Root Cellar Plans

If you are considering growing your own fruits and vegetables and are interested in storing them throughout the year, you may want to think about obtaining root cellar plans. Root cellars have been used for many years, although they have become somewhat less widespread due to refrigeration. However, there are many people who prefer to grow their own fruits and vegetables to save money, avoid chemicals, or for a host of other reasons.

Since many people now try to live a greener and healthier live, those who have a green thumb are often interested in growing and storing their own produce. Once this food is grown, many people do not have a dedicated spot for all of their crops. Because of this, root cellars are highly recommended as a place to store the bounty of your harvest.

Choosing Root Cellar Plans

There are a variety of root cellar plans you can choose to help (construct your root cellar --link to Root Cellar Construction). Many of these plans are available via the Internet and can be easily followed.

A quality plan for building a root cellar will include detailed step-by-step instructions, a comprehensive materials list, and sketches or drawings you can refer to in order to have an idea as to how to properly build the root cellar.

Many home gardening websites provide information and resources on how to build a root cellar and, some of these plans and guides like those from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension website are even available as free PDFs.

Different Types of Plans for Root Cellars

When building a root cellar, a variety of different plans are available for different types of root cellars that can be made. A few factors must be considered when choosing a particular type of root cellar. Mainly, you must decide whether or not you want to dig and build your root cellar from earth or if you want to construct a root cellar with a wooden base. The three types commonly built are the hatch cellar, hillside cellar, and the above-the-ground cellar.

• The hatch cellar is made by digging a large hole in the ground.
• The hillside cellar is actually made into the side of a hill.
• Finally, the above the ground cellar is composed of a wood frame and in many ways resembles a small shed.

Depending on what type you desire, you will need to locate the root cellar plans that will help you build that particular type correctly. The type of plan chosen for a root cellar should be convenient for you to build and easy for you to utilize.

Materials for Building Root Cellars

While it is very common for people to build their root cellars utilizing a natural foundation or by building a frame, it is possible to build a root cellar from many different types of materials. You can use items such as old refrigerators, cement, and even garbage cans. These materials are often used as the frame for building.

Using common items can help you save money on constructing a root cellar, but it is very important that when doing so you follow a plan to make sure you are properly reinforcing the frame. The root cellar must also be constructed in the correct way to store produce. If you don't reinforce the foundation for an underground cellar properly, for example, the roof could cave in once the heavy earth is piled atop it, creating a potentially dangerous situation.