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So back in November, we showed you how we built our mini root cellar using an old broken chest freezer. The whole thing was meant to be an experiment, based on the principles of an actual full sized root cellar, and our hope was that we could use it to store a good portion of our potato harvest all winter. Well, it’s been a few months, and a number of you have been asking how it’s going, so today, I’d like to give you a really quick update.
Related Videos:
Experiment: Mini “Root Cellar” from broken freezer (for storing potatoes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evM7taps76s
The Ruth Stout Method of Permaculture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfi-n0Oq38E
Planting Potatoes in a Ruth Stout Permaculture Garden (QUICK and EASY)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dexx9kKVWeo
Did You Know That Potato Plants Have Fruit?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k00q6bhIwfg
Results from our NO DIG and NO WATER potato experiment (Ruth Stout Method)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf0Q2YlQOUU
Companion Planting Carrots, Radishes and Onions in a Ruth Stout (HAY-ONLY) Garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMkn5b0jHhE
Results and Lessons Learned from our Carrot, Onion, and Radish Experiment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO2tNfgW8Ug
Plant Hardiness Zone, Rainfall, and Other Important Information
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrAJbE0ZTA8
Winter Ruth Stout Permaculture Update and HAY vs STRAW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-A1gNNjen0
I live off-grid in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC and also don't have a cellar dug/built yet either, though its on my list.
I stored 3 bushels of potatoes back in November 2018 in an old contractor's tool box, made of metal, in layers of wood mulch, not allowing the tubers to touch the sides and bottom of the box, nor each other. I'm experimenting with those original tubers still and I still have edible tubers without wrinkling here in late May. There are sprouts, but they never get taller than the current layer of mulch and no greening because of the darkness inside the box.. The box is set in the shade of an American Holly tree surrounded by Rhododendrons and even now with the winter cold gone into warm summer weather, the potatoes seem to be holding up well.
Wood mulch I make from dead standing Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) and Maple saplings and were made using a 3" Troybilt, which makes smaller wood chips, which I also use like you have been using the straw in building soil. Worms and little critters love it!
Hope this helps. I looked for a long time for info on long-term storage of potatoes and couldn't find any method that wasn't reliable. If you discover a better method than the one you've shared here or the one I've described, please share. Cheers! Thomas
As it is almost June, any chance of an update sometime soon? Thanks for sharing!
great video!!!! i really appreciate you to share your good experiment! It's exactly what I wondered.
Any chance you'll be releasing an update to this video?
Havent read through all the other comments. Have you / has anyone suggested instead of powering the PC fan, gluing magnets on the blades and one or two opposite pole on the frame. Magnets make the fan spin for free. Just something that popped in my head watching the potato cellar build video.
Would love an update on this : ) I need a plan for the boat load of potatoes I'm growing!!!!
Cool experiment! I want to see the result
you rock!
So, it works as a passive dehumidifier. Finding out how efficient it is at that could be tricky, but I think that wet sand is not going to make it (you're already saying so in the video). I would try and put, say, a sauce pan (with no lid) or something that would contain way more water than what you are leaving in the sand.
Back in the day we had this dehumidifier (it was quite a humid place in winter) that could fill its five litre tank (about 1.32 gallons for those who can't do metric) in less than a day. Of course, that was an electrical machine designed for that, while your built is a passive machine.
That being said, hypothesis here, that pc fan will help with lowering the humidity, as it helps bringing the outside air in by exhausting the inside air out. And winter air, if it's not raining but it's snowy (and I guess that -30 Celsius doesn't bring much rain but snow), it's relatively dry. As temperature drops, air can "hold" less and less water (therefore less humidity). You bring that relatively dry and cold air and make it pass through a place that is warmer and, even so slightly, more humid… it's goint to make the inside get less humid. Again, hypothesis here but… I think it's logical.
Would it help to add the water in or near the base of the intake pipe so the draft will help carrier it better?
My mom actually has a large chest freezer she is trying to empty to get rid of. She may reconsider dumping it if she sees this as she loves to garden. She wouldnt have nearly the same amount of potatoes so would a large chest freezer converted be too big? Can we please get an update, if this works I'd love to start that project with her!
awesome vids, waiting for update
For increased humidity you might get away with drawing it from a chamber of water the cool incoming air passes through before entering the freezer.
Exciting work your doing. I'll be watching for updates.
Have you updated the performance of your "root cellar" since last winter February 2019? Did it get you through the winter into spring? Or, did you abandon the project? Thanks.
Have you tried using humidity beads? They sell them for humidors and you can get them pretty cheap from cigar shops. They can be rehydrated over and over and you can adjust humidity ranges
Do you have an update to your storage idea?
Love your channel, did you ever do a followup to this?
Thank you, I have learned so much from you.
Aren't there other garden vegetables that you can put in your adhock root cellar in order to keep them just as fresh as the potatoes?
The exhaust is larger than the intake… That could be the cause of the humidity loss.
Just subscribed today !
Looks like I'll be doing some binge watching.
Where do you sit in respect to making a full size root cellar? Do you have plans for it? I'd love to try making one myself as I have a location in my basement already perfect for it.
UPDATED VIDEO: starting midway through https://youtu.be/O4Q_DoaSZUQ?t=171
Is there any new updates on your cellar? Are you upgrading?
Not to be rude ,but why do you care when the potatoes are fine? That is the result you care about and what matters!
Are your vent holes too large for the size of your mini root cellar? Thus, lowering your humidity. I'm sure there is a ratio of vent hole size to root cellar volume that is optimum for ideal ventilation rate. You can do that experiment and make a graph in the future. I'm sure a lot of people will be interested in that data.
For relatively cheap but great quality and open Temperate and Humidity sensors, I use Shelley Cloud over wifi.
To use an old refrigerator in the basement, which is damp and humid, it gets a bit warm in summer. Is winter long enough to plant a usable amount when it cools in the Fall? Thank you.
put a gallon can in the side space with a wet rolled burlap sack in it.