Temperature is the real
test of a successful root cellar, with optimal temperatures from 32 F
to 40 F, but with temperatures from 40 F to 50 F considered quite
good. I've seen
quite a few fancy root cellars constructed with vast quantities of
labor and cash which fail the simple temperature test. Can our
$10 root cellar do better?
We won't know for sure
how our root cellar holds up until it has to deal with really hot days
and really cold nights, but so far it's running great. Over the
last few days since Mark completed the fridge root cellar, it has held
a semi-steady temperature between 40 F and 52 F. I'll keep you
updated on the temperature variations as the year progresses.
If you missed parts of
the construction details, you might want to read back over our old
entries (linked below), or watch the video here which sums it all up in
a two and a
half minute nutshell. I hope that some of you are inspired
to eschew the fancy root cellar craze and make your own root cellar for
cheap.
This
post is part of our Fridge Root
Cellar series.
Read all of the entries:
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I wish I had a better report, but in a heavy rain last winter, the bare dirt behind the fridge pushed it over on its face. We haven't had time to go dig it out and put a roof over it to channel the rain away and prevent another landslide. Until then, temperatures inside the fridge were good, but the landslide makes it a failure so far!
Pat --- We did indeed get it back up and running, and the root cellar kept masses of carrots fresh for us all winter. I've got an ebook nearly finished about our experience, but since the garden year is heating up, it might not come out until this fall. Stay tuned to the blog for more information!
What is significant is: a) the difference between inside and ambient air temperatures b) how consistent the inside temperature is.