Letter Re: Root Cellar Alternatives

Hi Jim,
Thank you so much for the wealth of information on your blog. It is encouraging to see so many people working towards self-sufficiency.

I was recently introduced to a gardening concept called Square Foot Gardening. There are several advantages to the concept not the least of which are: much less area needed to grow a bounty of fresh veggies, no longer needing to till a large area that only grows plants in a few inch-wide rows, less watering, no weeds, and also no need for numerous gardening tools to tend your crops. A friend used this method last year and had fabulous results; until a once-in-a-lifetime hail storm wiped out her crops with golf-ball sized hail. For more information, readers can go to the web site or read the book All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew.

In the book, he had a great alternative to the traditional root cellar. My husband and I are doing everything we can to prepare for TEOTWAWKI, including paying off a mortgage, car loan, etc., as fast as we can, thus are doing our prep work as frugally as we can. A large concern about growing produce is of course storing the fruits of our labor. I can some and dehydrate some, but I also wanted an inexpensive way to keep fresh veggies and possibly some apples over the winter. In his book, Mel suggests using either plastic or metal garbage cans (probably the bigger, the better) and burying them in the ground, leaving the top couple of inches above ground so that you can still fit the lid on snugly. You then layer inside the can moist sawdust, peat moss or sand (I am planning on using straw since my husband grows so much of it!). Note: this method is for veggies that need cold moist conditions such as all root crops and those in the cabbage family. You then secure the lid tightly, cover with at least 12 inches of hay or leaves, and then cover that with a well secured tarp to keep the moisture off the mulching material, so that you can access the lid to the can throughout the winter. I was also thinking it would be a good idea to line the can with a trash bag so that you can easily lift out the contents at the bottom of the can as you use them up, and to help prevent additional unwanted moisture from seeping in.

I am curious if you or your readers have any thoughts or experience in this area. Thank you so much in advance, and may Christ richly bless you this Christmas season! Warmly, – W.D.