At the end of last year, 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. But did it work? Well, in this video, we’ll finally show you the end results.
PART 1 of 3: Experiment: Mini “Root Cellar” from broken freezer (for storing potatoes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evM7taps76s
Part 2 of 3: Update: Mini Root Cellar Experiment (after 3 months of potato storage)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrlLpaZER7I
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Thanks! I enjoyed this series & learned a lot from it.
you need a arduino an a bit of computer programer or raznery and 3 humidity senzor and 3 tempricer senzor and a small computer for a data base look for a (youtube how to)
I wonder if installing some sort of flap valve on the intake and exhaust pipes would allow you to control the humidity and temperature issues. For instance if there is a cold snap coming where you know that the humidity typically dips you can close that valve either partially or completely to prevent humidity loss. Same with the cold air intake… closing it during the day when the temperature is higher in the spring, but opening it at night to allow cool air in. It would be more labor intensive, but could potentially allow for the storage time to be extended.
Since you are losing humidity to the outside air, perhaps a closed loop would work.
Twenty or thirty feet of 3" PVC pipe run strait up then back down could cool the air without losing the humidity.
Here are the easy cheap root cellars we had growing up. You can do this on a saturday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0jzUOQrG9Q
BLESSINGS
Glad to see your results went well
I have watched several videos on root cellars and storing produce…Interesting fact from another video…Potatoes are genetically programmed to start growing in April and so do not expect to keep them longer. So with that filed in the back of my mind, I was watching your graph and saw that even in the mini cellar your potatoes started sprouting in APRIL! Even if you build a more elaborate storage cellar I think you potatoes may continue to sprout in April. Actual refrigeration may be the only way to prevent this. ( havent looked into that yet )
Can you tell us the brand of data loggers.
I'm currently conducting an experiment with Yukon Gold. I harvested mine on July 9th, 2020, placed them in the fridge for 4 weeks and have taken them out and placed them at about 20 C. It's been almost 100 days and the eyes are slowly sprouting. If this works well, I could try to grow an indoor crop from November to February and have seed potatoes for July of next year. I'm in Toronto Canada.
Great video,
What about storing them in sawdust Instead of sand?
Will that help with the humidity?
A quick fix to this system to regulate humidity might be to take off the drain plug off the bottom, and on top of that put a humidity absorbing material like calcium chloride, 3a zeolite, etc. The problem is that it will absorb some humidity from the enclosed space as well, but should saturate pretty quickly with the humidity it's absorbing from outside of the enclosed space.
on what side of the house your intake and exhaust are? Do you think they started to sprout mar-apr as a result of humidity fluctuation through the year or warmer outside temperatures in mar-apr? What were the inside the box temperatures through the year and mar-apr? If it just not enough of outside cooling that limits the storage time how do you expect the full size passive cold storage room will help that?
I'm late to the game, but thank you for posting this video.
Guys….. I have it!
Data logging you need xiaomi
They do sensors that monitor all sorts and log it on your phone in real time. Cheap as chips compared to most stuff. You can integrate items and set things to turn on and off within parameters (ie humidifier or dehumidifier or vent fan) well worth a look. Keeps my greenhouse from overheating! Also have you guys thought about mushroom in a fridge in basement? Saw a vid of a fella growing in a chest freezer with a light bulb for heat…. Could be interesting?
Thank you so much! Very interesting.
In saw a video where the man wrapped the potatoes individually in newspaper. I suppose that would be too much work
So you had enough potatoes to fee you over the winter and plenty of seed potatoes to plant?
Gosh, we've never worried about sprouted eyes etc…just knock them off and peel as usual. I would not eat the actual sprouts themselves, but the spud is still good!
I grew up on a homestead from the late 70s to early 90s. We had an awesome root cellar, but the potatoes would never make it 12 months. Our solution was to begin pressure canning the potatoes throughout the winter months, saving seed stock only for planting. By doing small batches through the winter, we still had fresh potatoes most months, but were eating strictly canned potatoes from late Spring through summer.
Did you cure the potatoes first or just put them right in the crates and then into the the deep freeze? Thanks!
This is typical for potatoes: unless you are in a professional storage area with humidity control this is normal results. You did fine.
Fantastic video and graphics. Must be one hell of a video editing program!
My inner geek is awakening thanks for all the details just subscribed
That visual of the graph really helped me. Very nice experiment. New sub from Washington state.
Barometric pressure? I am sure it has an effect.
Thanks for the great production!! I saw your episode on storing tomatoes in ashes. Did you try potatoes? I just bought a bag of spuds at the grocery store and am going to stick them in some ashes just to see how they do.