How many degrees should it be in the cellar?

Storing crops in cellars

Even before the harvest begins, the cellar should be prepared for storing the crop and, first of all, it should be well ventilated. After this, it is necessary to remove all unnecessary things from the cellar and carry out disinfection, disinfect the walls of the room from possible mold or mildew, and various insects that may appear there.

If the walls of the cellar are lined with bricks, then they should definitely be whitewashed. Lime and 5% copper sulfate are used as whitewash. Everything in the cellar - shelves, racks, partitions - also needs to be treated with a 10% solution of copper sulfate. When this work is completed, the cellar cannot be closed; it must be left open and allowed to ventilate.

To scare away rodents and various insects that may settle there, it is good to use a proven method. Take two sulfur bombs and set them on fire in the storage room; the sulfur dioxide, which will emit a flame, destroys the “living creatures”. Sulfur blocks are sold at hardware stores, in the gardening section.

There are cellars that freeze in winter; if this happens, then the room needs to be insulated. Part of the walls that are at the level of soil freezing is well insulated with sheets of expanded polystyrene. To better secure them, you can use polyurethane foam or a special glue for this material. In winter, even in severe frosts, insulated walls will help prevent the room from freezing, and vegetables will be preserved better.

The safety of the crop can be a serious problem, since not everyone knows the rules by which this should be carried out. The most important requirement is sorting the collected volume of products. Only after rejecting low-quality copies can the products be stored.

What temperature should be in the cellar for storing vegetables in winter, how to arrange the room and where it is better to store certain types of products - those are the features that every owner of an underground vegetable storage must know.

How to eliminate mold in the cellar

If the cellar is constantly damp and there is no or poor ventilation, mold and other fungi may appear there. If you find traces of them, immediately begin disinfection - the destruction of all infectious agents.

What and how can you treat the cellar before storing vegetables for the winter?

• First, take a brush and remove the mold from everywhere.
• Then treat all cleaned surfaces. There are several options. For example, an effective means of disinfecting walls and ceilings is a solution of copper sulfate and lime. If your walls are brick, then use a 5% solution of copper sulfate. It is better to disinfect wooden floors with a more concentrated one – 10%. The solution can be applied with a roller or brush. In places where these tools cannot be reached, use a spray bottle. After completing the work, the cellar must be ventilated.
• A strong solution of potassium permanganate - potassium permanganate - is very good for fighting fungus. Apply it to walls, shelving, etc., and then dry everything well. Diluted potassium permanganate should be used immediately after preparation, because it decomposes very quickly and ceases to be effective.
• To combat mold and fungi in the cellar, many people use quicklime. Take a few kilograms of this substance, pour it into a bucket and place it in the middle of the cellar. Close all vents and hatches. Pour water into a bucket and quickly leave the room, tightly closing the doors behind you. After 3 days, come back and air everything out. You can store vegetables in the cellar after this treatment no earlier than a month later. For this reason, this disinfection measure must be applied in advance.
• Sulfur bombs, such as Vist, are considered one of the most effective ways to combat mold. When using them you need to be very careful and act strictly according to the instructions. Work should be carried out with protective gloves and a respirator to avoid contact with toxic substances.

Preparing vegetables for storage

Even before the harvest ripens in the beds, you need to make sure that the vegetable storage is ready to receive the fruits. In summer, it is advisable to open it and dry it well. After that, start cleaning. Everything that remains from last year: sand, fruit remains, roots or sprouts must be taken out.

Now you can carry out disinfection. It is very important to protect the walls of the room from contamination by mold and fungi, as well as the appearance of various insects. And here again the question arises, what should be the temperature in the cellar. Violation of regulated standards leads to an outbreak of diseases, which negatively affects the safety of your crop.

The safety of the crop is determined not only by the moisture and heat inside, but also by the quality of the product itself. This is done at the time of harvesting vegetables and when storing them. It is optimal to collect in dry weather, as well as sort by variety and type of product. All vegetables are selected only undamaged, without defects.

For long-term storage, five vegetables that are most common are selected. You can store horseradish and cucumbers, herbs and tomatoes, eggplants and pumpkin and more. Overripe or unripe fruits are not stored, as they will either begin to rot or wither.

Potatoes and carrots

After harvesting, the crop is dried for several hours in a dark place, and lumps of dirt and earth are removed from it. Experts recommend keeping it in the dark for about 10 days so that it has time to rest. The temperature for potatoes should be about 2-4 degrees Celsius with 90% humidity. Before storing potatoes in the cellar, they are sorted by size.

Potatoes are best stored in boxes or bags with holes about 80-100 cm in height. Such containers are not placed on the floor or on the ground, but small platforms up to 15 cm in height are arranged underneath them.

The boxes should not touch the walls and should not be too close to each other so as not to impede air movement. Some owners spread the harvest with rowan leaves or sawdust, which improves the preservation of root crops.

Carrots are dried in the sun with cut tops, which will not germinate again. It is stored in sand, newspaper, softwood sawdust, open plastic bags or clay. Carrots are often dipped in a chalk solution.

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Prepared carrot products are placed in baskets or containers, not allowing the temperature to drop below 1 degree Celsius and humidity below 90%. If the air is too dry, place containers of water in the cellar, or cover the containers with damp cloth bags.

Beetroot and cabbage

Cabbage and beets are dried in the fresh air with the tops cut off before planting. These vegetables last well until spring if the room is cool. Beets are stored in boxes that are stacked on top of each other. It is imperative to make a stand, without placing it on the floor, up to 15 cm high. The container should not be moved close to the wall.

It is more difficult to store cabbage in the cellar; village cellars with a temperature of -1 to 1 degree and a humidity of 90-98% are suitable for it. Before the first frost, the entire crop is harvested and hung by the root in a small draft to dry.

For the winter, cabbage is stored in the same suspended state. Another great option would be to store cabbage in bulk on racks with fairly large mesh.

Onion and garlic

These vegetables are kept in the dark, dried and braided into braids that are hung on the walls. The tops can also be separated, the vegetables are placed in stockings and hung in a dry place. They are not lowered into cellars so that moisture does not damage the bulbs.

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What is the temperature in the cellar for storing potatoes and similar vegetables?

The most acceptable mode for storing vegetables is considered to be at the lower end of the plus scale, that is, from +2 to +8 degrees. At the same time, different vegetable crops have their own preferences. For example, potatoes are best stored at +2+4, so it is not recommended to place containers with them on the floor of the basement (Figure 5). You should also avoid contacting them with walls or other containers.

Figure 5. Optimal indicators for storing potatoes and other vegetables

For a safe wintering of carrots, you will also need an indicator of at least +1 degrees. In this case, root vegetables should be additionally immersed in dry sand, pine sawdust or chalk solution, or stored in open plastic bags. Beets and cabbage also like cool weather. Heads of cabbage also feel good at -1, hanging or on a lattice metal shelf. But onions and garlic cannot be stored in the cellar, as they will quickly deteriorate from moisture.

From the video you will learn how to properly store potatoes so that they remain fresh throughout the winter.

Basement insulation is of great importance. This allows you to reduce heat loss at home, reliably protect the walls from dampness and destruction due to frost swelling of the soil. Even if you do not plan to heat an insulated basement, the temperature in it will not drop below 10 degrees above zero. The price of insulation materials is not too high, so you won’t spend a lot of money when insulating your basement yourself.

Table of contents:

Purpose of the basement

Every building has a basement, which is the space between the ground and the ceiling. The basement usually has a quite comfortable height, which allows you to arrange rooms for utility purposes there. The height of this room depends on the height of the base and the size of the foundation and is at least two meters, so simply not using this space is irrational.

Today, the basement is not just a cellar for storing fresh vegetables and preserving them in winter and maintaining working tools. People are beginning to inhabit underground buildings. There are garages, saunas, baths, relaxation rooms and gyms. The arrangement of wine cellars is very popular. The arrangement of the basement provides excellent opportunities to use large areas without erecting complex multi-meter structures.

Reasons for basement insulation

It is known that the temperature at depth throughout the year is stable, but it is far from optimal. To bring this indicator back to normal, it is worth finding out how to properly insulate a basement and doing this work, which will allow this room to be used profitably.

Thermal energy that could be used to heat the living space warms the uninsulated basement, increasing the consumption of gas, electricity or other coolant. Without basement insulation, you will pay for unnecessary “overruns.” An insulated dry basement reduces thermal energy losses by almost 20%, and also saves the walls of a residential building from dampness.

In addition to saving, there is another reason for insulating the basement with polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or mineral wool. It is believed that the floor temperature should not fall lower than 3 degrees from the living area. However, the floor slabs are common to the rooms on the first floor and the basement. And if the cold of the basement does not cool the floor (cold air spreads below), in this case the feet will be comfortable and warm.

Features of basement insulation

It is customary to insulate a basement in different ways, but the most effective is considered to be insulating the basement from the outside. With this technique, thermal insulation material is mounted outside, thereby preventing freezing of the basement walls. During internal insulation, condensation forms at the joints of the insulation and walls, and this spoils the entire coating.

Therefore, do not forget about thorough waterproofing of the entire surface of the walls. Choose a thermal insulation material that tolerates moisture well. An excellent option for these purposes is to insulate the basement with foam plastic. Of course, it is best to insulate the basement at the stage of construction of a residential building, because such work at this time can be combined with the installation of waterproofing and a drainage system.

Cellar temperature for storing vegetables

First of all, you need to hang up a thermometer and monitor changes. Very often, instructions refer to what temperature should be in the cellar in the summer. Well-built storage is stable, regardless of weather conditions. If in reality everything is different, then it is recommended to pay attention to the methods of regulation.

If the temperature is consistently high, then it should be deepened. If you dig another 0.5 meters into the ground, all storage problems will go away on their own. In winter, it is very easy to combat the fact that it is warm in the cellar; just leave a small gap in the lid. If food freezes, you need to insulate it.

Proper storage of vegetables in cellars involves the use of both old methods and new industry innovations in maintaining temperature. The optimal temperature for underground storage is considered to be zero temperature in the cellar for storing vegetables and a humidity of about 75%.

In addition, a competent ventilation system must be organized, which will ensure constant air circulation and block access to sunlight. Humidity levels should be monitored regularly; if they deviate from the norm, ventilation should be turned on.

There are special devices that do this automatically without the owner’s participation. The sensors display the current level of humidity and temperature through indicators, which greatly facilitates the task of ventilation.

The room must be arranged in such a way that condensation does not form on the internal surfaces. If the air exchange is sufficient, then there will be no problems with it. The optimal temperature is considered to range from 2.5 degrees Celsius to 8.5 degrees Celsius. The damper on the ventilation pipes of the cellar periodically opens to let fresh, dry air inside, this will additionally ensure optimal humidity and temperature.

For proper storage of vegetables and fruits, old proven methods, as well as new inventions, are used. It is believed that the temperature should not be lower than 0

C, and it is also desirable that there is high humidity in the cellar

. It is also important to have good ventilation, air circulation and that light does not penetrate into the vegetable storage.

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It is necessary to try to constantly monitor the temperature and humidity in the cellar. If something is wrong, ventilate the room immediately. There are special devices that can show all important indicators on a sensor; they can make the task easier if installed in the cellar.

It is important to arrange the room so that condensation does not collect on its walls; if the cellar is intensively ventilated, then there will be no problems. The most optimal temperature is considered to be from 8.5 to 2.5 ° C. The valve in the cellar needs to be opened and closed periodically; this will be enough to ensure that there is normal temperature and humidity.

How to store vegetables and fruits correctly

What and how is stored in the cellar? The safety of the crop can also be affected by the condition of the fruits themselves. That is why you need to know the basic rules for storing fresh vegetables and fruits in winter. They are as follows:

1. The fruits and vegetables themselves must be suitable for storage. This means that before sending them to the basement they must be prepared: they are cleaned of any remaining soil, dried and sorted. Each fruit must be whole, elastic and ripe.
2. The basement for storing fruits and vegetables must provide an acceptable level of air humidity (no more than 90%) and guarantee a stable air temperature.
3. To store potatoes, you need to sort them by size in advance (remove all damaged tubers during the process). Large and small ones store the worst and should be used first. Medium-sized potatoes will last longer. The potatoes are placed in a special pit in a layer of 1 m or laid out in boxes with special holes for ventilation on the sides.

Read more: what to consider when storing potatoes in the cellar.

Important! If potatoes are stored in a box, it should not be close to the floor or wall. Any container with vegetables or fruits in the basement must be placed at a height of at least 10 cm from the floor to ensure air circulation.

1. Carrots and beets are also sorted. It is recommended to store them in wooden boxes or cover them with sand or ash. First, the tops are torn off, the thin roots are peeled off and dried for several days in the sun. Boxes must also be installed on a raised platform. It is not recommended to place them on the floor.

Read more: what to consider when storing carrots in the cellar.

1. Cabbage should only be stored hanging. This vegetable is very picky in terms of storage; it requires a high level of humidity (90-98%), so before the onset of cold weather, each head of cabbage is hung in a well-ventilated room with a draft by the root. After the onset of frost, the fruits are transferred to the basement, but stored in weight.

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How is it useful and how to take it correctly? Read more: how to properly store cabbage in the cellar until spring.

1. Onions and garlic are also stored in a dry, suspended state. They are cleared of tops, woven into braids, and often stored in nets or stockings.

The most important thing for the safety of the crop is a suitable indoor microclimate. To do this, the basement must be dried periodically, especially if the air humidity should be reduced. There are several ways you can do this:

1. Grandmother's method with a candle. To do this, place a lit candle under the supply pipe to increase draft, and at the same time air circulation. The method is quite old, but it is effective only in basements with a small area. It will take 1-2 weeks to dry the room in this way.
2. Coarse table salt and quicklime are good for getting rid of dampness. A box of this product just needs to be taken into the basement and left there for several days.
3. You can also resort to the use of technology: a heat gun, electric heater, fan, etc. But this method requires financial costs, at least for electricity.

But sometimes it happens that the air humidity, on the contrary, is low. Then other methods come to the rescue:

1. You can increase the humidity by spraying water from a spray bottle over the surface. Repeat the procedure periodically.
2. The second option is to bring a box of wet sand into the room.
3. You can also spread sawdust on the floor in the basement and moisten it with water every couple of days.

The most acceptable mode for storing vegetables is considered to be at the lower end of the plus scale, that is, from 2 to 8 degrees. At the same time, different vegetable crops have their own preferences. For example, potatoes are best stored at 2-4, so it is not recommended to place containers with them on the floor of the basement (Figure 5). You should also avoid contacting them with walls or other containers.

Figure 5. Optimal indicators for storing potatoes and other vegetables

For a safe wintering of carrots, you will also need an indicator of at least 1 degree. In this case, root vegetables should be additionally immersed in dry sand, pine sawdust or chalk solution, or stored in open plastic bags. Beets and cabbage also like cool weather. Heads of cabbage also feel good at -1, hanging or on a lattice metal shelf. But onions and garlic cannot be stored in the cellar, as they will quickly deteriorate from moisture.

From the video you will learn how to properly store potatoes so that they remain fresh throughout the winter.

Rodent repellent

If you haven’t thought about what the temperature in the cellar should be, you may encounter a rodent infestation. Severe frosts attract pests to the warmth, especially since there is something to profit from there. To repel rodents and insects, it is good to use a proven method. Take two sulfur bombs and set them on fire directly in the vault.

Sulfur dioxide destroys all living things, and the smell will scare away uninvited guests for a long time. They are sold freely in hardware departments. You need to place the checker in a metal container, and after the fire, leave the cellar closed for two days. After this period, you can open the storage and thoroughly ventilate it. A fine summer day is ideal, so that there is still enough time ahead before harvesting.

If you notice freezing

It is necessary to assess what temperature should be in the cellar based on the purpose for which it will be used. In cases where you just need a pantry, it can be quite warm. Vegetables are poorly stored at temperatures of 10 and above, but home-canned jars last well until spring. However, there are cellars that freeze in the winter cold. This is dangerous for all types of stocks, so it is important to eliminate this possibility.

In this case, the vegetable storage must be insulated. To do this, the part of the wall that is above the soil freezing level is sheathed with sheets of expanded polystyrene. They can be secured using polyurethane foam or special glue. It is advisable to take the lid of the cellar from wood, and finish it with insulation along the edge. Then frost will not get through the cracks.

Purpose of the cellar

Perishable foods are kept in refrigerators and freezers. The cellar is intended for storing:

• Vegetables and fruits like apples and potatoes;
• Home canned supplies;
• Wine bottles and barrels with alcoholic beverages.

The temperature regime of the cellar is determined by the products contained. Thus, homemade preparations and vegetables and fruits can be stored in a gentle manner, at above-zero temperatures. To prevent your favorite wine from spoiling, strict temperature limits are required from +10 to +14 degrees.

Therefore, when the soil freezes, wine cellars need heating, unlike vegetable stores.

The constant appearance of the crop and the safety of the results of your labors depend on the temperature in the basement. Periodic cleaning of the storage facility with treatment against fungus, mold and other parasites contributes to the successful storage of products.

Technical details

In order for vegetables to last until spring and retain their beneficial properties, it is necessary to provide them with optimal storage conditions. This concerns air temperature and humidity primarily. Depending on the design features of the structure, it can be heated or unheated. But be sure to pay attention to the fact that the temperature should be minimal, but positive and without freezing.

Insulation and ventilation are important. Even ideal temperature conditions do not exclude the possibility of condensation if due attention is not paid to room ventilation. The latter can be natural or artificial. It helps prevent the appearance of fungus and mold on the walls.

Temperature standards in the cellar and the consequences of violating them

If special windows that provide natural ventilation are not provided for in the design, you should consider installing an air conditioner or split system. Large premises where large quantities of food are stored require periodic supply of fresh air.

Built-in air ducts made of asbestos-cement pipes prevent the appearance of mold and musty odors. To protect supplies from hypothermia and drying out, hoods should be closed before the start of winter.

You can get rid of excess moisture in the underground using bags of salt, coal or quicklime. If the basement is too dry, spray water or sprinkle the floor with wet sawdust.

Cellar or basement?

Often these words are perceived as synonyms. When talking about what the temperature should be in the cellar for storing vegetables, it is necessary to distinguish between the differences between these two rooms. The basement is always located under the house and is below ground level. It is used for a variety of purposes. A workshop or gym is often organized here.

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The cellar is different in that it can be built in any room. It can be above ground or underground and is most often used specifically for storing vegetables. Next to high-rise buildings, they are built right on the street and serve their purpose perfectly. It is here that they try to create all the conditions in order to better store the harvested crop, ensure normal temperature conditions and ventilation.

The area and shape of such a room are chosen in random order. However, most often they are square or rectangular. Be sure to leave a niche for burial in the ground. It is used for storing vegetables. Shelves and racks are built nearby to accommodate canned goods and other products.

Why does the temperature in the basement change?

Very often, temperature parameters in the basement fluctuate. To prevent this phenomenon, the causes are excluded. Therefore, let's look at them in detail. Low temperatures are obtained for the following reasons:

• A sharp change in the temperature characteristics of the ambient air.
• The basement is located under the house, so when the heating is turned on and off, the temperature in the basement also changes.
• The basement is located far from the house, so frost or strong winds cause the temperature inside the storage to drop.
• Soil freezing level. If the readings are high, the temperature drops.

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The increase in temperature parameters is due to:

• increase in climatic air temperature;
• turning on the heating if the basement is located under the house.

Standard vegetable storage

It doesn’t matter whether you grow fruits in your garden plot, or buy them in the fall at a low price. They must be preserved until spring and prevent damage. There are old proven standards for this. What temperature should be in the cellar for storing fresh vegetables? Ideally - about 0 degrees. A slight deviation towards positive temperatures is acceptable, but without freezing.

Humidity should be high - from 70 to 95%. It is important to ensure good ventilation, which will allow condensation to be removed painlessly. All types of vegetables have their own characteristics, so the temperature range can be expanded from 8 to 1.5 degrees.

What's in the bins

The safety of fruits depends not only on storage conditions, but also on how prepared the vegetables themselves are for wintering. It is very important to collect them in dry weather, give them time to dry a little in the sun, and only then collect them and transfer them to storage. Make sure that they are free from defects and damage.

In addition, cucumbers and horseradish, greens, pumpkin and eggplants are often stored in cellars. But you need to make sure that overly ripe or green vegetables do not fall into the storage. The first will begin to rot, and the second will quickly fade. And of course, check your supplies regularly so that you can take action in time if they suddenly start to spoil.

Potatoes and carrots

It is these root vegetables that are usually stored in the largest quantities, so it is important to consider what air temperature should be in the cellar for their optimal storage. The entire harvested crop must first be dried well, and then kept for two weeks in a dark room at 4 degrees.

These conditions are also suitable for carrots, but you need to take into account their tendency to dry out. Therefore, if the humidity in the cellar is low, then place a container with wet sand. Then the vegetable will overwinter well.

Modern control systems

If you are not limited by financial resources, the best way to maintain optimal temperature conditions in the basement is air conditioning.

Whatever the time of year and the weather outside, the device maintains the specified temperature parameters in the underground under all conditions. You don’t have to worry about humidity in the cellar; the air conditioner will provide the required level. Not all property owners outside the city can afford to install expensive equipment in a vegetable storage facility, but the safety of the crop compensates for the costs. Split systems are also not affordable for everyone.

You can change the temperature of the cellar up or down with thermosiphons, and lower the temperature with cooling modules.

The owner’s capabilities and the characteristics of the room determine the choice of system for heating the storage. Manufacturers provide those who wish with devices of different power and design that can satisfy the needs of consumers.

From the above it follows that the temperature and humidity in the cellar depend on the ventilation system. An air conditioner for wealthy owners or a window for ordinary people will maintain the necessary balance in the storage.

Beetroot and cabbage

Both of them tolerate long-term storage well. What should be the temperature in the cellar in winter so that vegetables will please you with their beautiful appearance until spring? Beets are not at all capricious; it only requires that the room be cool. You can put it in boxes, cover it with soil to prevent drying out, and leave it like that until spring. It is not recommended to store directly on the floor. It can withstand even temperatures as low as -3 degrees.

Cabbage also loves cool weather. For her, minor frosts are not a big problem. Therefore, store it only in cold cellars, where the temperature does not rise above 0 degrees.

Temperature balance in the cellar

Regardless of the temperature in different climatic zones, the best temperature for storing cabbage, potatoes and other garden crops is from +2 to +4 degrees. In such conditions, vegetables retain their beneficial properties and do not spoil.

It is better to monitor changes in temperature indicators in the underground using electric thermometers; a mercury thermometer will also work.

A decrease in temperature can cause potatoes, cabbage and other vegetable storage products to freeze, and an increase leads to sprouting, vegetables become flabby and begin to rot prematurely. You can change the temperature balance in one direction or another yourself:

• By throwing snow over the hatch of a separate cellar, we create additional thermal insulation. Due to the natural snow barrier, heat is retained in the storage. To lower the temperature, it is better to remove snow;
• A container filled with ice is placed on the floor in the basement. The size of the glacier is determined by the required temperature;
• You can heat a small cellar with additional lamps, which are placed in the corners of the vegetable storage and turned on if necessary;
• In winter, excess warm air is eliminated by ventilation, and in summer, plastic bottles with frozen water are used for the same purpose. This method is suitable for small spaces;
• The temperature in the underground can be lowered by melting snow. Before warming, plastic bottles are prepared, filled with snow mass and buried in holes dug in advance in storage. To slow down the melting process, snow is mixed with table salt.