We don't have a root cellar but we have a barn or an attic that is not insulated. Is there anyway we could use these to store root crops such as potatoes or other long storage crops? We had some wonderful potatoes that all sprouted because we didn't have a cold enough place in the house to store them.

-- Kathy Hardin (DavidWH6@juno.com), February 01, 2000

Answers

Your attic may be o.k. while the weather is cold but as soon as it warms up I think you'll be in trouble .Remember heat rises as well as the sun beating down on your roof .I dont think you'll have any better luck in the barn.I've heard of people buring drums to use as a root cellar ,I'm not sure how well it would work .I'd wait till spring and dig,dig, and dig some more .Good luck

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), February 01, 2000.

Get some cheap hay bales, and build storage bins in your barn. One bale deep, one wide and two long is the ideal dimension. Put this over a dirt floor, and lay down a shallow layer of loose hay in the bottom before filling up with potatoes that have been well "cured" (lay them out in a shady area to dry off and brush off any excess dirt)cap with more bales, keeping a good overlap on the edges. Prop one bale up on one end (just a little) for ventilation, and if it gets Really cold, remember to close it up. We have stored pumpkins for our animals using this method, and kept them through below zero weather successfully. Do keep the area around your bins clear to make it harder for the mice to sneak up on them.

-- Connie Christoffer (litlgaea@cs.com), February 07, 2000.