How to Design Root Cellars

Root cellars successfully store fruits and vegetables without the expense of a refrigerator.

Root cellars store vegetables and fruit by keeping the produce cool in the summer and in above-freezing temperatures during the winter. Traditionally root cellars were underground enclosures located near the house. Today root cellars are also constructed in house basements. Shelves line the walls of root cellars to allow adequate ventilation for storing produce. An intake vent or pipe allows fresh air to enter the root cellar and an exhaust vent or pipe releases air from the cellar. The ideal root cellar is cold, dark and damp.

Things You'll Need

• Basement or garage
• Sheets of plywood
• 2" by 4" boards
• Screws or nails
• Insulation
• Door hinges
• Door handle
• Vents or vent pipes with covers
• Screening
• Shelving
• Thermometer
• Psychrometer or other device to estimate humidity

Instructions

1. Examine the basement and find a suitable corner for the root cellar. Design the cellar to fit into an area of the basement with a window. It is easier to install the vents in a window than through the basement walls. If possible, have a northern exposure for one wall to keep the cellar cooler. A walled-off area of the basement about 8-by-8 feet stores fruits and vegetables for an average family. Without a walled-off area, most basements are too warm to store fruits and vegetables successfully. If a basement is not available, consider installing the root cellar in the corner of a garage.

2. Install sheets of 4-by-8 foot 3/8 inch or thicker plywood for the walls in a basement with an 8-foot ceiling. Use 2-by-4 inch boards to support the plywood. Use a sheet of plywood to cut a 7-foot by 32-inch or larger door. Insulate the walls, the door and the ceiling. Add hinges and a handle to open and close the door. Bricks and concrete blocks can serve as a substitute for the plywood in the walls.

3. Remove the glass from the window and replace with plywood. Place an exhaust pipe or vent in the top of the window. Install an intake pipe or vent near the bottom of the window. Place screens over the vents to keep out insects and rodents. Installs covers over the vents or pipes to open and close them.

4. Build or install shelves a few inches away from the walls to allow for air circulation. Leave suitable space between the shelves to stack produce containers. If the floor is damp, consider installing a composite deck material. Open the vents during the fall to allow cool air to enter and warm air to exit. Close the vents during the winter to trap warmer air.

5. Determine the temperature and the humidity of the root cellar regularly. A temperature of 33 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity of 80 to 95 percent is ideal for many fruits and vegetables. Adjust the ventilation or the insulation to alter the temperature. The temperature is usually not uniform throughout the root cellar. Some vegetables prefer the warmer temperatures in the top part of the cellar.

Tips & Warnings

• An earthen floor in a basement often provides sufficient humidity for a root cellar.

References

• Mother Earth News: Build a Basement Root Cellar
• Hobby Farms: Produce Bound Underground
• Floyd County in View: Root Cellar Basics
• Colorado State University: Storage of Home-Grown Vegetables
• University of Alaska Fairbanks: Vegetable Storage in Root Cellars