Hi All... I would really like a root cellar on my property in the future. I have 30 acres in the Ozarks. I'm solo homesteading so I have to be very intentional and realistic about my projects. I've looked online for how to do a root cellar and ideas seem to range from extremely elaborate cellars practically good enough to live in on one end... to sticking a metal trash can in the ground on the other end. I'm looking for something in between. I don't want to waste time with something like a hole in the ground because items won't survive the summer heat. Does anyone have suggestions on how to construct a root cellar that takes some effort, but doesn't practically require an architect to design? LOL. Thanks in advance!

Hi Sylvia, a garbage can or bucket in the ground is a great place to start.  In your climate many roots may overwinter in the ground just fine.  People around me can overwinter carrots with a good bed of straw over them.

Very few root cellars will keep produce from last fall through into this summer.  They are generally for storing root crops until spring.

Does your home have a basement or a crawl space?  I have seen where people cut a hole in the floor to access the crawl space and put a box there to hole veggies.

Here in Arkansas the best root cellars (ones that work all the way into our hot summer weather) are more cave like than most of the easy way to root cellar methods (which work great unless you have high humidity and high temperatures).

We are building a true root cellar (dug into the bed rock and covered with earth), but you can get away with a partially sunken one as long as you can cover it with about 2 feet of soil.
If you are going to have a storm cellar installed, those make pretty good root cellars too as long as you get one with enough space for some shelves and the people who will be using it during a tornado event.

Redhawk

Check here for storage or cellar or vegetable
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension-aben/buildingplans/miscellaneous

Some are involved but some not so much. Some are low quality old copies of drawings from the 1930, some are newer and easier to read. Might find something or get an idea from them.

EDIT

Bleh. Looked through it and didn't see much. Seems like I ran across more basic, smaller plans years ago.

The book; How to grow vegetable's and fruits by the organic method, by Rodale has some simple storage methods.

If you give me individual veggies, I'll look them up.

The book's worth buying though.

Bryant RedHawk wrote:Here in Arkansas the best root cellars (ones that work all the way into our hot summer weather) are more cave like than most of the easy way to root cellar methods (which work great unless you have high humidity and high temperatures).

We are building a true root cellar (dug into the bed rock and covered with earth), but you can get away with a partially sunken one as long as you can cover it with about 2 feet of soil.
If you are going to have a storm cellar installed, those make pretty good root cellars too as long as you get one with enough space for some shelves and the people who will be using it during a tornado event.

Redhawk

Bryant... thanks for the info.  I do have areas on my property where I could go in the side of a slope.  I guess anything worth its salt will be a lot of work.  Those cans in the ground just seem somewhat pointless... esp. when summer comes around.  

John Paulding wrote:Check here for storage or cellar or vegetable
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension-aben/buildingplans/miscellaneous

Some are involved but some not so much. Some are low quality old copies of drawings from the 1930, some are newer and easier to read. Might find something or get an idea from them.

EDIT

Bleh. Looked through it and didn't see much. Seems like I ran across more basic, smaller plans years ago.

The book; How to grow vegetable's and fruits by the organic method, by Rodale has some simple storage methods.

If you give me individual veggies, I'll look them up.

The book's worth buying though.

John, I looked at the link and didn't see anything either.  Thank you for the attempt!!