My grandmother told me that when she was a kid her family dug holes in the ground under the porch (in the hills of Kentucky), lined them with straw and put apples, potatoes, carrots, cabbages, etc. into the holes. Then they covered them with straw and boards. When they pulled them out, they were almost as fresh as the day they were picked. Thanks for your ideas on doing it. I might have to try this.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! I love hearing those king of stories. It works well for sure.

@MizzQueenBreNaturally

2 жыл бұрын

Do you know when she pulled them out lol??

@mycozygardencottage

2 жыл бұрын

@@MizzQueenBreNaturally I'm not sure how exactly how long they were able to keep them in the ground, but my grandma seemed to think they stayed fresh all winter. :)

@MizzQueenBreNaturally

2 жыл бұрын

@@mycozygardencottage lol you say seem to think like she was hallucinating or sun lmaoo thats funny and I appreciate you and yo grandmother💛💛💛

@mycozygardencottage

2 жыл бұрын

@@MizzQueenBreNaturally Well she was pretty old ...lol. But she was sharp so I think she was telling it right. I loved hearing her talk about how they raised a cow and a pig every year and had fruit trees and a big garden. They grew all the food they ate except things like sugar and coffee. They canned and preserved everything. She said it was a hard life but a good life. :) My mom was born in the 1940s so it must have been in the 1930s or so.

Mt Dad left carrots/beets etc in the ground ...raked alot of leaves on top of them during the winter and just dug them out for Sunday dinners ! That really worked

@JakeHawken

2 жыл бұрын

Whoa, they don’t rot?

@zone4garlicfarm

2 жыл бұрын

@@JakeHawken Carrots and beets are biennial. The first year they grow and store sugars in their tap root. The second year they flower and make seeds. When they start growing new leaves in the spring you don't have long before they bolt and the root loses its flavor and gets woody.

@annefricker8474

2 жыл бұрын

@@zone4garlicfarm thank you that’s interesting. I have beets in my garden and they have been left in situ. when I want one I just go out and get one. I’m eating it within minutes of harvesting it. Great to know I can reliably do this.

@annefricker8474

2 жыл бұрын

My beetroot has been in the garden all winter. I jus harvest what I need as I need them.

@angelarogers3137

2 жыл бұрын

Can you use grass clippings or mulch between layers or maybe cheese cloth or something? To keep from having to get straw. I don't have a truck.

Even easier and larger is to bury an old chest freezer or refrigerator laying on its side, they are already insulated and hinged doors work great, Just add vent pipe !!! Zone 3 in northern Minnesota 🥶

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

That is a good method too. I wouldn't say easier....especially digging through that insane hard pan clay in my area.

@bbikermama

2 жыл бұрын

Maybe a small college room size one.. those get thrown away. Hmmm.

@CPThyme

2 жыл бұрын

Great idea!!! Did you add a drainage on the bottom or just vent the top? Also, did you place it below the frost line? You should make a video for the northerners.

@przybyla420

2 жыл бұрын

You probably already know this, but the way to dig in hard clay or gravel is to dig a small hole to full depth, then expand it by shearing off little slices, going round and round until it’s to full size. A sharp shovel with good handle, damp soil and good boots like military type or cowboy boots all help A LOT. A narrow long shovel helps to make the initial hole, don’t know what they’re called, not a trench shovel with the funny bend in it.

@przybyla420

2 жыл бұрын

That is a good point, I’d toss a pallet over the mulch and be done with it. Kids aren’t going to lock themselves in a trash can, and if they are, a little of that is good for the gene pool.

Potential life saver here. I'm seriously worried about food security for my wife, me and our growing baby boy. We have almost no income at the moment, but we are blessed to have moved to a property with an abundance of different fruit trees including apples. Last year so many of them went to waste as we had no idea how to go about utilizing them, and storing them. Now I need a way to store potatoes and other crops so we can have a few staple foods we can rely on if the proverbial SHTF moment does come.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Cool. We have a lot of videos on food security. From canning to growing dry beans. Check them out.

@vickigonya9432

8 ай бұрын

Use the excess to barter other types of food 😊 set up a food stand and sell it. I'm planting dwarf apple, cherry, fig, pear, outside and trying tropicals inside oranges/lemons/ limes/ avacado/ pineapple ? Who knows? Don't know until you try❤

I had to smile at this My Mom was born in 1912 and told a fond childhood memory of eating crisp apples in the evening around the wood stove as a child. Her Dad buried large lard cans in the yard between house and barn. Lined with straw and layered with apples, also many other vegetables, each in their own lard can. Her Dad would stop on the way back from the barn doing evening chores and bring in apples to share around the fire while he told stories from his childhood. We were fortunate enough to have a basement that was cool and stored ours By that time my grandparents had made their own root cellar in the side of the hill behind their log home.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

That is awesome. I love hearing these stories. Thank you for sharing.

@chrisroper2731

2 жыл бұрын

Our basement had a place for coal as well as a root cellar. No longer have that home tho. This idea is great if it is under a roof, because those galvanized cans lids leak where the handles are.

@deasolis333

2 жыл бұрын

That just made me feel really good. I wish life was like that.♥️

@BrendaAngelArt

2 жыл бұрын

What a beautiful memory!

@bethdavis7812

2 жыл бұрын

@@chrisroper2731 They painted the can on the outside with "pitch' whatever that is---kept them from leaking.

This is a smart cellar. With it being located in the barn among the hay bales who would think about searching for food? Great way to not only keep your food fresh but well, keep your food. With a serious food shortage coming this maybe the best food cellar yet! Great build

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Yes, it has a lot of advantages.

@TRINITY-ks6nw

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed

@demsakawalkinglatetermabor7ion

2 жыл бұрын

“They” will take the hay for their animals in a SHTF situation.

@beebob1279

2 жыл бұрын

How do you know a food shortage is coming? Documentation?

@demsakawalkinglatetermabor7ion

2 жыл бұрын

@@beebob1279 Some places will see it. The UN reports on famines and lack of Food in Africa and some despot or communist nations like China almost yearly. American food banks get stressed but haven’t really run out. The question is, will there come a day when there are enough issues everywhere combined to mean no food on the store shelves or little trucking getting food where it needs to go bc of a war external or internal. FEMA says have a minimum of 3 months prepared for yourself of food and WATER. The feds require their employees to maintain a 3 month stock also bc they are expected to work even after a SHTF or crisis where they are no longer getting paid but will in a few months. We export a lot of our crops. We turn under a good bit of our crops. Do you live where crops are plentiful if you had no store food? Are you surrounded by thousands or millions of ppl in your region?

After about two and a half months and I finally got my answer. I dug the hole 36in put my 30 gallon trash can in the hole back filled the sides with soil... that left about 18" above the trash can lined the rest with 1" inch pink styrofoam. I made 2 baskets out of green plastic wire attached to strings to it so I can pull them up. Then I froze salt water in 2 gallon jugs and some with half gallons of ice and put two or three of those down in the hole...insulated a wooden lid and now my temperature is around 49 to 50 plus in the middle of July in Atlanta area 100% success.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

That is awesome!

@kzf8978

2 жыл бұрын

How often do you have to refreeze the water?

@rosehuynh1572

2 жыл бұрын

Have you thought about using sand around the container to keep wet similar to how Indians have done with the clay pots forever?

@blackgirloffgrid1054

2 жыл бұрын

Great idea !

@OMGAnotherday

2 жыл бұрын

Well done! 🌅

Rootcellars have been used for centuries for food, nice twist here. Btw, for those who want to store fuel and do not have a huge fueltank, a kind of separate rootcellar for jerrycans for gasoline and/or some propane tanks works too. No direct sunlight, fairly consistent temp. And when dug a bit away from the house it also means much less risk in case of a fire, either at the house or outside. Doesn't have to be huge either. I did say separate, as I personally would not recommend mixing the storage of food and fuel in the same cellar/area.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Good idea about the fuel.

@msweaver61

2 жыл бұрын

Good tip on storing fuel, loved it.

@msgottaneedtoknow

2 жыл бұрын

That might be a really great idea. That would be especially helpful so that it won’t get stolen!

@jheanelltabana8713

Жыл бұрын

Good tip. Maybe I'll have to vent them less if the temperature stayed somewhat consistent.

@ShilohsBride

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the very helpful tip!

You should have sprayed the holes you drilled with Rustoleum spray galvanize compound. The bottom will rust out prematurely. When you drilled through the galvanized can, you exposed the steel. All that moisture will rust it out.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Good point. I will add that to the process.

@louisegogel7973

2 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience And I wonder about little critters getting inside… add mesh screen to the holes?

@lisakukla459

2 жыл бұрын

It would still function with no bottom.

@pamelacallwood4589

2 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience could this be done with a plastic trash can since it doesn't rust?

@patriciamampel3601

2 жыл бұрын

@@lisakukla459 sure, but in E TX its so lush & every kind of varmint bug & spider will eventually find the easy way in...these nice people from was it Minnesota? may not have learned that yet lol...to keep mice out is why he made holes 3/8" wide...theres also lots more surface water seepage due to rain all year long

Hi Eric great video. Do you know in Toronto Ontario in the 50's some builders actually built root cellars in the basement of new houses and they worked very well. My husband remembers helping his Dad when he was a kid putting on a door for it. My mother in law kept all her canning and vegetables in it and it was very cool. Can you imagine builders doing that today. Life was much simpler back then and people actually knew how to do things.

@CountryLivingExperience

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Lynda. I remember my grandparents house having one. They lived in Detroit. It was always cool for sure.

@seandrake7534

3 жыл бұрын

We had a old house that sat above a root seller there was a door that you walked through to get into it kind of like a basement with a walk in door from the outside there was no way to get into it from the house though This was very common back then I believe the house was built in the late 1800s it’s been in our family before a long time The only problem with this was I’ll the humidity that would come up into the houses like this and actually caused some people health problems

@the_Mrs.

2 жыл бұрын

My grandparents had one under their Oklahoma home, doubled as a tornado shelter. Meanwhile in the 21st century I live in a house made of ticky tack and pay for everything but air… soon they will tax us for cleaning that up too. sigh.

@terrywade3696

2 жыл бұрын

I think they’re called “cold rooms” used for food storage. I’ve seen a lot of them on HGTV on “Holmes on Holmes” with Mike Holmes. He’s a Canadian building contractor who repairs other “builders” bad work. I grew up in Oklahoma and many farms used root cellars that were built under their houses. They also doubled as storm shelters to escape tornadoes!

@Val.Kyrie.

2 жыл бұрын

My house outside Hamilton Ontario had a full root cellar as part of the basement, separated by a door. I’d kill for that thing now lol.

I think a major issue with anyone who gets a lot of rain is the water coming up through the 3/8" holes in the bottom of the can. I think it is a good idea to have it 'indoors', but out in a yard might be a bit risky. If I was to do this, I'd seriously overdig the depth, fill with gravel, then place the can in the hole, to prevent a water issue rising up into the can. The gravel would act like a french drain.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Correct, it is about placement. Mine have always been in barns with dirt floors. The gravel is a must if doing this outside.

@hairbabe2u

Жыл бұрын

How do you keep worms out?

@justinw1765

Жыл бұрын

Even more simply, just don't drill the holes to begin with. Not very much air will "rise" up and through those tiny holes anyways. Air doesn't travel much/very well in compacted soil. What does happen is that the metal conducts thermal energy up from or down into the ground depending what area is warmer or colder--that in turn either cools or warms the air inside. While you may get some condensation, all you really need to do is to put something like diamatcaeous earth or the like on the bottom, so that if condensation does build enough on the wall to run down to the bottom, it will be absorbed (and slowly released into the air) and kept directly away from the food. You still want a vent, but mostly to vent excess humidity and the warmer air on the top. Generally though, even with holes, there is not going to be much air circulation going on anyways. Most of the air circulation will just be from cold air and warmer air exchanging that thermal energy, which convects/moves the air in very weak, slow "currents". But more importantly, you want to vent the excess humidity out.

In the old days, in Michigan, one of my jobs was to tear a sheet out of a Sears and Roebuck or Montgomery Wards catalog, and individually wrap each apple before packing it into a barrel. That extended their shelf life. Didn’t do it with other fruits or veggies. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

I do that now with potatoes that I have in the house.

@rosehuynh1572

2 жыл бұрын

Do remember many other things your parents did for food preservation? What were your main food staples and what were you most excited for when it was time? If it's too long for a comment maybe I can interview you sometime?

@jackvoss175

2 жыл бұрын

@@rosehuynh1572 We grew garden vegetables, so Mom did a lot of canning. Dad bought an old ice cream freezer from some drug store that was upgrading. So, we were freezing foods in the early mid 40s. I think Dad was way ahead of the norm on that. Dad hunted a lot, so we ate a lot of small game fresh. None of that was preserved. We made our own homemade ice cream. We cured and smoked much of our own ham and bacon. We made our own maple syrup and maple sugar. We made our own sauerkraut.

@tommielourogers4327

2 жыл бұрын

Apple skins emit ethylene gas that causes other fruit and vegetables to ripen faster. (So if you buy unripe fruit set some next to an apple or two.) By wrapping the apples you did 2 things, you protected the apples from getting bruises and you protected the other fruits and vegetables from ripening too fast. Back in the old days, they may not have known the scientific reasons for wrapping the apples, just that it worked. It is the same reason that at the grocery stores, they display all the apples together and away from the fruits like bananas. It is not just because it looks pretty. There is a good reason for it. Apples make bananas turn brown.

@jackvoss5841

2 жыл бұрын

@@tommielourogers4327 G’day, Tommie. Good to know. We would plant an extra long row of carrots. In the fall, before the ground froze, we put stakes in the ground about 2’ beyond each end of where there were still carrots. Then,, take apart a bale or two of straw, section by section, each section is about 2” thick. Spread a single layer along the row, covering it, butting them tightly. Then cover those with a second layer that is twice as wide, butting their edges centered right down the row. As carrots are dug, move the stake along, and re-cover the remaining carrots plus a couple of feet beyond. These will be the sweetest, most flavorful carrots you have ever tasted! Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

Great info. I live in East Texas north of Tyler and thought root cellars would not be as good here as places with cooler climate. My dad just put hay down on high spot on ground and put potatoes then more hay with a tarp to keep moisture out. Worked fairly well but the temp changes were problematic. Will give serious thought to maybe building a big root cellar. Have a steel tank 7ft by 12ft plus could stand on end and sink. Some prepping family near could use such more than myself but they don't have my resources for such. On 8ac here on sandy Hill well off county road with good drinking water 20ft down. Land was open 4 decades back but covered with trees for now. As health let's, will be removing most pines to make lumber to finally start building self a cabin or 2. Had goats and chickens here for a while and giving thought to such again. Being retired disabled with nothing else but staying alive to do, all my focus is on my place I call Dirtwater. No longer a workaholic but still need to keep these old bones moving. Thanks for the vid.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome. You're welcome

@smontesinos78

9 ай бұрын

I know what you mean I live here in Paris Tx .

@vickigonya9432

8 ай бұрын

I started taking omega 3 oil with the polyphenols in it. It has done amazing things in my body. I'm 64 female- had horrific blood pressure- neuropathy pain in my feet, screwed up sleep schedule, up 3-4 times a night to pee, stiff achey joints. Lots of lower back pain. 3 months ago I started the oil. Increased my D3 to 20,000 units per day and added K2 200 mg per day. Last time I bought a 50 lb bag of feed I had to drag/ flip/ push rest and fight again to gey it from the car to house. Yesterday, I picked up the 50 lb bag threw it over my shoulder- grabbed the second one and slide it up on my other shoulder and carried them into the house with little effort!! Thought they had given me the 28 lb bags because we had discussed that option briefly. But NOPE 50 pounders!!! ❤❤❤❤ P.S. my blood pressure went from 189/110 down to 120/73 this morning!!! No blood pressure meds- no diabetes meds- just the oil D3 and K2.

@sunshinedayz2172

4 ай бұрын

Wow, Thanks for the share!💕

As long the produce is 18 inches below ground where freezing dose not occur everything will stay fresh that's what root cellars do.

@stacyboyett2823

2 жыл бұрын

It's definitely not that simple. It depends on where you live and where your frost line is. It depends on humidity levels and temps in the "cellar" as to how fresh foods stay and for how long.

@zone4garlicfarm

2 жыл бұрын

Insulation will prevent the ground from freezing. I bury a 10 gallon trash can in my garden with the rim just above ground so I can get at it. When the first real snow falls I pile about 2 feet on top of it. That is enough insulation to keep it from freezing.

So excited to find all you great folks!!!

I think you should cut the foam to fit around the top of the lid with the hole through it for the pipe, glue the styrofoam together so it will stay. I figure if you're going to put all that work into it, you might as well finish off the top. Excellent video by the way.

@vickigonya9432

8 ай бұрын

Great idea!!

Before the advent of refrigeration, my mother's family owned an ice house. To keep the ice from melting during the heat of summer, sawdust and hay was used as insulation. I enjoyed watching this video.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thank you for sharing.

@vickigonya9432

8 ай бұрын

Thank you!!

@2gkims427

7 ай бұрын

My great great grandfather was an Iceman in Eagle, Colorado. They stored the ice in the same manner as you've said. Later in the year he delivered ice and he would chip a piece of ice off and give it to the children that he came across. I love to hear how life was done back in the old days😊

Great idea! Maybe some gravel below the barrel for better drainage.

Enjoyed it to the max!...Thank you so much!!!!

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! You’re welcome

THANK YOU 😊

An updated version of the barrel or 55 gallon drum. This is a great idea! Easier access. Thanks for sharing.

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful.

In the middle of the shed , with a foam board on top of a lid. What a genius. I wish I could be so creative. Please do a follow up one year later to show us your actual produce that made it through the winter.

@CountryLivingExperience

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Abraham. We will surely do a follow up video for you. From experience with my Dad's root cellar when I was a kid, this method works very well and keeps the food fresh all winter.

@jacquelyn1400

2 жыл бұрын

I wonder lining the lid with the foam, cutting it in circle shape might make a better insulator. Stick the pvc pipe right through the foam. That way it does not not have to be loose on the floor.

@LCLand

7 ай бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperiencedid it work?

@CountryLivingExperience

7 ай бұрын

@@LCLand Yes. In this climate it works well in late fall, winter, and spring. Summer is too hot.

Thank you for sharing.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

My pleasure

Wow, your ground is like concrete! Great video, thanks for sharing.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. It is extremely tough for sure.

@richardtrowell8812

2 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience Mine is hard as a rock as well. Generally try to wet it the day before several times. Makes life slot easier.

This is awesome!! I'm gonna have to do this at our place

@CountryLivingExperience

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks. It sure is a quick and simple solution.

Subbed. I really appreciate “real life” learn-as-you-go videos. Thanks for your time and effort.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

I appreciate that! Welcome to the channel.

Brilliant...😃Saved this one to a playlist for reference.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Cool

Wow! Amazing, thanks!

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome

I’m going to do this. My great grandfather was a farmer and they had a sand ridge on the edge of the woods, that’s where they would dig out a “cave” and laid there carrots, potatoes and other root vegetables in it, then covered them with the sand and did several more layers and covered with more sand, Grandma said it worked great.

@jennifergibbs9672

2 жыл бұрын

I read that carrots last forever in sand!

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome!

@brittanygoller62

2 жыл бұрын

So how long do they keep for?

@vickigonya9432

8 ай бұрын

Great idea!!!❤

Nice video. Dry sand works much better than straw. Root vegetables will keep clear up until next harvest.

Thanks for this video. Great info

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome

Nice, nice, very informative. As an urban dweller I think I can use this. Thanks!

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

This is such a great idea. I live in the city but hopefully in retirement I can move into the country and have a garden. This channel is so awesome.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! We are glad you are here.

@Isisndaflesh

2 жыл бұрын

Hi I just seen this video…great info!! A few questions…I live in the city but have a private backyard…could I dig holes 18-20 inches deep use the straw to insulate and cover it? Also wearing the produce in cloth bag spreading out thru the bag to also preserve them? Or do you know a simple method for my situation? Single mom I’m doing this on my own. Thanks!

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

@@Isisndaflesh Hello. You would need to have some sort of container to keep out bugs. !8 to 20" will not be deep enough. You have to go down quite far to take advantage of the coolness of the soil.

You can also convert an old chest freezer into and in ground root cellar. Drill holes in the bottom, add a vent in the side and bring the pipe up just above the ground. The insulated flip up lid is very handy.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely. Another good option for sure.

@granmabern5283

7 ай бұрын

Don’t freezers all have frion in tubes all around the freezer? Why would you drill through those???😊

@chutzpah5603

4 ай бұрын

@granmabern5283 ....that's what I'm sayin

HOW NEAT! I will have my hubby watch this video!😃

@CountryLivingExperience

Жыл бұрын

Cool. Thanks

Brilliant information very grateful thank you sir God Bless you 😇💕😇💕😇

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. God bless you too.

Thank you so much for this information. I’m growing potatoes for the first time this year and was wondering what I was going to do about a root cellar.

@CountryLivingExperience

4 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome! Glad it was helpful.

@straitgirl69

2 жыл бұрын

Dig a hole large enough to hold what you got line with straw is got to be 18 inches below ground so ground freezing won't happen cover with straw the left over dirt will last all winter when need produce dig up what you need then cover back will keep cabbage potatoes apples beets I have used in the past because no root cellar works fine my grandfather taught me this when young used it and it works great.

@susanschneider-baker49

2 жыл бұрын

My Father-in-Law had a 55 gal drum buried in the barn for potatoes. They lasted until the next harvest. Potatoes were an every Breakfast & dinner staple.

Great Idea! The seller of my house left me two new metal trash cans. I have a basement that I put all my food stores in, but this would be great to hide food elsewhere. I have a place behind my house that would work perfectly and no one would notice anything. It's in the shade all year as well. I would just have to make sure everything is in and ready before the snow comes in late December. I'm going to start digging the holes now since it might take a while.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome

@vickigonya9432

8 ай бұрын

I was thinking of buying an auger- mainly fence posts but now even more great uses for it❤

Thanks a lot for sharing

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome

I am going to build this. Thanks.

@CountryLivingExperience

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome

man! great idea! Thank you!

@CountryLivingExperience

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

total gratitude for this - especially for the humidity and temp figures .. Reeespect!

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

Great digging music!!!

Thank you!

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

Great video. I'd like to suggest the use of mesh with very small holes in the bottom of the can to reduce bug intrusions. Also, put several inches of gravel under the can for drainage--not only from the can, but from the surrounding land too. I saw that another poster mentioned using anti rust paint on the edges of the drilled holes to prevent rust. That's a good idea too. The idea of using a buried garbage can, or as another poster mentioned, an old fridge or freezer is also a good idea. I'm going to pass on this info to my brothers. They have a mini farm not far from me. I live in a handicap accessible apartment, so I can't make use of the info myself. I did do some gardening when younger. Thanks for the informative video.

@CountryLivingExperience

Жыл бұрын

Thanks

@vickigonya9432

8 ай бұрын

Maybe you could do some vertical hydroponic gardening ? I'm going to try that as well

Believe it or not, LoseTube suggested this to me and it’s just what I need. Great idea- inexpensive and fairly quick to create. Well done. New subscriber.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome, thank you. Welcome to the channel.

Thank you

@CountryLivingExperience

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome

This is perfect for us who live in an HOA who restricts building a root cellar! Thanks!

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome

Absolutely brilliant. Please create a follow up video and let us folks now how the root cellar worked throughout the upcoming seasons.

@CountryLivingExperience

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I will try to get some follow videos in the queue. As of right now, we have had carrots in there for 2 months and they are firm and fresh.

@robinsnestfarm7322

2 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience I looked for a follow up video, but did not see one. Have you stored a container of potatoes in it before...? How did they hold up? Thank you!!!

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

@@robinsnestfarm7322 Hi. I didn't make a follow up video. The potatoes and carrots stored for several months but lost some moisture. The carrots were still edible but the potatoes had chitted. I planted them and had a great crop though. I would say that it was great for edibles short term but only for seed long term in this climate. In the North, results are different.

@andreeelliott2943

2 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience Where in East Texas are you? I live outside of Longview. Just found your channel. Thought about trying the root cellar until I read your last comment.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

@@andreeelliott2943 We are south of Tyler. It works well in the winter.

Finally.. Someone's dirt is hard as it is at my place

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Lol, yep. Hard pan clay

@wytchwoodhomesteadandkenne5036

2 жыл бұрын

Ozarks. Almost solid rock. Cry me a river rofl!! 😛

Awesome idea!! Brilliant. Thank you for sharing!

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome

Well done I love this.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you

I'm glad you just happened to be from Michigan because that's where I live and I wanted to know how far to dig more Michigan climate so that was helpful:)

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

I grew up on Michigan. I know the frost line is 42” there. If you dig down to 48” you’ll be in great shape.

@tammybrennan2040

2 жыл бұрын

I’m in Michigan too. Macomb county. I recently discovered I have a root cellar underneath my condo

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

@@tammybrennan2040 awesome!

@tammybrennan2040

2 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience I’m going to binge watch ur videos. I discovered u by u tube recommending it. Best thing u tubes done.

I just started mine. I put it in my shop building. I wrapped it several times with the rolls of thin silver insulation left over from shop construction. I used ground up corn cob I got from rural king, huge bag $4.99. Instead of hay. I had an extra roll of interior insulation with I sat on top of the lid. . The can is sitting on top of a dolly so it has circulation underneath it. I filled it up with. 40 lb of potatoes two days ago. I bought an inexpensive. I bought an inexpensive thermometer $8 at Tractor Supply. It tells you your inside temperature and outside temperature too. It has A second device that you put outside, but I put it in the trash can. Now I can look at my main unit in the house. And I know the temperature in the can. It is 52 degrees right now. Not too bad. But I will work on getting the temperature down to below 40.

@DsHomeyGarden

3 жыл бұрын

How you planning to get the temp down? Mine stays around 63 here in Georgia and It needs lowered as well. It's 22 inches deep.

@dave-yeahthatsme3925

2 жыл бұрын

@@DsHomeyGarden dig deeper in soil

@bbikermama

2 жыл бұрын

Corn would attract mice and rats

@lisakukla459

2 жыл бұрын

@@bbikermama Not corn; Corn cob. It's bedding.

@bella-bee

2 жыл бұрын

@@lisakukla459 you mean the husks you’d peel off the corn, or the central core you’d cut the corn off? When I’ve seen animals eat a head of corn they seem to leave the inner core, so I guess that bit isn’t attractive. That’s what you’re calling cob, of course. Weirdest and saddest thing I’ve ever seen was an African farmer feeding his goats shredded cardboard, they were so poor, and the goats accepted it when there was nothing else. There’s calories in cellulose and glue (Meaning the critters might still eat your insulation) We don’t know we’re born, people!

Awesome info as usual. Thank you

@CountryLivingExperience

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome

Just commenting to help your channel spread. Love how you’re living

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Larry. Very kind of you. I appreciate it.

I'm so excited for this. I have a great shed/shop about 22 x 12, dirt floor. I am in my 70s so getting down on ground level is a crybaby's painful experience. Trying to figure how i can keep root veggies in mesh bags so I can pull them up via a cord tied to it. Maybe have a weeks worth per bag. Wrap each veg in paper?. I think I'll shoot for 3 cabs. Roots. Cabbages. Apples, pears?

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Cool. The mesh bags should work. Newspaper might be good. Give it a try.

Thank you. I am growing sweet potatoes for first time and needed way to store them at 55-60 degrees here in Louisiana.

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. Happy gardening!

@stormeyholmes267

3 жыл бұрын

In Louisiana won’t you hit water?

@vinlago

3 жыл бұрын

@@stormeyholmes267 that's our problem here in the southeast. The water table is just a few feet down. Unless we build a mount or a cinder block above ground cellar it doesn't seem like it will work.

@stormeyholmes267

3 жыл бұрын

@@vinlago I am wondering if you could grow in buckets?

@vinlago

3 жыл бұрын

@@stormeyholmes267 we use small hills or raised beds and keep a ditch and drain around the garden so rain drains away. Buckets work as well but if you mean for potatoes laundry baskets might do or nested buckets with panels cut if the inner bucket to make potato retrieval easier. Look growing potatoes in containers or Ruth Stout method.

Thank you for this informations . Learning more every day and very grateful . Right on

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome

Thank you...such a great ideal.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome

It helps greatly to moisten the dirt first by a good soaking. Much easier to dig the hole then. But what do I, a city slicker, know.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Usually yes, but this is hard pack red clay. The water just would run off.

That's a cool idea. I was thinking I had to go big. But a big 500gal plastic tote would work.

@CountryLivingExperience

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Yes, a big tote would work well.

@songbirdforjesus2381

3 жыл бұрын

Can't rodents chew through plastic, hence the steel can?

@speakrighttogod

2 жыл бұрын

@@songbirdforjesus2381 Yes, rodents DO CHEW/BITE/SCRATCH through plastic. Even thick, hard plastic. It takes longer but they ARE PERSISTENT & CONSISTENT if a meal is involved!!! The holes in neighborhood trash cans and direct observations prove it.

Thanks for the info

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome

Cool. Blessings

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome.

Took about two years, but between me, Hubs and my son (and alittle help from a neighbor boy) we dug out enough of our hard clay here in north Texas to sink in an old broken chest freezer. I had to fill in the vents and holes with a special hard and non-porous foam. once you remove the machinery it makes the box much lighter and you have even more room inside, so worth doing that. We buried it so the lip is about 6-8 inches above grade, and edged the hole with brick pavers. It's inside a insulated shed, so should stay pretty cool down there. Also pretty much out of sight. I keep a table over top. You never know when it might be a good idea to have a place like that.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Nice! That sounds like a great project.

@AbolishFamilyCourt

Жыл бұрын

Awesome! I live in north Texas too. How did this go? Are you still using it?

@WinkTartanBelle

Жыл бұрын

@@AbolishFamilyCourt Yes! Working great. I added a more secure latch. The temp seems pretty solidly at 67 to 70 degrees during the summer. I keep a sachet of baking soda and some plain (no additives) clay kitty litter in the bottom, just in case of excess moisture or funky odors. So far so good.

@AbolishFamilyCourt

Жыл бұрын

@@WinkTartanBelle Inspirational! Thank you

Nice video. It might work in a lot of areas, not so much in central Florida. Holes drilled in the bottom here would get you a half barrel of water. I have been looking for a solution for a high ground water level area. I will keep looking.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, high water table areas won't allow this type of cellar. Good luck finding a solution.

@frankieodom

2 жыл бұрын

I also live in Florida. I wonder is we could dig down a foot or so, lay flat stepping stones as a floor, cinder blocks as walls and build up a few feet high. Then haul dirt in to cover it. Still thinking if this could work, how to make an entrance to it and how to insulate it. Fire ants and carpenter ants are a problem around my property and those dang palmetto bugs.

@jimmace6148

2 жыл бұрын

I'm in southern Missouri and I just cant see this not filling with water here either.

I went to Appomattox VA. One time and toured the house were the surrender papers were signed. In the yard was a two thirds buried little structure with steps going down inside to a dirt floor if I remember right. It was summer time and I had short sleeves on. As I walked down inside, it was freezing. I just thought it was the spirits of the dead but no it was a root cellar. I have never forgotten that day.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

It is amazing the temp difference just a few feet under the earth.

Thank you so much. Excellent video

@CountryLivingExperience

2 ай бұрын

You're welcome

Living in the High Desert in Southern California, about 3,000 ft elevation. Gets VERY hot in the summer, obviously, hot & dry. Winters are usually not too bad. Wonder how this would work for us.

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

It should. Just give an ample amount of insulation on the top (straw, etc.)

Apple must have their own storage. Never store apples with other produce.

@lolazal1

2 жыл бұрын

Most fruits need their own storage 😩

@annawhite1430

2 жыл бұрын

True, but storing an apple with potatoes will keep the potatoes longer 😊

@mweber5459

2 жыл бұрын

Learning so much! 🥰

@sarahsoutar252

2 жыл бұрын

Why?

@annawhite1430

2 жыл бұрын

@@sarahsoutar252 it is believed the ethylene gas emitted by apples as they ripen causes other produce to spoil. With potatoes, it’s believed the ethylene stops potatoes from sprouting. It’s a widely held belief although there are some who say it’s nonsense.

We're building a new homestead. This would be a great storage place for short term for us, I'm going to need a whole ROOM. I may need to ME fit inside :-)

@CountryLivingExperience

6 ай бұрын

Yes, It is good for utility use but not for massive storage.

Hi! If you live in an area with hard packed clay too hard to dig, could you possibly build a wood structure (maybe pallets?) with a trash can inside and surrounded by dirt or sand? Maybe a tarp over top with a layer of dirt? I’m in a rental so not only clay is an issue but digging would honestly require heavy equipment. Any suggestions welcome

@CountryLivingExperience

Жыл бұрын

I think there are better ways if you are in a rental. You would need to have the dirt really thick to hold the cool temps inside.

In AK where I am from the frost depth is 8 feet! Not a lot of root cellars compared to other states.

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

Crazy! I grew up in MI with 4ft but 8 is super deep.

Love the tips, always! Thank you

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome!

America oh's so much to the peppers, off-grid persons, and homesteaders who put their way to keep the country living and farmer live styles of United States alive.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Amen

How do you routinely check your stores if everything is covered in layers of straw? Remove everything, examine, and re-layer?

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

I don’t.

@bella-bee

2 жыл бұрын

I was wondering that too. Seems too you should layer repeated selections so you don’t need to dig to the bottom if you happen to want a potato!

@Retrofire-47

Жыл бұрын

i think a great solution to this would be designing some kind of vegetable steamer-like contraption and then lowering that cage into the trash can, tie strings to both handles of the cage, then it would be rather simple to just pull the entire cage (holding all the preserved food) out.

Some pretty dang hard soil!

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

Sure is.

Great information ℹ️

@CountryLivingExperience

9 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful

Awesome idea. Ty

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome

HI CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT CANNOT BE CANNED PLEASE THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LOVE OF GOD AND HARD WORK.

@CountryLivingExperience

4 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. Thank you for watching. I am not really sure what you question is here. This is a link to some basic canning guidelines.....www.freshpreserving.com/canning-101

@janinedear-barlow

2 жыл бұрын

Dairy and fats can't be canned. There is some pretty good information on homesteading family's KZread channel.

Love how you repeatedly credited "WE" in the build. I watched and only saw "YOU" in the dig. 🤣 This is such a BRILLIANT PLAN!!! I am an over thinker proceed this comment fully aware. Would a gravel bed be beneficial in the base? Is there any value in using spray foam? Excelsior an option for saw dust or straw? Do I understand the key to which ever medium used is separation of the produce and to provide air circulation between? *Would have loved to see a thermometer or barometer down in the base in your can. (See I told you I was an over thinker, failed to tell you I am a back seat driver too) ha ha.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

I have a team of people that I acknowledge. A gravel bed would be beneficial.

@b.walker5955

2 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience Of course, we all do. Well DONE TEAM! Should have added how grateful I am for this simple solution. I kept thinking without the structure that is yet to be built I can't store up provision. I have a barn just as you do...and even if you do have an actual root cellar a back up to the back up is a fabulous plan and all should utilize it. Thanks again!

KZread is a great educational tool thank you

@CountryLivingExperience

10 ай бұрын

You’re welcome

Just found your video! Great idea! Will try it!

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you

This is awesome but wouldn't the galvanization affect your food somehow? I've always heard that you cannot drink from galvanized steel??

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

House water pipes used to be galvanized. Water is ok but you can get some destabilization of the zinc coating if storing water. In the case of the root cellar, the food is never touching the sides of the can. It always insulated by a layer of straw, sawdust, etc. so no worries.

@inkbythebarrelandpaperbyth6905

3 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience cool thanks!

Hi, great idea I’m wondering about small insect getting through the holes in the bottom. Do you think that’s going to be a problem?

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

Nothing has gotten in so far. I think it is below the depth that bugs usually burrow sans ants. I have had the occasional spider get through the top but only about 3.

@harlankraft578

3 жыл бұрын

I was going to ask the same question because we have cutter ants here in my part of Texas. They strip vegetables and leaves of many trees and shrubs. Thanks for the video and the question! :)

@barbaramaasch9499

3 жыл бұрын

Could you add a layer of mesh/screen product to prevent insects from getting in but still allowing the moisture to drain?

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

@@barbaramaasch9499 You can add a layer of screen if you like. Nothing really gets in there except the occasional spider.

@greensmash

2 жыл бұрын

Pretty deep for insects

Great idea!

@CountryLivingExperience

Жыл бұрын

Thank you

Root cellars are coming back hardest times are coming. This very helpful Thank You

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome

Gives me an idea I want to test... I have a property in Sebring Florida (the high elevation middle of Florida in what they call the Lake Wales Ridge) . The soil is very sandy and there is no pavement within 3 miles.. Summer nights are cool compared to the coast.. like tonight in the middle of July it's around 74F vs 80F in Miami. Those 6 degrees make a very big difference for sleeping without AC at night. I recently dug a shallow well by hand noticed the water and soil a few feet down was much cooler. I am wondering.. I like to park my van on the property and looking for a passive way to pull cool air into the van. I wonder if hammering 8" PVC pipes 8 feet into the ground and flushing soil out so they are empty but likely full of water at the base.. if it might be possible to get some cooler air up by pushing some surface air in under the van that has been blocking the sun all day.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You can absolutely do that. You are essentially talking about a homemade geothermal cooling system.

@ccccclark2605

2 жыл бұрын

Put mosquito screen over the ends!

I have always read to surround the root vegetables with sand? What are your thoughts on using sand?

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

That can work too but a pain to dig the veggies out.

Very informative and helpful.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

My father-in-law put those leaves in a big plastic bag that he used to insulate the cellar. Easy to move and didn't make a mess. Then in the extreme cold he would put an extension cord to the cellar and place a 40W incandescent lightbulb to hang in the can and keep the cold from penetrating into the cellar. Carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes stayed fresh all winter.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome. Love the leaves in bags idea.

now i know how i can grow tropical fruit trees in my Grandma's backyard 😁

Just a curious question, since I live in the South just like you, do you ever worry about snakes sneaking in? Were we live, we have copperheads. Would hate to reach for carrots and see one curled up.

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

We have never had an issue here. The lid on the top fits extremely tight and the vent is covered by screen.

@lauranewman7606

3 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience thank you. We will make one as well.

@helenbrown6429

2 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience ...why did u not inlude showing how to do the vent & suppies used?

@lb6110

2 жыл бұрын

@Laura Newman - Oh My Word! That would be the WORST possible thing to happen! I live in northwest british columbia Canada, we have only garter snakes, but even those are too much for me!

Great method sir. Thanks for the tip.

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome

Very helpful

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Glad it helped.

Cool idea. Seems like a pain in the butt to pull out veggies if they are stacked on top of each other. I guess this works best for one type of root vegetable? Or is there a way to have easy access to more than one type of root vegetable in one garbage can?

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

It is not that difficult to get them out. I suppose you could make a multi-tiered basket that fits down inside if you like.

@gaylefynaut562

2 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience or make dividers in a pie shape and insert it in the can. Have a grab it tool close by when you get close to the bottom.

It is October and I think it would take until January to dig that hole!!!!!

@CountryLivingExperience

4 жыл бұрын

Lol. It took me 2 hours.

@lb6110

2 жыл бұрын

giancolabird - LOLOL

Thank you i just built the exact same one using your video here in south island New Zealand

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome!

Thanks very much for sharing this, liked and subbed :) How long does the veg last in there and can you mix different veg and fruit ?

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

Cool! Welcome to the channel. I mix different veg together. I usually have carrots and potatoes in different layers. As for how long it lasts, it varies on your outside temps and humidity. I have had them last for 4 months to 6 months. After a few months, they start to lose moisture and shrivel a bit though.

@GaryMcKinnonUFO

3 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience Thanks for taking the time to answer, i just ordered a few steel bins, frost depth here in middle England as a foot and a half. Have you noticed more visitors to your channel due to these challenging times, and the real probability of coming food shortages due to weather and covid ?

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. I have noticed increased traffic to my channel because of fear basically.

@GaryMcKinnonUFO

3 жыл бұрын

@@CountryLivingExperience Yes, not a good reason to have extra traffic for is it :( I think the governments around the world have overreacted.

@CountryLivingExperience

3 жыл бұрын

They have overreacted to a great degree but that is how they gain more power for themselves. Keep people in fear and then further enslave them. Sad.

Love this idea. However, I live in an area where fire ants abound. How can you keep the ants out if you drill holes in the bottom of your trash can?

@CountryLivingExperience

2 жыл бұрын

I live in Texas. They say the whole state is on top of one big fire ant mound. We have never had an issue with any bugs in the can sans 1 spider. We have hard pan clay that is 18" down so no insects venture through that medium. You can put screen on the bottom if you are concerned about it.

@gp7813

Жыл бұрын

Put boric acid around the outside of the can and under the can, and you will not have any ants.