How do you protect your stored harvest?

[Des_WA]

My husband and I ventured into our detached garage to get a few potatoes last night. We grew 2 beds of potatoes this past summer and had easily 50-75 lbs stored up on a freestanding plastic set of shelves in a dark well circulated area of our garaged. We found last night that mice had descended on our potatoes, nibbling and pooping everywhere, and we're now out the entire crop we stored. Needless to say I'm very bummed. I thought the freestanding rack I had them on was enough to prevent pests from reaching them, but obviously they're more determined and better at mountaineering than I anticipated.

How do you store your crops, and have you had pest problems? This is the second year in a row that something has wrecked our stored produce (leaky roof after a storm last year) and I'm losing heart at ever being able to successfully store our vegetables.

[Tilde]

I remember spending the summer living with mice as a camper because not everyone listened to the "no food in the tents" rules ...

What about a simple mesh cage? A really big one with small holes, then whatever kind of bag or box or shelf you want goes in there?

[jal_ut]

Did you see my post about the Pit? A pit works quite well for root crops and even cabbage. I am debating about constructing a permanent box for the pit and making it with an easier lid to open to make it more accessible in the winter.

Produce can be stored by bottling, pickling, and drying too. Have you checked with your Extension Service for storage tips?

[DoubleDogFarm]

I am debating about constructing a permanent box for the pit and making it with an easier lid to open to make it more accessible in the winter.

James, You may or may not like this idea. How about old non-working refrigerator or freezer. Strip all the mechanical stuff off. Lay it on it's back buried up to the door. Insulated box in the ground. A chest freezer style, would be my choice. A coffin or coffer.

You probably could get this dead appliance for free.

Eric

[DoubleDogFarm]

More crazy drawings.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/1%20DDF%20-%20Helpful%20Gardener%20Misc/Refrigeratorrootpit.jpg[/img]

Eric

[jal_ut]

My only concern with that refrigerator idea is that it could become a child trap. Disable any door latch? Provide a fresh air input? It is advisable to vent any storage device to let out any gasses the stored produce puts out.

[digitS']

There's good reason to go thru your larder now and then. Spoilage is a concern but so are pests.

James knows about storage there in Cache Valley Utah .

I have had a mouse get into my carrot pit and that is why I decided to kind of wait to the last minute before caching things in there and covering them with loose soil and pine needles. I've thought that really cold weather discourages mice from traveling around looking for things. It was a 1 time problem and I've used an outdoor pit for about 5 or 6 years now.

One mouse maybe in the pit but they can move in with extended families in the garage. I've had grain in there and it is a big temptation for the rodents. I like the Victor traps - they like a raisin dipped in peanut butter - but getting temptation away from them is what ultimately solves the problem.

My potatoes, along with quite a few other things, are now stored in a basement room. I've never had mice down there (knocks on wood) but I'd go after them in a big way if they showed up. As it is, I'm down there checking the potatoes, onions and lots of dahlia roots and gladiolas - every other day. I've already had to toss some of the onions. Yes it is a bother but so was growing the stuff if I want to think of it that way.

Years ago, I had a storage box with hardware cloth in my woodshed. This was really "back in the day" but butchering was done about the 1st of November and I sometimes had more meat than I could deal with. During the cold weeks of winter it wasn't mice nor spoilage that I was concerned about. Thoughts about bears did cross my mind now and then, however .

Steve

[Des_WA]

Thanks for the ideas. I like the thought of an old nonfunctional freezer kept out somewhere cold.

Unfortunately the water table at our property is very shallow, we're next to a lake. Parts of our yard actually become the lake in winter, and the higher areas has water at about 1-2 feet down or so. A pit is not very practical in our case.

[jal_ut]

Onions can be kept in a mesh bag. They need to be dried well first. I hang the bags down the basement. They also keep good in a cardboard box if they are not stacked over two deep.

I had a bucketful of potatoes in the garage since digging them in October. I had a plastic bucket lid on the bucket. It was just sitting on top without being sealed. These kept OK until they were all used about a week ago. Potatoes will dehydrate rather quickly if left open to the air. That is why they do so well in a pit, because the humidity remains high. Perhaps this would work to keep the mice out?

I have some carrots in the extra fridg in the garage and they are keeping well. Carrots dehydrate even faster than potatoes. I have them in ziplock bags. That fridg also has a lot of apples in it. I am lovin those apples.

Ya, I have an extra fridg for storage, but it is a working model.

[DoubleDogFarm]

James, I don't have any children, but I like the safety thoughts. How about a padlock. I added a stack for off gassing.

This being a sealed box and sealed pipe, I would think water table would be a non issue. If the water is higher than the door seal, forget about it. I believe at 2ft down our soil is a pretty constant 54 degrees.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/1%20DDF%20-%20Helpful%20Gardener%20Misc/Refrigeratorrootpit001.jpg[/img]

Eric

[rainbowgardener]

Just wrap the free standing rack you used in hardware cloth. Attach it to the rack on three sides and leave one that can be opened and closed.

I have a metal shelf system that I wrap in plastic to be a mini greenhouse in early spring. I use a long strip of velcro for the open and close edge. That might work for the hardware cloth too. You can buy the velcro in sewing/ notions departments.

[gixxerific]

I would say potato sacks for storing but if you have mice in that area they will get into them. I store in my basement this way but I have no mice.

The fridge isn't a bad idea, and you would have to get a pretty old one to have a locking model. That was done away with long ago due to safety issues I would assume. But another thing I am thinking about is wouldn't an insulated fridge actually be warmer than the outside air? Would this cause problems? With air ventilation holes I would assume it would acclimate better.

Just thinking here.

[digitS']

Dono, that is a good question.

Just like a pile of grain or a stack of hay, a pile of veggies will be warmer than the surroundings if you trap the heat.

[img]https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h22/Digit_007/partofthehaul.jpg[/img]

These were covered with very wet towels and those "cooler" lids were left open overnight. A breeze will really drop the temperature with the wet towels. Now, of course, carrots & potatoes aren't greens and such.

Years ago, I joined a community garden and was there for several years. There was an old freezer buried in a kind of out of the way corner. No one used it. So, I don't know. . . just remember being happy to see that freezer go when we had a volunteer clean-up crew out there for a couple days.

Steve

[nedwina]

I keep my taters in unfinished pine boxes that we made out of scrap. They're about 8x30- and fit on the basement bulkhead steps where it's out of the way & nice & cool. We attached small blocks on the bottom of the boxes, cut to the opening size, so they stack & "lock in" nicely. Along the sides of the boxes we drilled 3/8 inch holes for ventilation. No mouse alive can squeeze through that. Even when filled to the top they're not too heavy to lift (blocks of wood for handles at each end), and they're easy to rotate out when empty. Or when you want the Yukon Golds on the bottom of the stack~

I also get alot of those locking/stacking cardboard produce boxes from Costco. Good for curing in the garage and then storage later. So long as they're off the concrete floor, they do well for onions, sweet taters, and regular taters~but not mouse proof unless you cage 'em someway.

[Dixana]

Nedwina I wouldn't mind seeing a pic of your tater box. My brains ability to self visualize disappeared sometime after life became all about curious George scooby doo diapers ....

[Bobberman]

If you have a cement floor place them on something dry on the floor. Surround them with rectangle of brick or the 8 inch by 4 inch solid block. Simply put alum screens on top. you can find the storm door screens at the flea markets! The floor will maintain a 50 degree temp even in a 65 degree room! I have 2 by 6 alum screens I use in my greenhouse to stop the mice from eatting the new seeds!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Not a photo, but may help.

The spacer blocks of the upper box nest into the opening of the lower box. You can't over fill the lower box.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/1%20DDF%20-%20Helpful%20Gardener%20Misc/potatoboxes.jpg[/img]

You could also use rope handles.

Eric

[nedwina]

Not a photo, but may help.

The spacer blocks of the upper box nest into the opening of the lower box. You can't over fill the lower box.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/1%20DDF%20-%20Helpful%20Gardener%20Misc/potatoboxes.jpg[/img]

You could also use rope handles.

Eric

Yep! That's prettymuch it, except for the line of ventilation holes on the sides, and a 1/4 in plywood top that has "feet" too, so it too "locks" in and doesn't slide off when being moved.

And yes: you have to leave room in the lower boxes for the feet to sit properly. Not a deal breaker, as they're about an inch, and if you really need to, you can make a potato hump in the center and just leave the end areas clear~

Many thanks for the illustration- you saved me bacon. I always have trouble uploading photos onto forums!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Eric

[Des_WA]

Some really great ideas on here; I'm definitely going to spend some time this winter trying them out!

[jal_ut]

But another thing I am thinking about is wouldn't an insulated fridge actually be warmer than the outside air? Would this cause problems? With air ventilation holes I would assume it would acclimate better.

The reason for a pit or cellar, or even a buried fridg is that the underground temperature tends to stay right around 50 degrees year round. Of course this will change during winter if you live in cold country. Depending on snow cover and temperatures, I have seen waterlines 4 feet deep freeze under roads when we get a very cold winter. This is unusual here, but it does happen now and then. The snow is a good insulator and helps keep the ground from freezing where it is undisturbed.

Of course the temperature can get cooler than the 50 degrees and not hurt the produce. Only if it goes below 32 would there be a problem. I would be temped to add some insulation to the lid (door), since this area will be subjected to some cold tempreatures.

The inside temperature of a buried fridg would be very close to the temperature of the ground surrounding it. I don't think the vent pipe would make much diff on the temperature since there is really not much air movement there. The vent is needed though to let any gas from the produce out. I think a 1.25 inch PVC pipe would suffice for a vent.