else we kept, but our leftovers went in it too. We weren't really vegetable eaters at the time. We put ice in bags and laid them over the top, with a piece of carpet on top of that...we kept food cold for 6 months. We left before summer set in, but in the meantime, we had fresh meat all winter.
Very cool
Thank you. I am growing sweet potatoes for first time and needed way to store them at 55-60 degrees here in Louisiana.
You're welcome. Happy gardening!
In Louisiana won’t you hit water?
@@stormeyholmes267 that's our problem here in the southeast. The water table is just a few feet down. Unless we build a mount or a cinder block above ground cellar it doesn't seem like it will work.
@@vinlago I am wondering if you could grow in buckets?
@@stormeyholmes267 we use small hills or raised beds and keep a ditch and drain around the garden so rain drains away. Buckets work as well but if you mean for potatoes laundry baskets might do or nested buckets with panels cut if the inner bucket to make potato retrieval easier. Look growing potatoes in containers or Ruth Stout method.
As I sit here and dream about my homestead…I thank you for sharing with us…it reminds me of days living with my grandma (RIP )tending to her chicken and making jams with her …I am from Michigan too! And thinking to move to Texas …this is just more confirmation for me 🫶🏽🥹
You're so welcome. Glad our videos can help. Texas has been very good us.
Absolutely brilliant. Please create a follow up video and let us folks now how the root cellar worked throughout the upcoming seasons.
Thank you. I will try to get some follow videos in the queue. As of right now, we have had carrots in there for 2 months and they are firm and fresh.
@@CountryLivingExperience I looked for a follow up video, but did not see one. Have you stored a container of potatoes in it before...? How did they hold up? Thank you!!!
@@robinsnestfarm7322 Hi. I didn't make a follow up video. The potatoes and carrots stored for several months but lost some moisture. The carrots were still edible but the potatoes had chitted. I planted them and had a great crop though. I would say that it was great for edibles short term but only for seed long term in this climate. In the North, results are different.
@@CountryLivingExperience Where in East Texas are you? I live outside of Longview. Just found your channel. Thought about trying the root cellar until I read your last comment.
@@andreeelliott2943 We are south of Tyler. It works well in the winter.
HOW NEAT! I will have my hubby watch this video!😃
Cool. Thanks
I'm so excited for this. I have a great shed/shop about 22 x 12, dirt floor. I am in my 70s so getting down on ground level is a crybaby's painful experience. Trying to figure how i can keep root veggies in mesh bags so I can pull them up via a cord tied to it. Maybe have a weeks worth per bag.
Wrap each veg in paper?. I think I'll shoot for 3 cabs. Roots. Cabbages. Apples, pears?
Cool. The mesh bags should work. Newspaper might be good. Give it a try.
I would of not thought to put a vent. Thank you.😊
You’re welcome
Hi! If you live in an area with hard packed clay too hard to dig, could you possibly build a wood structure (maybe pallets?) with a trash can inside and surrounded by dirt or sand? Maybe a tarp over top with a layer of dirt? I’m in a rental so not only clay is an issue but digging would honestly require heavy equipment. Any suggestions welcome
I think there are better ways if you are in a rental. You would need to have the dirt really thick to hold the cool temps inside.
This way is worth thinking about. A pallet structure lined with hay bales? Or maybe Styrofoam? House insulation ?Or foam veggie boxes are free. Or combine the idea of the old fridge with a vent and build an insulated shed for it if you can't dig a hole. My thoughts are going around now. Maybe position it in the summer shade too?
I live in Australia and we don't get snow in winter where I live and there are sweltering summers and NO BASEMENTS either. So what would be the best way to store our spuds and carrots etcetera?
I would try to build a deep root cellar. How far down do you have to dig before it feels much cooler?
Subbed. I really appreciate “real life” learn-as-you-go videos. Thanks for your time and effort.
I appreciate that! Welcome to the channel.
Brilliant! ;) Our garage is cement floor but I think the same idea can be achieved in a garage with straw bales surrounding the can. I love this & thank you!
Thank you so much for this information. I’m growing potatoes for the first time this year and was wondering what I was going to do about a root cellar.
You are so welcome! Glad it was helpful.
Dig a hole large enough to hold what you got line with straw is got to be 18 inches below ground so ground freezing won't happen cover with straw the left over dirt will last all winter when need produce dig up what you need then cover back will keep cabbage potatoes apples beets I have used in the past because no root cellar works fine my grandfather taught me this when young used it and it works great.
My Father-in-Law had a 55 gal drum buried in the barn for potatoes. They lasted until the next harvest. Potatoes were an every Breakfast & dinner staple.
Just wondering if you have two of those root cellar, trash cans. Apples, excrete, a lot of gas and cause other fruits and vegetables to go bad. Are you putting your apples in a different place than the rest of your fruits and vegetables?
Modify how you need to. Use more than one if needed. These are just examples.
How do you routinely check your stores if everything is covered in layers of straw? Remove everything, examine, and re-layer?
I don’t.
I was wondering that too. Seems too you should layer repeated selections so you don’t need to dig to the bottom if you happen to want a potato!
i think a great solution to this would be designing some kind of vegetable steamer-like contraption and then lowering that cage into the trash can, tie strings to both handles of the cage, then it would be rather simple to just pull the entire cage (holding all the preserved food) out.
Your little girl is gorgeous!!
Praise God.
I also love to hear,"Praise GOD"
Took about two years, but between me, Hubs and my son (and alittle help from a neighbor boy) we dug out enough of our hard clay here in north Texas to sink in an old broken chest freezer. I had to fill in the vents and holes with a special hard and non-porous foam. once you remove the machinery it makes the box much lighter and you have even more room inside, so worth doing that. We buried it so the lip is about 6-8 inches above grade, and edged the hole with brick pavers. It's inside a insulated shed, so should stay pretty cool down there. Also pretty much out of sight. I keep a table over top. You never know when it might be a good idea to have a place like that.
Nice! That sounds like a great project.
Awesome! I live in north Texas too. How did this go? Are you still using it?
@@AbolishFamilyCourt Yes! Working great. I added a more secure latch. The temp seems pretty solidly at 67 to 70 degrees during the summer. I keep a sachet of baking soda and some plain (no additives) clay kitty litter in the bottom, just in case of excess moisture or funky odors. So far so good.
@@WinkTartanBelle Inspirational! Thank you
Just commenting to help your channel spread. Love how you’re living
Thank you so much Larry. Very kind of you. I appreciate it.
It helps greatly to moisten the dirt first by a good soaking. Much easier to dig the hole then. But what do I, a city slicker, know.
Usually yes, but this is hard pack red clay. The water just would run off.
I subbed, liked and rang the bell. First video I have ever watched from you. Valuable info. I also NEVER ring the bell. So I mean it, valuable info. Thanks
Awesome! Thank you and welcome to the channel.
I'm glad you just happened to be from Michigan because that's where I live and I wanted to know how far to dig more Michigan climate so that was helpful:)
I grew up on Michigan. I know the frost line is 42” there. If you dig down to 48” you’ll be in great shape.
I’m in Michigan too. Macomb county. I recently discovered I have a root cellar underneath my condo
@@tammybrennan2040 awesome!
@@CountryLivingExperience I’m going to binge watch ur videos. I discovered u by u tube recommending it. Best thing u tubes done.
Why a metal and not a plastic garbage can, and can you use sand around the can itself instead of the straw?
Nice video. It might work in a lot of areas, not so much in central Florida. Holes drilled in the bottom here would get you a half barrel of water.
I have been looking for a solution for a high ground water level area. I will keep looking.
Yes, high water table areas won't allow this type of cellar. Good luck finding a solution.
I also live in Florida. I wonder is we could dig down a foot or so, lay flat stepping stones as a floor, cinder blocks as walls and build up a few feet high. Then haul dirt in to cover it. Still thinking if this could work, how to make an entrance to it and how to insulate it. Fire ants and carpenter ants are a problem around my property and those dang palmetto bugs.
I'm in southern Missouri and I just cant see this not filling with water here either.
Next one U should would use the Tractor with a post hole digger😁
Absolutely
Hi, great idea I’m wondering about small insect getting through the holes in the bottom. Do you think that’s going to be a problem?
Nothing has gotten in so far. I think it is below the depth that bugs usually burrow sans ants. I have had the occasional spider get through the top but only about 3.
I was going to ask the same question because we have cutter ants here in my part of Texas. They strip vegetables and leaves of many trees and shrubs. Thanks for the video and the question!
:)
Could you add a layer of mesh/screen product to prevent insects from getting in but still allowing the moisture to drain?
@@barbaramaasch9499 You can add a layer of screen if you like. Nothing really gets in there except the occasional spider.
Pretty deep for insects
Sounds good. But if you have a truck and Facebook market place, you can get fridges and freezers for free or very close to that.
That is another good option.
An updated version of the barrel or 55 gallon drum. This is a great idea! Easier access. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful.
Nice, nice, very informative. As an urban dweller I think I can use this. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Apple must have their own storage. Never store apples with other produce.
Most fruits need their own storage 😩
True, but storing an apple with potatoes will keep the potatoes longer 😊
Learning so much! 🥰
Why?
@@sarahsoutar252 it is believed the ethylene gas emitted by apples as they ripen causes other produce to spoil. With potatoes, it’s believed the ethylene stops potatoes from sprouting. It’s a widely held belief although there are some who say it’s nonsense.
Great digging music!!!
Question: Will this work at sea level, in a tropical climate, like Florida? You can't dig too far without hitting water, but you have to dig a little deep to get to cool soil.
Unfortunately it will not work at sea level or areas with a high water table. It would work it you had a hill with well draining soil.
Here in florida we can dig down a little, also if you put drain rock at the bottom and build up the soil around it, that rock will really help keep it cool (I accidentally changed the pH on a tomato by putting drainage rock in the bottom of a planter and that rock kept the soil cool even though it was all above ground and VERY warm here)
Florida here too! Oh well ,thank You.
How about old coolers? I used to work at the dump and those got thrown away on a regular basis when people cleaned out their garages.
Those will work well.
I have always read to surround the root vegetables with sand? What are your thoughts on using sand?
That can work too but a pain to dig the veggies out.
You need to teach how you attached the gooseneck vent
total gratitude for this - especially for the humidity and temp figures .. Reeespect!
Thank you.
Any suggestions for areas with high water tables?
Unfortunately it won’t work in that environment.
Love how you repeatedly credited "WE" in the build. I watched and only saw "YOU" in the dig. 🤣 This is such a BRILLIANT PLAN!!!
I am an over thinker proceed this comment fully aware. Would a gravel bed be beneficial in the base? Is there any value in using spray foam? Excelsior an option for saw dust or straw?
Do I understand the key to which ever medium used is separation of the produce and to provide air circulation between? *Would have loved to see a thermometer or barometer down in the base in your can. (See I told you I was an over thinker, failed to tell you I am a back seat driver too) ha ha.
I have a team of people that I acknowledge.
A gravel bed would be beneficial.
@@CountryLivingExperience Of course, we all do. Well DONE TEAM! Should have added how grateful I am for this simple solution. I kept thinking without the structure that is yet to be built I can't store up provision. I have a barn just as you do...and even if you do have an actual root cellar a back up to the back up is a fabulous plan and all should utilize it. Thanks again!
Thinking of hanging gunny sacks of potatoes carrots and cabbage in our 40 degree well. What do you think.
That would actually work well
Just a curious question, since I live in the South just like you, do you ever worry about snakes sneaking in? Were we live, we have copperheads. Would hate to reach for carrots and see one curled up.
We have never had an issue here. The lid on the top fits extremely tight and the vent is covered by screen.
@@CountryLivingExperience thank you. We will make one as well.
@@CountryLivingExperience ...why did u not inlude showing how to do the vent & suppies used?
@Laura Newman - Oh My Word! That would be the WORST possible thing to happen! I live in northwest british columbia Canada, we have only garter snakes, but even those are too much for me!
What about packing the root Vegetables in sand? Would that work for this type of system? Great video my friend.
Thanks. Yes, I have heard good things about using sand. I have never used it myself though.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thank you for getting back to me my friend. I may give it a shot.
Cool idea. Seems like a pain in the butt to pull out veggies if they are stacked on top of each other. I guess this works best for one type of root vegetable? Or is there a way to have easy access to more than one type of root vegetable in one garbage can?
It is not that difficult to get them out. I suppose you could make a multi-tiered basket that fits down inside if you like.
@@CountryLivingExperience or make dividers in a pie shape and insert it in the can. Have a grab it tool close by when you get close to the bottom.
Here in mountains around Landisburg, Pa we used to dig a hole, line with straw and store apples and our veggies then stuff straw and cover it with dirt everything lasted till spring. Later we dug down about 5 feet, built a block container about 8 feet square and 8 foot tall. We built a heavy door for the side of it about 3 feet wide. Built an entrance way and a second door about 5 feet away from the first. Then covered the whole thing with about 4 feet of dirt. Had a vent pipe out of the top. Stored the same stuff but was a lot more convenient. Lasted till spring. Used it until around 1968.
Very cool! I love the old school ways that work.
That's a cool idea. I was thinking I had to go big. But a big 500gal plastic tote would work.
Thanks. Yes, a big tote would work well.
Can't rodents chew through plastic, hence the steel can?
@@songbirdforjesus2381 Yes, rodents DO CHEW/BITE/SCRATCH through plastic. Even thick, hard plastic. It takes longer but they ARE PERSISTENT & CONSISTENT if a meal is involved!!! The holes in neighborhood trash cans and direct observations prove it.
I'm in vermont would that work the same? Or should I dig deeper and get some kind of over head cover?
it will need to have a covering of some sort. We did this in Michigan. It was located inside of our barn that had a dirt floor.
In AK where I am from the frost depth is 8 feet! Not a lot of root cellars compared to other states.
Crazy! I grew up in MI with 4ft but 8 is super deep.
Finally! A diy root cellar video by someone who lives in a hot climate! We live in FL and what we really need something that will work in the esp heat. Even more so because we are more likely to lose power and be unable to refrigerate produce during hurricane season. But how do you keep bugs from getting through the 3/8 in holes you driilled in the bottom of the can?
Hello. Keep in mind this does not work well in the extreme heat of the summer. The other seasons are no problem. The holes in the bottom are no issue for us because we have hard clay soil. You can put screen in the bottom if you have s softer soil with bugs in your area.
This is awesome but wouldn't the galvanization affect your food somehow? I've always heard that you cannot drink from galvanized steel??
House water pipes used to be galvanized. Water is ok but you can get some destabilization of the zinc coating if storing water. In the case of the root cellar, the food is never touching the sides of the can. It always insulated by a layer of straw, sawdust, etc. so no worries.
@@CountryLivingExperience cool thanks!
fyi.. wrap green tomatoes in newsprint ..then a few days b4 when needed set in sunshine & enjoy
Living in the High Desert in Southern California, about 3,000 ft elevation. Gets VERY hot in the summer, obviously, hot & dry. Winters are usually not too bad. Wonder how this would work for us.
It should. Just give an ample amount of insulation on the top (straw, etc.)
Did you put pea gravel below the can?
We didn't but you can.
Gives me an idea I want to test... I have a property in Sebring Florida (the high elevation middle of Florida in what they call the Lake Wales Ridge) . The soil is very sandy and there is no pavement within 3 miles.. Summer nights are cool compared to the coast.. like tonight in the middle of July it's around 74F vs 80F in Miami. Those 6 degrees make a very big difference for sleeping without AC at night. I recently dug a shallow well by hand noticed the water and soil a few feet down was much cooler. I am wondering.. I like to park my van on the property and looking for a passive way to pull cool air into the van. I wonder if hammering 8" PVC pipes 8 feet into the ground and flushing soil out so they are empty but likely full of water at the base.. if it might be possible to get some cooler air up by pushing some surface air in under the van that has been blocking the sun all day.
You can absolutely do that. You are essentially talking about a homemade geothermal cooling system.
Put mosquito screen over the ends!
I would add maybe a good layer of gravel on the bottom of the hole to help with drainage. Also you mentioned weekly checking but that would mean uncovering each week and with the straw layering that would mean quite literally finding all your produce in a haystack. If one has access to moss that may be better for layering. Great video, thank you.
Moss...good thought
Love ppl collaborating and learning together. Those of us who learned stuff from grandparents have to make sure we keep it going
Love this idea. However, I live in an area where fire ants abound. How can you keep the ants out if you drill holes in the bottom of your trash can?
I live in Texas. They say the whole state is on top of one big fire ant mound. We have never had an issue with any bugs in the can sans 1 spider. We have hard pan clay that is 18" down so no insects venture through that medium. You can put screen on the bottom if you are concerned about it.
Put boric acid around the outside of the can and under the can, and you will not have any ants.
Did this exactly like yours last year. Hay was all damp and all potato’s where bad this spring.
Strange. Did you have water get into the hold, is your ground water table too high, did you put a vent on it?
Kind of off the subject but I’m wondering if when you dig your potato’s do you leave a potato in the hole so you get 2 crops of them in one summer. My grandpa taught me this years ago
I have actually never tried that. I may do that someday.
You really get two potato harvest in one summer? That’s awesome! I’ll have to try it.
@@cindybonem494 yes we dig on the 4th of July and again around October
I live in Michigan. I know you said my frontline is about 48 inches. If I were to do this inside of my little greenhouse do you think that would help make it so I don’t have to go down so far?
You may be able to go down 36 to 42 inches and be ok. I just wouldn't want this to not work for you for not digging another 6 to 12 inches. We had ours in the barn in MI and they were 42.
Do you add any pea gravel under the can before placing it into the hole to aid in moisture drainage?
We didn't but you can. The would be a great addition. We have never really had that much moisture inside.
Over here the water table is so high if you put holes in the can it would just fill up with water :) great sump pit though.
My basement is damp ad humid. Can you tell me how store root vegs in that? Thank you.
We used to store them in open wood crates with the food wrapped in newspaper.
Thanks very much for sharing this, liked and subbed :) How long does the veg last in there and can you mix different veg and fruit ?
Cool! Welcome to the channel. I mix different veg together. I usually have carrots and potatoes in different layers. As for how long it lasts, it varies on your outside temps and humidity. I have had them last for 4 months to 6 months. After a few months, they start to lose moisture and shrivel a bit though.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thanks for taking the time to answer, i just ordered a few steel bins, frost depth here in middle England as a foot and a half. Have you noticed more visitors to your channel due to these challenging times, and the real probability of coming food shortages due to weather and covid ?
You're welcome. I have noticed increased traffic to my channel because of fear basically.
@@CountryLivingExperience Yes, not a good reason to have extra traffic for is it :( I think the governments around the world have overreacted.
They have overreacted to a great degree but that is how they gain more power for themselves. Keep people in fear and then further enslave them. Sad.
Sprinkle a little dry lime between layers, takes up gases, and prevents mold, you can put lime in old panty hose, great to collect gases, moisture,
Thank you for the tip.
First thought: What a good idea!
Second thought: Oh yeah I just remembered my water table is only 10 inches down.
Maybe you could double up your trash cans. Put a slightly larger rubber/plastic trash can in the hole, then set your smaller galvanized steel trash can with in it. Everything will stay dry.
@@jgjg3848 That could work! I'd have to dig the hole in the hottest driest part of the summer but it would be worth a try. I've been trying to figure out how to get a root cellar without inadvertently digging a well! 😂
I’d be afraid that when the water table came back up your can would float out of the ground.
@@francessilta7892 sigh, logic... 😂
My issue too. But JG JG had a great idea to double up metal with plastic cans.
I am in Michigan. Just came across you in my feed. What a neat idea. I subbed.
Awesome. Welcome.