Modern ground vegetable storage for a country house. We are building a vegetable store on our site. Arrangement of a cellar for storing vegetables

Keeping fresh vegetables until the new harvest is the main task of every owner of a summer cottage. Cellars for storing vegetables will help with this, which differ from ordinary cellars in that it is necessary to create an optimal microclimate in them so that the products remain fresh and do not rot. In addition, the crop must be protected from rodents and diseases that can begin to develop at elevated temperatures or humidity.

From this article you will learn how to build a cellar for storing vegetables with your own hands and how to equip a vegetable store inside. In addition, the article will give examples of arranging boxes and containers for storing vegetables, and photos and videos will help to properly equip the cellar under the house.

Cellar for storing vegetables: how to build and equip

There are several types of cellars for storing vegetables. The most popular are underground, ground and semi-buried.

If you are planning to equip a room under a residential building or garage, an underground structure will suit you. Ground and semi-buried, as a rule, are separate buildings and are erected if the groundwater on the site is located too close to the surface.

Assessment of terrain and soil composition

Before building a cellar on a site, it is necessary to objectively assess the features of the site, the composition of the soil and the level of groundwater, since not only the type of storage, but also the features of its construction will depend on this.

Groundwater level assessment is one of the most important conditions for construction. If underground flows are located near the surface, it is not recommended to deepen the cellar greatly, since in spring the room will be flooded with water. In this case, it is better to give preference to ground storage.

Note: With a close location of groundwater, it is better to build a cellar on a natural hill, or a small mound, poured by hand. This will protect vegetables and preparations from moisture.

If groundwater is low, a basement can be made under the house or garage. But in this case, it is necessary to evaluate the composition of the soil. This will determine which waterproofing materials and heaters will have to be used to create an optimal microclimate in the storage. The best is clay soil, which has a high density and does not let moisture into the storage. If your site has sandy soil, the hole dug under the basement needs to be further compacted, and best of all, concreted.

Choosing the right materials

The choice of materials for construction primarily refers to the flooring and walls of the pit. The easiest way is to concrete the basement, but there are other options that do not require the purchase of additional materials (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Overview of popular cellar building materials

First of all, the cellar can be made earthen. But this design is only suitable for areas with dense soil. In this case, a hole is simply dug on the site, but the walls are made at a slight slope to prevent soil from shedding. The floor is carefully tamped, adding about 10-15 cm of broken brick or small gravel. The ceiling is reinforced with supports and covered with a clay mixture.

Note: The earthy option is best suited for storing potatoes. In such a basement, an optimal microclimate is created for the tubers, and they practically do not fade during the winter.

If you have financial resources, the interior space can be lined with stone or brick. This design is more durable than an earthen or concrete cellar, and also makes it easy to create a microclimate suitable for fresh vegetables. However, the construction of such a basement requires certain skills in laying stone or brick.

Technologies and nuances of construction

Do-it-yourself basement construction is carried out according to a certain technology. First, you need to choose the right site. Regardless of the type of cellar, a dry area on a small hill is most suitable for it. So it will be easier for you to protect the interior of the room from moisture and save on waterproofing the room (Figure 2).

If the cellar is located under the house, try to build it on a site where groundwater occurs no more than half a meter from the basement basement. If a suitable site is not found, and the vault has to be built in a low-lying place, the floor of the vault is additionally compacted with a layer of sand and gravel.

Note: The optimal shape of the basement is square and rectangular. In such a room it is most convenient to place shelves, racks and containers.

Often the cellar is a separate building, consisting of two parts: a storehouse buried in the ground and a cellar - a small house that performs a protective function. It can also be used to store tools and inventory.

Figure 2. Do-it-yourself vegetable cellar construction scheme

In order for the cellar to be reliable, and the vegetables in it to be kept fresh for a long time, it is necessary to take into account the following features of the construction of the storage:

• Walls are best made of durable material: wood, brick or concrete;
• The door is made on the north side to limit the flow of fresh air in summer;
• The walls are insulated immediately after construction, and the roof is covered with a material that does not transmit heat well.

After choosing a place for construction, they begin to dig a pit. It is better to decide in advance how many products will be stored in the room, and calculate its area so that all vegetables and preparations on racks and shelves fit freely inside, and there is also free space for aisles.

The finished pit must be compacted by laying a layer of greasy clay on the floor and ramming it. Clay is laid in separate layers, and each of them is compacted. The same manipulations should be carried out with the walls of the pit. From above, the floor and walls are covered with wooden boards or a thin layer of concrete.

Above the pit, a ceiling is made of wooden boards or beams. A layer of thermal insulation (clay, expanded clay or dense soil) is laid on top, and an insulated hatch is also equipped. In addition, inside it is necessary to equip forced ventilation by making a hole in one of the walls at ground level.

Arrangement of a cellar for storing vegetables

After the pit is dug and compacted, it is necessary to proceed with the internal arrangement of the basement and the sheathing of the outer walls and roof.

The arrangement of the cellar includes the lining of the outer and inner walls for thermal insulation and protection from moisture. For external insulation, you can use ordinary foam or roofing felt, but on top of such a heater it is necessary to sheathe it with plywood or fiberboard sheets.

In addition, waterproofing and insulation must be done indoors. It is also necessary to provide racks for storing blanks, boxes, containers and compartments for fresh vegetables.

How to sheathe

Inside the cellar wall, it is imperative to insulate so that the optimum temperature is maintained inside. As mentioned above, external insulation can be made with foam plastic or mineral wool. However, it should be borne in mind that the foam is easily damaged by rodents, so the material must be treated with special impregnations and covered with plywood or fiberboard sheets from the outside (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Ways of outer and inner cladding

In addition, external and internal wall insulation is carried out only on a previously prepared surface. To do this, you need to level their surface, putty and whitewash the walls with slaked lime to protect against fungus.

In some cases, wall insulation is not enough to maintain the optimum temperature. In this case, it is necessary to additionally insulate the floor: make a concrete screed, lay a dense plastic film on top of it, install logs, and lay insulation in the space between them. From above, the floor is sewn up with boards and covered with oil impregnation and paint.

Containers and boxes for storing vegetables

You can buy ready-made boxes for storing vegetables, but if you have boards and bars, you can make them yourself (Figure 4).

Note: It is advisable to make containers and boxes from planks located at a short distance from each other. This will provide the necessary air circulation and prevent premature rotting of the products.

The placement of boxes and containers in the basement must be planned in advance so that their size and location can be accurately calculated.

If you plan to place containers on top of each other, try to keep the bottom shelf at least 10 centimeters or more from the floor. So you can easily clean the room without moving the drawers.

Figure 4. Types of boxes for storing vegetables

Placing the boxes on top of each other, lay wooden beams between them, which will create free space for air circulation. When storing vegetables on the floor, dividers are made of boards. This condition is especially true if both fruits and vegetables are stored in the same cellar. The dividing wall will not allow the smells of different vegetables to mix, and the products will spoil more slowly.

It is desirable to equip separate cellars for vegetables and fruits, but if this is not possible, they can be placed in one storage, but at the maximum possible distance from each other.

The author of the video will tell you more useful information about the internal arrangement of the cellar for storing vegetables.

The optimal temperature in the cellar for storing vegetables

Zero degrees is considered the optimal temperature for storing vegetables, but when laying food in the basement, it must be borne in mind that each type of vegetable and fruit requires its own temperature and humidity conditions (table 1).

Note: It is traditionally believed that at zero temperature, humidity should remain at the level of 70-95%. If the temperature is lower, the vegetables may freeze slightly, and if it is higher, they will begin to rot.

Table 1. Optimum storage temperature for various vegetables in the basement

If you plan to use one room to store the entire crop, be sure to equip the supply and exhaust ventilation system and insulate the walls and floor. This will help create an optimal microclimate and prevent the development of bacteria that provoke rot.

Potatoes and carrots

Before laying these vegetables for storage, you need to carefully inspect the crop and remove all damaged and rotten fruits. If this is not done, during storage, affected specimens will cause damage to the rest.

For long-term storage of potatoes, do the following:(picture 5):

• Remove the remnants of the earth and dry the tubers in a dark, cool room;
• The temperature is maintained at +2+4 degrees at a relative humidity of not more than 90%;
• All tubers are sorted into large and small and poured into separate boxes or baskets with holes located at some distance from the floor. Do not allow the boxes or the potatoes themselves to come into contact with the floor or walls. This will impair air circulation and shorten the storage time.

Figure 5. Ways to store potatoes and carrots in the cellar

Carrots can be stored in several ways, but first of all, the tops are cut off, and the root crops themselves are slightly dried. In the future, carrots can be laid out in layers in boxes, sprinkling each layer with sand or coniferous sawdust. You can also store carrots in open plastic bags. But, if you have a small crop, each carrot can be dipped in a clay solution and allowed to dry.

Beets and cabbage

To keep the beets longer, you also need to cut the tops from it and hold it in the open air for several hours so that the roots dry out (Figure 6).

Note: The main condition for the successful storage of beets is coolness, so it is imperative to equip the basement with ventilation and regularly monitor the level of humidity.

Beets are best stored in wooden crates with gaps between the slats. But they should not be installed on the floor, but on a small wooden elevation at a distance of 15-20 cm from the floor and walls.

Figure 6. Options for storing cabbage and beets in the basement

Keeping cabbage in a conventional cellar is quite difficult, since this vegetable requires a relatively high humidity - 90-98%. It is best to hang the heads of cabbage by the root in a draft immediately after harvesting so that they dry out. When frosts come, cabbage can be transferred to the basement, but it is better to store it in the same suspended state.

Onions and garlic are stored in a dried state. They can be woven into braids and hung on the walls. But you can do it differently: cut off the tops, place the heads in an old stocking and hang them on the wall (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Ways to store onions and garlic

It is impossible to lower onions and garlic into an underground storage, as the elevated temperature of the room will cause the vegetables to rot quickly.

Features of storing various vegetables in the basement are shown in the video.

Cellar disinfection for storing vegetables

Before storing vegetables for storage, the basement must be inspected in order to take timely measures to eliminate fungi, mold or signs of bacterial damage (Figure 8).

Note: If disinfection is ignored, fungi will begin to actively develop in the storage, which will lead to rapid damage to the crop in conditions of high humidity.

The first stage of disinfection is the treatment of walls with copper sulphate. Next, you need to remove all the remnants of mold with a spatula or scraper, re-putty the walls and paint them.

It is also necessary to inspect the basement for rodent damage. The cracks in the walls and floor must be sealed with glass wool and concrete, and poison for mice and rats should be spread over the entire storage area or special traps should be installed.

How to process a cellar for storing vegetables

Underground storage for vegetables must be treated annually against bacteria and fungi. If these activities are not carried out, the walls will become covered with mold, and the crop will rot.

There are several ways to process a cellar designed to store vegetables. To do this, you can use both special chemicals and folk remedies available at hand.

Special funds

There are special chemicals that will help to quickly eliminate the fungus and prevent the spread of rodents. For example, in order to prevent damage to vegetables by rodents, the premises are fumigated with sulfur bombs.

Note: To process an average cellar, two sulfur blocks are enough, which are installed on a metal surface, set on fire and left indoors for a day. After that, the room must be thoroughly ventilated to eliminate the unpleasant odor.

Disinfection concerns not only the walls and floor of the room, but also racks and drawers. If they are made of wood, they must be taken out in the sun, dried and treated with special antiseptics.

Figure 8. Cellar disinfection methods: slaked lime, blue vitriol and sulfur checkers

The walls of the vault are washed with a 10% solution of copper sulphate. It allows you to get rid of all signs of fungus and mold. But after such treatment, all surfaces must be whitewashed with slaked lime.

Folk remedies

The easiest way to disinfect cellar walls is to whitewash them with a solution of slaked lime. Previously, all surfaces are cleaned of dust and debris, and then covered with a thick layer of lime. As an additional disinfectant component, you can add a little copper sulfate or potassium permanganate to a bucket of lime. You can also treat areas severely damaged by fungus with a solution of soda and vinegar.

One of the priorities of import substitution for the coming years, according to the federal government, is to achieve food security in the country. The government pays special attention to the development of agriculture, animal husbandry, crop production, and the use of land for its intended purpose. A promising concomitant direction of agricultural production growth is the construction of vegetable stores.

Features of business in Russia

Most foreign countries, in order to feed the population, have opened food markets for genetically modified products (GMOs), endangering the health of their citizens and their reproductive function. This is confirmed by numerous independent studies of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. Russia is one of the few countries that have completely abandoned the cultivation and consumption of such products. Natural vegetables without changing the genetic code, for example, for American citizens, become an element of a healthy diet that is not available to all segments of the population.

The market for non-GMO food products has growth prospects. In 5-7 years, natural vegetables, necessary for the nutrition of people around the world, will be in high demand, especially in developed countries.

Over the next ten years, our country should turn from a consumer of European vegetables into a major exporter of agricultural products. Vegetables, grain, seed potatoes of elite varieties intended for export must be stored in special premises - modern vegetable stores in order to maintain their marketable appearance.

Types of vegetable stores

Vegetables can be stored in bulk, in bulk, in rigid or soft containers.

Vegetable storages are classified according to the following criteria:

• by types of vegetable crops (for storing potatoes, beets, carrots, cabbage, etc.);
• according to the purpose of the stored goods (food, feed, seeds, etc.);
• according to storage conditions (combined, specialized);
• according to the method of storage (in bulk, in bulk, in rigid or soft containers);
• according to the characteristics of the microclimate.

Advantages and disadvantages

When considering the concept of building a warehouse for vegetable products, it is necessary to take into account the benefits and potential risks.

Advantages	Flaws
The need for storage of vegetables shows a steady increase. Every year, both the number of people working on the land and the number of peasant and farm enterprises, the main activity of which is vegetable growing, are increasing.	Only large agricultural holdings can realize the need for crop storage on their own, most small farms cannot afford the cost of building a storage facility. It is easier and cheaper for them to rent an equipped room.
Low rates of product spoilage due to compliance with the required temperature, humidity, isolation from rodents, etc.	Fear of large investments (about 10 million rubles for a frame structure for short-term and long-term storage).
The cost of vegetables in winter or spring is 2-3 times higher than in the harvest season.	Long payback period (3-5 years for a vegetable farm, 5-10 years for leasing space).
Large areas help organize the sorting, washing, packaging, shipment of vegetables on the required scale, their protection, and ensure a comfortable air temperature for staff work.	Farms, as a rule, do not have the full amount of necessary funds for construction, and the high interest rate on loans (20-25% in 2016, previously 12%) makes borrowing unaffordable for agricultural producers.

Required documents and their execution

If you are considering building a modern vegetable storehouse for a long-term vegetable storage or leasing business, it must be officially registered with the tax authorities as an LLC or sole proprietorship.

Important! Most entrepreneurs tend to LLC, since this organizational and legal form is most convenient for non-cash settlements between legal entities: farms, wholesale depots, shops, public catering organizations, etc.

After registering an LLC, you must:

• purchase or lease a plot of land;
• prepare a building project;
• obtain a building permit.

Location selection

It is better to choose a place for the construction of a modern hangar for storing vegetables:

• close to their wholesale point;
• in convenient transport accessibility for trucks;
• within line of sight of the highway.

Important! The site must be dry, sandy, with a low level of groundwater. With a close occurrence of groundwater, on clay soil, builders recommend building above-ground vegetable stores.

The construction area for a small farm is 100 square meters, for a large base - 1000 square meters or more.

During the construction of an underground storage of vegetables in private subsidiary farms, on a dry site, far from the roots of trees, a pit is dug about 4 meters long and 2-2.5 meters wide. This area allows long-term storage of potato crops grown on 20 acres of land. Experts recommend building a cellar in the summer, in July or August, when the lowest level of groundwater is observed.

Premises and equipment

Modern vegetable stores have nothing in common with Soviet-style hangars, which were built from concrete by state farms 20-30 years ago.

Frameless vegetable stores

New technologies in construction make it possible to build massive structures from sheet steel using the frameless method.

It is interesting! A room for storing vegetables from 200 tons using modern frameless technologies is built within a month at minimal cost, and has been in operation for more than 50 years.

However, premises built using this technology have a number of disadvantages:

• need insulation (to maintain temperature);
• designed for temporary storage of vegetables;
• may be damaged during bad weather.

A room with a large area is divided into several zones depending on the type of stored products (potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, fruits, etc.) to comply with temperature and humidity conditions. Storage conditions for a variety of plant products are provided by installed air ventilation and heating systems.

An example of a vegetable store built using frameless technology

Frame type premises

Frame-type vegetable stores are built from ferrous metal structures sheathed with sandwich panels. The technology makes it possible to establish the tightness of the building, which significantly reduces the cost of heating it, as well as to provide the maximum microclimate for storing vegetable products for a long time. The cost of building a frame-type vegetable store is higher than when building a building using frameless technologies.

An example of a vegetable store built using frame technology

Equipment

Equip storage depending on the type of vegetables. For example, in order to store potatoes or onions for a long time, it is necessary to establish ventilation in the room. In addition, if the hangar is located in the southern regions of the country, then a cooling system should be equipped.

Equip a cooling system in your vegetable store to reduce the percentage of product spoilage

To keep beets or carrots for a long time, you will need to install refrigerators more powerful than for storing potatoes, establish a humidity control system, which is almost twice as expensive. But these refrigerators can be used for apples, grapes and other fruits.

Pselection of equipment for a vegetable store(table)

Ventilation equipment for vegetable stores (video)

Employees

The uninterrupted operation of the vegetable storage is ensured by permanent and temporary employees.

1. Apply for permanent employment:
   • leader;
   • cashier accountant,
   • sales manager or customer service manager;
   • logistician;
   • warehouse staff with forklift experience,
   • security guards
   • cleaners.
2. Temporary staff is needed to sort or pack products for a week - two 3-4 times a year:
   • residents of nearby settlements, students, and schoolchildren often come to work part-time on sorting potatoes;
   • employees of working specialties are periodically attracted to the vegetable warehouse through outsourcing companies. Thus, they organize the security of the enterprise, transportation, storage of vegetables, cleaning of premises;
   • programmers, accountants, marketers, advertising managers are invited to project or part-time employment for the implementation of specific tasks - the need for all these employees periodically arises when starting a medium and large business.

Income and expenses

The owner will bear the main costs at the very beginning of the project launch. He will have to pay for the construction of a vegetable store in the amount of about 10 million rubles, of which a significant part of the funds will be spent on installing an automatic temperature and humidity control system.

Often, entrepreneurs rent out a modern vegetable store or part of it for rent at a price of 90 rubles. per square meter, areas without an air conditioning system - from 50 rubles, which helps to increase the profitability of the project.

Recurring expenses (table)

Automation of storage processes, a clear distribution of responsibilities between employees, control over their implementation, high speed of operations from the moment vegetables are received for storage to their sale will help reduce monthly costs.

Projected earnings (table)

The income level of an entrepreneur depends on the following factors:

• workload of warehouses;
• the average level of prices for storage services;
• quality of services, low percentage of damage to products;
• the demand for storage services among enterprises and the population;
• the level of competition;
• seasonality;
• productivity.

With a profitability of 30%, the cost of building a building can be recouped in 2-3 years.

Advertising

An organized system of loading and delivery will attract customers

At the first stages of work, in the presence of idle empty space, in order to attract customers to the population or organizations, as an advertising campaign, they offer reduced tariffs for storing products for 1-3 months. Minimal profits and good reviews are better than idle space. Affordable prices, good location, organized system of loading and delivery, low level of competition will help you find regular customers.

Possible problems and solutions

When opening your own vegetable store, various problems may arise, for example:

1. Violation of construction technology, cracks, moisture leakage, even structural collapse. To prevent this from happening, experienced businessmen advise concluding a contract for the construction of premises with one organization that will perform all the work and be responsible for their quality.
2. Failure of automatic equipment that maintains the necessary microclimate in the storage. To avoid such problems in the future, it is necessary to purchase equipment from well-known manufacturers that have proven themselves in the market. In addition, it must have a warranty period of at least 3 years. It is important that within 100 kilometers of the vegetable store there is an official workshop with specialists who can fix the problem.
3. High level of product spoilage. This situation occurs in case of violation of the conditions for storing vegetables, equipment failure, insufficient sealing of the room, due to the human factor. It is possible to prevent damage to goods by regularly monitoring the quality of vegetable storage.
4. Empty areas and compartments. In order to maximize the load on the storage at the initial stage of work, the owner will need additional funds to launch an advertising campaign.
5. Product theft. Installing a video surveillance system will help identify and prevent the theft of vegetables.

For storage of vegetables use heat-insulated rooms with good ventilation. These are various cellars, cellars, as well as vegetable stores made of light metal structures with insulated walls. Such premises are ground and recessed, attached and built separately, with brick and concrete walls. You can build a small cellar or basement yourself, since the whole process is quite simple.

Site selection and preparation

Very often, cellars are built under the house, garage or kitchen to save space on the site. In such cases, the construction of a vegetable store is designed before the construction of the main building.

To keep the cellar dry, its base must be above the groundwater level by about half a meter.

The best choice is the most elevated and dry place on the site with sandy soil. If groundwater is too close, and the soil is clayey and dense, it is advisable to build an above-ground vegetable store separately from the house.

Traditionally, cellars for storing vegetables have a depth of up to 2 m, a width of about 2.3-2.5 m, a length of up to 4 m. Such parameters make it easy to place a crop of vegetables from 10-12 acres in a vegetable store. When choosing a place for a cellar, it is worth considering the location of the trees on the site: digging a pit can damage the roots and reduce the fertility of the trees. In addition, large roots can damage basement walls over time.

If the selected area is dry, flat, located far from shrubs and trees, you can prepare it for digging a pit. To do this, make markings corresponding to the parameters of the storage, and remove a layer of turf 10 cm thick.

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Construction of a buried cellar

Making a vegetable store with your own hands is not so difficult if you follow the basic rules for its construction. It is necessary to dig a pit for such a structure in July-August, when groundwater is as far away from the surface as possible. The digging process is quite laborious, so some use the technique. And yet, if you dig by hand, the walls of the pit are less damaged, the soil does not loosen and does not crumble. To drain rainwater, a small ditch is made around the perimeter of the future storage. For construction you will need:

• burnt red brick;
• cement and sand;
• trowel;
• level and tape measure;
• steel corner, pipes or sections of the channel;
• logs for roofing.

The walls of the pit are leveled, the base is compacted and a concrete solution is prepared: 1 part of cement is mixed with 3 parts of sand and diluted with water to a pasty state.

The brick is laid flat; during masonry, they must use a level so that each row is located strictly in a horizontal plane. The verticality of the wall is checked every 2-3 rows, otherwise the masonry may shift slightly. It is recommended to lay out no more than 6-7 rows per day, so that the mortar sets well and the wall does not lead.

At a distance of 50 cm from the floor, a hole is left in the wall for the ventilation pipe, and at a height of 60-70 cm, metal corners or pipes are built in to equip shelves for vegetables. The corners are made the same length, a third greater than the width of future shelves.

The horizontal distance between them should not be more than 1 m, so that the shelves do not bend under the weight of vegetables. Instead of corners, you can use segments of a steel channel, a profile pipe, and even thick fittings. Metal elements are first degreased and treated with an anti-corrosion primer, and only then they are driven a third of the length into the ground above the brickwork.

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Ceiling ceilings

There are two ways to make a ceiling for a vegetable store: pour a reinforcing cage with concrete or close the box with tightly packed logs. Since the weight of the monolithic floor is very large, the beams must rest not only on the brick, but also on the ground. To do this, soil is selected from the outside of the wall so that the beam enters the recess by about 30-40 cm.

After that, a reinforcing cage is fixed between the beams, and formwork from wooden panels or chipboard sheets is installed from the inside of the room. Support the formwork with a wooden beam, placing it vertically every half meter. Next, the entire structure is poured with concrete mortar and allowed to harden well. From above, the ceiling is covered with waterproofing material, and then insulated with clay.

If the ceiling is made of logs, they are laid as tightly as possible, covered with foil or tar paper, and sawdust, peat, expanded clay are poured on top, glass wool can be laid in two layers.

Then again covered with waterproofing material and soil. All wooden floor elements must be covered with an antiseptic in order to protect the wood as much as possible and extend its service life. The floor in the cellar can be left earthen, or it can be poured with concrete or laid out with bricks, covered with slag or made of planks.

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Ventilation device

Ventilation in the vegetable store is mandatory. In order to maintain optimal humidity and temperature in the room, it is required to install two pipes - exhaust and supply.

They are located on opposite sides and at different heights: it is recommended to install the supply pipe at a height of 50 cm from the floor, and the exhaust pipe should be almost under the ceiling. For ventilation, metal and plastic pipes with a diameter of 15 cm or more are suitable; caps should be placed over the pipes to protect them from precipitation.

In severe frosts, the supply pipe must be covered, especially if the storage is not too deep. At -20°C, vegetables close to the vent can freeze and become covered with frost. In the spring and before storing vegetables for storage, it is necessary to clean the pipes from accumulated dust and cobwebs.

In the warm season, many owners of private plots make titanic zeal to grow a good crop that provides the family with food in the winter. Therefore, it is so important to preserve fruits, berries, vegetables throughout the year. This is the function of the vegetable store. To serve 1-2 small areas, it is quite possible to do it yourself.

A vegetable store is a small tank in which certain conditions must be maintained for the safety of products. Each culture has its own limits for the parameters of the environment in the cellar, but on average, the climate in the vegetable store should correspond to the indicators described below.

1. Humidity can range from 75 to 95%. Apples and pears require the highest humidity; for garlic, this figure should not exceed 80%.
2. The temperature should not fall below -1, but also not rise above +5, optimally - from 1 to 3 degrees Celsius.

Humidity and temperature conditions can be adjusted, including good ventilation. Therefore, special attention is paid to the arrangement of the vegetable store with ventilation.

Vegetable storage options

According to the method of arrangement, all vegetable stores can be divided into 2 types.

1. Buried vegetable stores are more popular among owners of private houses, since such premises have natural thermal insulation and no serious efforts are required to maintain optimal conditions in them. But in conditions of close occurrence of groundwater, it is impossible to equip such a cellar.
2. To make a ground vegetable storage faster, but at the same time, its construction requires the work of professionals and significant material costs. After all, it is much more difficult to create conditions for maintaining the climate in it.

Let us dwell on the instructions for the simplest room for storing crops - a buried cellar.

The most common are cellars arranged to save space and ease of use under a house or garage. In this case, the arrangement of the vegetable store must be taken care of even at the stage of building construction.

In any case, for the cellar, you must first choose the right place on the site. It is better to equip a vegetable store on an elevated and dry site.

The best soil is sand. If there is only clay soil on the site, then drainage is arranged around the cellar to protect the vegetable store and the products in it from atmospheric moisture. An important condition for the construction of a storage tank is the level of groundwater, which should be at least 50 cm below the bottom of the vegetable store.

It is also important that there are no trees and shrubs nearby. Firstly, during the preparation of the pit, the root system can be damaged. Secondly, the roots themselves can eventually destroy the walls of the cellar.

In addition, you need to decide on the type of entrance to the cellar. If we are talking about storage under the house or with a cellar, then a simple hatch is often provided in the ceiling. At a separate cellar, as well as at a vegetable store under the garage, they usually make a smooth descent with steps and a door.

Note! The door to the cellar is installed on the north side, and the roof of such a cellar, if any, should have one or two slopes.

Having chosen a place, they begin the process of building a vegetable store.

Step 1. At the first stage, they begin to dig a pit. The digging process can be left to special equipment, which will save a lot of time. But if you dig a pit by hand, then the risk of shedding walls is much less. To prevent the destruction of the walls of the pit, in some cases it is made in the form of an inverted truncated pyramid.

The pit should be such that in the end it would be possible to build a vegetable store in its place with a depth of no more than two meters, a width of up to 2.5 m, and a length of about 4 m. There should be about half a meter between the walls of the future cellar and the pit

Note! The best time for arranging the cellar is the middle of summer, because at this time the groundwater level is at its lowest.

If it is planned to make a descent with steps, then a slope is made in the wall of the pit for the stairs in front of the future entrance.

Step 2. The bottom and walls of the pit are leveled and compacted. To do this, at the bottom of the pit, they make a backfill of crushed stone with a thickness of about 30 mm and ram it. A concrete screed with a thickness of 60-100 mm is poured from above. After drying, a waterproofing layer is laid on the screed in the form of a two-layer roofing material, and more concrete is poured onto it.

Such a concrete floor can only be made in warm regions, otherwise it will get wet, increasing the humidity of the room. Another option is a wooden floor. For its arrangement, the bottom is leveled and waterproofing is laid on it, logs are placed on the waterproofing, and floor boards are laid on the bars. All elements are treated with an antiseptic.

Note! Waterproofing should extend beyond future walls.

Step 3. Lay out the walls of the future cellar with burnt bricks or other stone. It is not recommended to take a cinder block. When preparing the walls, every 2-3 rows check the evenness of the masonry using the mounting level. Do not rush and cover the walls quickly. So that the cement dries out and the masonry does not lead under its own weight, no more than 7 rows of bricks should be laid per day.

In height, the walls should reach the upper level of the pit, it all depends on the thickness of the selected floor. The finished walls outside are also covered with a layer of waterproofing in the form of roofing material planted on bituminous mastic. All joints are carefully processed. Thus, the bottom and side insulation form a single moisture-proof box. From the inside, the seams of the walls are overwritten. Finally, the walls inside the cellar can be plastered.

Step 4. They make a cellar ceiling, which should protect the storage from moisture and cold. But it is better that there is a room above the cellar, in the simplest version - a cellar. The floor can be wood or concrete.

The first option is easier to implement. Beams are first laid on the prepared walls, and beams or logs are placed on them. From above, the layer is covered with waterproofing, for example, roofing material or clay mixed with straw.

Note! All wooden elements must be treated with an antiseptic.

But even special impregnation does not save the wooden floor from decay, therefore, more often they resort to making the floor from reinforced concrete. To do this, beams are first installed on the walls, on which a reinforcement network is laid on the outside, and on the inside they are covered with plywood sheets treated with antiseptics, supported from the inside with bars.

Note! Beams should rest not only on brick walls, but also on the ground, for which recesses are made in it.

Step 5. Prepare the entrance. The easiest option to perform is a hatch in the ceiling with a simple staircase. But if space and funds allow, then it is better to make concrete steps that are poured using wooden formwork. The next day, the boards are removed, and all the cracks and recesses in the surface of the stairs are overwritten. To protect the steps and the entrance, it is better to make a canopy over the latter.

Step 6. The gap between the storage walls and the pit is backfilled with clay. Do this in batches so that each layer is carefully compacted. Backfilling is done up to the highest level of the pit.

Step 7 Equip the roof of the cellar if it is not under the room. To do this, laying of 2-3 layers of bricks is made along the edges of the ceiling in such a way that each upper brick protrudes 1-2 cm above the lower one.

The floor surface is covered with roofing material and covered with insulation, for example, expanded clay. This layer should be made in such a way that a ten centimeter slope is formed from the central part to the edges. The insulation is poured with a screed, on which the roofing material is again covered with bituminous grease. The protrusions around the perimeter are covered with clay.

Inside the cellar, shelves are made on one side, and bins for storing vegetables in bulk on the other. Also, during the construction of a vegetable store, it is necessary to take care of installing ventilation.

For small cellars, the simplest ventilation is used, based on the process of circulating air flows during their heating. The system includes 2 pipes, you can take ordinary pipes for a plastic riser. The lower end of one pipe should be no more than half a meter above the floor. This is an intake duct. It receives cool air from outside.

The edge of the second pipe should not reach the ceiling by only 150 mm. The upper sections of the pipes are led out above the roof of the cellar by 0.3 m, rain protection is installed on them. In addition, nets are put on the ends of the pipes to prevent insects from entering the cellar.

Maintenance and operation of the vegetable store

In order for the cellar to serve you long enough, keeping food fresh, several conditions for its operation must be observed.

1. At the end of each winter, it is necessary to remove all the remnants of last year's crop from the cellar and sweep the floors.
2. Before the start of the storage period, the cellar must be ventilated and checked for the presence of fungi.
3. If in warm weather the humidity in the cellar grows, then the exhaust pipe is lengthened, increasing ventilation.
4. During the period of frost, the supply and exhaust pipes are closed with dampers. With the advent of heat, the dampers are removed.

Video - Cellar ventilation

The crop harvested during the season must be stored somewhere so that it does not deteriorate, does not lose its usefulness and survives the long winter. The gardener on the site just needs to build a good and reliable room for storing vegetables, fruits, conservation, pickles. How to build a vegetable store with your own hands has its own secrets. Experienced gardeners and amateur gardeners willingly share their knowledge. It is important to approach the construction responsibly and correctly draw up a drawing, having thought through every detail.

Which vegetable store is better - ground or underground

Inside the storage for vegetables should be moderately cool, ideally from 0 to +5 degrees, slight deviations from the norm are allowed, and dry. Humidity in a vegetable store is a very important indicator, so it is recommended to consider a ventilation system before construction.

Shelves, racks, partitions are necessary for arranging a vegetable store

The simplest storage for storing potatoes in bulk

Having set a goal, you must immediately decide whether the building will be ground or underground. You should analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each building, calculate the budget and draw up a clear drawing.

Scheme of a concrete cellar for vegetables

Gardeners like to equip the underground cellar more. The main advantages of such storage:

• the premises are easy to build without having building experience;
• a little money will be needed to purchase materials;
• with proper care, a long service life;
• it is easier to establish the desired temperature regime, organize and control ventilation;
• it is easy to make areas for storing vegetables in bulk;
• the ground part (provided that a reliable roof is made) can be used for household purposes or decorated.

It is practical to make a beautiful canopy over the vegetable store

If the storage is underground, it is required to periodically decontaminate it from the inside so that the microorganisms that are deep in the ground do not penetrate inside and destroy the stored crop, ventilate.

If it is not possible to acquire a deep cellar, a ground storage is built. It can be wooden, brick, block. There will be no difficulties in how to build a ground vegetable store with your own hands. Materials must be treated with antiseptics, and also consider how to protect the building from moisture.

Ground storage, unlike underground, can be built in a place where groundwater is located close to the surface. But in regions with severe winters, it makes no sense to build such a building. No matter how well the building is insulated, the crop will not overwinter.

Ground storage device for vegetables

Independent construction of an underground vegetable store

A gardener will be able to build an underground vegetable store at the dacha with his own hands without the help of professional builders, relying on the advice of experienced ones. It is important to decide what materials the idea will be implemented from, find a good place and carry out phased construction, clearly following the instructions.

It is better to build an underground vegetable store on an elevated site

Suitable season for construction and site selection

The safety of the crop and the life of the building directly depend on where the cellar will be built. It is better to highlight an elevated area with sandstone. When choosing a place to build a vegetable store, you should pay attention to the following:

• soil composition, clay and dense earth will not work;
• location, depth of groundwater - if you build close to them, then you can forget about storing the crop, and the cellar will quickly collapse;
• a pit cannot be dug if trees with a well-developed root system grow nearby.

They say that any time of the year is suitable for the construction of summer cottages. But building an underground vegetable store with your own hands is a serious exception. The season chosen for the implementation of the project is of no small importance. Groundwater tends to rise from autumn to spring. Therefore, only summer and early dry autumn are considered a favorable period for construction.

Pit and preparatory work

Having decided on the place, it is necessary to mark out, according to the drawing, the territory for future construction, and only after that proceed with digging the pit. If you plan to build a large storage for the harvest, it is better to hire equipment, it is really possible to prepare a foundation pit for a small cellar with a shovel in your hands.

The walls of the pit must be smooth, the floor is well rammed

It should be remembered that the excavator during operation greatly loosens the ground, and this will inevitably lead to shedding of the walls. With a shovel, it will be possible to dig a hole more accurately and more reliably. It is desirable that it turned out to be rectangular, with even corners. Make a depth of at least 1 m for the main cellar, plus 0.8 m for a pit, which will serve as a place for organizing sites for bins.

How to make a strong durable storage base

When the pit is prepared, the corners are aligned, you can do the base. The following tips on how to make a vegetable store in the right way will be useful to everyone who is engaged in summer cottage construction for the first time. For those who have a plot located in a warm region, it is best to make the floor in the underground storage monolithic by mixing cement with sand in a ratio of 1: 3, and do not forget about waterproofing.

The basis for the underground storage is made as follows.

1. Stepping back from the edge of the pit, the distance allotted for the construction of walls, lay out the formwork in the pit for the future foundation.
2. Pour and level a layer (5-15 cm) of sand along the entire perimeter to the bottom, compact it well.
3. Lay on top with any waterproofing material (roofing material is excellent for this).
4. Having prepared the cement mortar, pour it into the formwork and, after waiting for complete drying, continue the construction of the vegetable store.

The concrete floor is considered the most reliable. But in such a cellar, you will have to constantly monitor the humidity and monitor the temperature.

When the cement hardens, you can remove the formwork

An alternative option is to make the floor out of wood.

1. Level and compact the bottom of the pit.
2. Lay the waterproofing material so that it protrudes beyond the territory of the future walls.
3. Install logs, insulation, and lay boards on top.

The floor of the vegetable store is ready, you can begin to build walls and organize ventilation.

Simple ventilation system for a vegetable store

During construction, be sure to take care of the ventilation system. If the cellar is small, it can be organized using ordinary plastic pipes (2 pieces) intended for the riser. Important: in the spring and before storing the crop, the ventilation pipes must be cleaned of dust, cobwebs and dirt.

Making simple ventilation in a vegetable store is very easy.

1. At a distance of 40-50 cm from the floor in one wall, install the first pipe, through which air will be brought into the room from the outside, the second pipe will be removed from the opposite wall at a distance of 10-15 cm from the ceiling.
2. Bring the ends of the pipes up to the outside, not leading up to the roof by 30 cm.
3. Put on a mesh on the pipe rims so that insects do not get into the cellar, and make special fungus-coverings from the rain.

What is the best way to build walls and ceilings

Those who have already learned in practice how to properly make a vegetable store and managed to build a cellar in the country do not recommend using reinforced concrete for building walls. Otherwise, the room will be very damp, it will not be possible to protect yourself from pathogenic bacteria, and the crop will be lost without waiting for winter. It is dangerous for a person to be in such a room. Cinder block is also not advised to use.

Brick vegetable storage will last a long time

The walls of the vegetable store are often made of burnt bricks, you can use wood. It is recommended to lay out no more than 7 brick rows per day, be sure to check the evenness of the masonry with a level. The height of the rows should correspond to the top of the pit. Outside, the structure is protected with roofing material planted on bitumen. It is important to process all the joints, and wipe the seams inside.

The top cover is done in two ways. If a concrete ceiling is planned, then three steps must be completed:

1. Lay the beams on top of the walls, lay the grid on them.
2. Attach sheets of plywood and insulation to the ceiling inside the vegetable store.
3. Pour the concrete solution and wait for it to dry completely.

The wooden ceiling is done a little differently. First, the beams are laid, on top of the logs, and on them - roofing sheets.

How to build a roof and what to look for

Building a roof is an important step in how to build a vegetable store, especially if the cellar is not located in any room. It can be made sloping or in the shape of a house. It is important that there are no gaps in the roof, otherwise the cellar will be constantly damp and too cold in winter. Everything is done in several stages.

1. Lay three rows of bricks so that each row protrudes slightly.
2. Cover with roofing material.
3. Close with any insulating materials, for example, expanded clay.
4. Cover protrusions and cracks with clay mixed with straw.
5. Perform a screed, put roofing material on the bitumen.

Final work in the vegetable store and arrangement

On racks and shelves put boxes with vegetables, fruits, conservation

Very soon it will be possible to admire your new underground vegetable storage, made by yourself. It remains to equip the entrance. To do this, they usually install a door and descend the stairs or make a hatch with a portable metal ladder. The second option is not very convenient, taking out vegetables while climbing stairs is inconvenient, laborious and difficult without outside help. It is better to build stationary concrete steps.

If the underground storage is an independent building, you should definitely consider protecting the entrance from rain by installing a visor and a drain system above the door. When the construction is over, you can start arranging. The walls need to be plastered and whitewashed. It remains to attach shelves, install racks, equip bins for storing vegetables in bulk.

The subtleties of the construction of a ground vegetable store

For those who do not have the opportunity to build an underground cellar, it will be useful and interesting to learn how to make an above-ground vegetable store so that it turns out to be reliable and practical. A large room should not be built if it is not planned to store products on an industrial scale. It is better to implement the plan in the summer, while the groundwater is deep underground.

Ground vegetable storage is not afraid of proximity to groundwater

Step by step instructions for building

First, the foundation is made, and then the frame and walls are erected. For the construction of a surface storage facility, all work is carried out in a clear sequence:

1. The place allotted for the construction, mark. Dig and remove about 30-40 cm of the soil layer for the base of the cellar, compact it.
2. First pour 10 cm thick drainage (sand, crushed stone, gravel will do), cover it with 15 cm of a clay layer.
3. Lay brick tightly over the entire surface. The base for the vegetable store is ready.
4. Lay out brick walls along the perimeter at a height of 30 cm on a clay-lime mortar.
5. From the boards make a frame, double walls and a ceiling. The space between the double wooden elements must be filled with insulation. It can be expanded clay, sawdust, moss, but not mineral wool.
6. Close the outer side of the ground building tightly with roofing tape.
7. Make double doors with insulation inside.
8. Install a pipe with a diameter of 12 cm near the doorway for ventilation.
9. Run a roof from slate sheets or roofing material.

Ground vegetable storage project

Internal arrangement of the building

Having completed the construction of a ground vegetable store with wooden walls, you can do the interior design. To use the usable area to the fullest, you should install racks, shelves and allocate space for storing bulk vegetables.

So that the vegetable storehouse built with your own hands in the country house lasts a long time, and vegetables, fruits and other products do not deteriorate until the very spring, you should properly care for the room. Experienced gardeners advise twice a year to carry out sanitary work in the building.

A ground vegetable store can become a worthy decoration of a summer cottage

Last year's harvest must be taken out of the vegetable store before harvesting a new one. In summer, it is recommended to dry the room, ventilate it well, and also vigilantly monitor the condition of the ventilation system and periodically clean the pipes, check the integrity of the roof.

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