DIY Root Cellar

In the days before refrigeration, people depended on their root cellar, a dark, humid and cool section of their home dug below ground, to store hearty fruits and root vegetables so they could be eaten during the winter months. Root cellars, although out of fashion in modern homes, remain the best way to store potatoes, carrots, apples, onions, turnips and parsnips for extended periods of time. Contemporary home gardeners with a bounty of these types of produce can easily and inexpensively create a mock root cellar in their yards.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Drill with bits
• 20-gallon galvanized trash can with lid
• Straw
• Tarp

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Choose a location for your root cellar that is at least 10 feet from the foundation of your home.

   • 2

     Dig a hole approximately 25 inches deep and 25 inches wide.

   • 3

     Drill a few holes in the bottom of your galvanized trash can.

   • 4

     Place the can into the hole, bottom side down, and pack the loose soil around its sides. The can should just stick up out of the ground.

   • 5

     Place your fruits and vegetables in the can and place the lid on tightly.

   • 6

     Cover the top of your new root cellar with a layer of straw and then with a tarp to protect it from rain.