3 replies to this topic

[5th graders mama]

I have one old tornado shelter 12x18 I'm going to convert. Input anyone?

[gardnmom]

Walton feed has a page on it.
http://waltonfeed.com/old/cellar4.html
here is another:
http://www.tribwatch.com/rootcell.htm

[kappydell]

Since it was a shelter, I suspect it might be a little dry for storing root crops, so you may have to put them in damp sand to keep them from shriveling. Is it dry enough for canned goods? If cans and lids rust, you can wipe them down with mineral oil to keep rust at bay. They will attract dust, so wipe down before opening so the can opener does not drag in dirt. Different stored goods need different temps and moisture. All in all, drier is better than too damp. Apples like it really moist and quite cold (just above freezing)to keep from shriveling
whereas pumpkins like it dry and warmer, so you need to move one or the other depending on which your shelter is. Get the Nancy Bubel book on root cellaring for the best detailed info. Many university extension offices also have root cellaring info on the internet. How lucky you are to have an almost ready to go store-room. My root cellar (tamped earth floor, stone walls) came with the rental house. It is too dry for apples (they shrivel) but too damp for canned goods (i oil them) Once I solved the can rusting problem it became a good place to store my stocks of canned goods, and the cat just loved to go 'hunting' down there. It must have smelled like mice. Nothing every got chewed, but then again I did not leave food lying around. I also found it a good place to start seeds of hardier veggies under flourescent lights. The cabbage family plants grew nice and stocky in the cooler store room. The warm weather crops (peppers and tomatoes) pouted until I took them to a warmer spot. So enjoy your 'root cellar' they are quite versatile. (Dont forget to leave a chair down there though, so you can sit when waiting out tornado warnings.)

[Simplegirl]

Our new place has an old root cellar. We peeked down there and it is dry but full of old empty jars and a lot of dirt. There is a chair down there but I might be afraid to sit on it.... dirty.... But if there was a tornado headed my way I would run down there in a heartbeat!