 and other harmful critters.
Another reason that the humidity range and cold temperature are both necessary is that they slow the decomposition process. They combine to reduce the amount of ethylene gas that’s produced, which usually causes microorganisms to eat away and decompose food.
Contrary to popular belief, you can have a root cellar in a variety of locations. Here are a few examples:
- Garbage bins
- Manmade cellars underground
- Holes in the ground
Anywhere that you can block excess light while controlling temperature and humidity will make a great root cellar. From there, you can gauge the settings to preserve fruits, vegetables, jarred foods, and more.
To learn more about how deep root cellars need to be, check out my article called How Deep Does a Root Cellar Need to Be? | A Simple Guide.
How Do You Adjust a Root Cellar’s Temperature?
If you’re lucky enough to have a thermostat in your root cellar, you can turn it up or down to fit your desired temperature range. You’ll also need something to add humidity, so feel free to add a hygrometer, like this one, if you don’t have one. Some climates fit the required humidity range as is, in which case, you won’t have to adjust much at all.
There are numerous other ways to adjust the temperature in your root cellar. If you’re trying to figure out how to have multiple temperature readings for different kinds of food in a single cellar, it can be a bit tricky. Here are a few suggestions that you could try:
- Dig a hole about 10 feet deep to maintain the temperature of your liking. At this depth, you can control the temperature without the outside ambient temperature outside adjusting it for you.
- Maintain proper air circulation by keeping all of your food about two to three inches away from walls, floors, ceilings, and other objects; Otherwise, mold can start to grow.
- Consider building a wall between your root cellar to divide it into two different areas. This will allow you to install an additional thermostat to adjust it to the needs of different kinds of food.
- If you’re using central cooling, keep your food that needs a lower temperature closer to the vents. Most cooling vents go as low as 20 degrees less than the set temperature in order to combat the stagnant air in the room. You can leave food that doesn’t need to be as cold a little bit further away from the vents.
- Add an exhaust pipe to remove heat from the earth and running machines (humidifiers, thermostats, vents, hygrometers, etc.). Place the exhaust pipes closest to root vegetables and other foods that don’t need to be as cold as others.
As far as controlling the temperature in a single, unseparated root cellar, it’d be quite challenging. Other than proper vent and exhaust pipe placement, there’s not much you can do other than separating them. If you’re truly concerned, try to jar some of the food to keep it separated.
Additional Storage Tips for Root Cellars
Maintaining a root cellar is very simple once you get everything started. The hardest part is controlling the environment, but you can easily do it with the proper tools. If you’re trying to figure out how to keep the temperature where it needs to be, try these five helpful storage suggestions:
- Never try to make a root cellar in a shed or any other area where you can’t completely adjust the temperature and humidity. If you only have a shed to use, insulate it as much as possible. The wood and metal that most sheds are made out of are awful for insulation and temperature control, not to mention they can corrode and rust.
- Don’t short yourself on the humidifier and cooling system. They’re both very crucial to the effectiveness and longevity of your root cellar. You should predict that the biggest portion of your cellar’s maintenance will go towards repairs for those parts more than anything else, though they don’t need to be fixed often.
- Dirt is an incredible insulator. If you’re able to do it, make your root cellar underground. Dirt has been used to build houses and huts for centuries, so why not use it as an inexpensive way to control the te