DIY Root Cellars for Storing Carrots, Beets, Potatoes, and More

Reader Contribution by Celeste Longacre
Published on October 5, 2016

Our ancestors didn’t have supermarkets. They had to grow and store all of their own food. In order to do so, root cellars were a necessity. While no longer an absolute necessity, root cellars are still pretty cool. And, they are not particularly difficult to build.

My husband built our root cellar when we put an addition on our house. He dug down to the ledge, built up the sides with concrete blocks and poured a cement floor. He then continued on with the addition, putting a trap door in the floor.

Root Cellaring Basics

Not planning to build an addition soon? No problem. If you have a basement, you are already almost there. If your basement stays cool, but doesn’t freeze, all you have to do is make a critter-free space. If your basement is heated, there needs to be a little more planning.

Pick a corner far away from the heat source that has earth on the outside of the walls. Build a room using these two walls and adding two more. Put some insulation on the inside of the new walls. Insert a door and create some shelves. And you are in business!

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