How to Make a Potato Cellar

Dig a hole in the ground deep enough to hold the garbage can with 4 inches exposed above ground. After placing the can in the ground, fill it with potatoes and secure the lid on top. Shovel soil around the exposed circumference of the garbage can. Cover the lid with straw or mulch and place a sheet of plastic on top. This keeps the potatoes dry.

Dig a potato cellar in the side of a hill. The easiest way to do this is with a backhoe. To prevent roots from growing inside the cellar, make sure the site isn't near a large tree. Excavate an area at least 10 feet deep for complete temperature stability. Use wood to build shelving, bins, and platforms. Place shelves one to 2 feet away from the walls for proper air circulation. Packed earth can suffice for the floor of the cellar. Line the walls and ceiling with wood such as cedar logs. Build the doors out of wood also. Place a thermometer and a hygrometer in the cellar so you can check the temperature and humidity.

Build two walls in the northeast corner of your basement for a potato cellar. The foundation walls of the basement act as the other two walls. Use stud and board as the material for the walls you build. Insulate the interior walls, ceiling, pipes, ducts and door to keep the heat out. The ventilation system must allow cool air from outside to come into the root cellar and the stale air to be carried out.