Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Art Corbit" <art_c@cox.net>]

Well I just won't comment on root cellars any more. I guess us old country
boys that have lived with these things all our lives haven't learned
anything.

Art in Arkansas (The dumb ole Arkie)


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 22, 2006 10:33 PM
Subject: [Livingontheland] ROOT CELLARS: A HOMESTEADER'S GUIDANCE - Keep
This


>
> We can't verify all the details in this page, obviously, but it's a
keeper.
> Might want to save it in the root cellar ....
>
> paul tradingpost@lobo.net
> --------------
>
> See also:  Stocking the Root Cellar, by Mike and Nancy Bubel
>
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Livestock_and_Farming/1990_September_October/
> Stocking_the_Root_Cellar
>
> and book Root Cellaring: the simple no-processing way to store fruits and
> vegetables, by Bubel, Mike, and Bubel, Nancy
> http://www.biblio.com/books/88993174.html
> # ISBN: 0878572775
> # Publisher: Rodale Press
> --------------
>
> ROOT CELLARS:A HOMESTEADER'S GUIDANCE
>
> A root cellar is a must for any latitude, even in the far south where
> temperatures within it may not reach ideal levels between 32 and 40
degrees
> F. The fact is, even under the warmest climate conditions, the colder you
> can keep any food (with few exceptions), the longer it will last. Even if
> some manage to equip their shelters with refrigerators and freezers, they
> can not be sure that they'll have the electricity to run them? Therefore,
> for bulk storage under unreliable tribulation circumstances, a large root
> cellar or two is the wisest choice. If they can keep food edible for even
a
> month longer than the case would be without them, cellars will be
> indispensable additions to all our efforts. Include at least one in your
> plans like you would include your food, because much of your food will
> depend upon it.
>
> A root cellar and a cold cellar are the same thing. If there is a
> difference, it would merely be that root cellars are often separate units
> from a house, often dug into the side of a hill and buried fully on three
> sides except for the front. Also, a root cellar does not usually have, as
> basement cold cellars do, a concrete floor. The main purpose of a root
> cellar is to keep fresh vegetables fresh as long as possible into the
> winter or spring months. Therefore, it calls for a high humidity of 80%-
> 90% in order to keep vegetables from losing their moisture and shriveling
> up. A damp soil floor provides this condition best. A concrete floor will
> provide a lower humidity, but this is a better condition for some
> vegetables. Some root cellars wisely include two rooms, one with, and one
> without, a concrete floor. When storing dried vegetables, they'll need the
> driest and coldest conditions possible, which is why a root cellar will
> have importance far beyond its ability to keep fresh vegetables. Although
a
> root cellar is not by any means dry, with or without a concrete floor,
it's
> cool temperatures will make it an ideal place for dried foods if they can
> be stored in air-tight containers or bags.
>
> Therefore, if some of us are destined to be in arid lands where humidity
is
> low and soils are dry, make sure to build a root
> cellar anyway. Though fresh vegetables and fruits won't go as far in them,
> dried ones will more than make up for the fact. And since the arid regions
> are ideal for drying foods in the sun, there will be plenty of dried foods
> to store in a root cellar.While the ideal root-cellar combination for
fresh
> foods is low temperature and high humidity, the worst situation is not, as
> we might first expect, high temperatures and low humidity. The worst would
> be high temperatures and high humidity because this combination is best
for
> nurturing bacteria, molds and yeasts. Therefore, in the ideal conditions,
> the valued high-humidity factor is actually best for the growth of
> infectious micro-organisms. However, there is a trade-off because humidity
> maintains freshness, and freshness is important to the modern consumer.
Low
> temperatures (above freezing) are then needed to counter the
bacteria/mould
> problems created by high humidity. If we dropped the humidity level
> somewhat and sacrificed some freshness in the process, the rot factor
would
> be reduced also, creating a better survival situation, in my opinion.
> Indeed, the best combination for dealing with rot becomes low temperatures
> and low humidity, where at 32 degrees F. and zero humidity we would net
> rot-free, albeit, completely dried (shriveled) foods. Although nature does
> not provide zero humidity conditions in any region, very low levels of
> water in cellar air would be just fine if we take into consideration that
> shriveled foods can always have their water re-instated during cooking or
> soaking. But so what if an apple shrinks some? The only thing it will lose
> is water, but the nutrients and the edibility, which are of utmost
> importance to us, are not affected. When we are hungry, safe-to-eat
> shriveled foods will taste mighty awesome! Understand that there is a
> difference between infected and shriveled.
>
> Now, I'm not trying to suggest that you aim for shriveled foods. The point
> I want to make is that not all is lost if a cellar has
> fairly high temperatures and low humidity, as would be the case in Texas.
> The rotting induced by the higher temperatures will be offset to a point
by
> the lower humidity. Great root-cellar difficulties lie in hot southern
> states where regional humidity is also high. Unrefrigerated food storage
in
> these areas will be difficult in most months of the year. However, don't
> take my word alone for it; research the possibilities yourself.
>
> For hot, dry regions like western Texas--if you are after freshness for
> garden produce--you'll want to expolit as much soil dampness as possible
so
> that you don't want concrete floors. Indeed, having no walls at all would
> net maximum humidity, but be aware of the problems. A mere hole in the
> ground to act as a root cellar will allow rodents to get in and seize your
> treasures. If you could properly drape chicken wire on the soil walls,
that
> might keep them out. You can always carry your own water into the cellar
> and dampen the soil If you want a dry cellar for dried foods, a cheaper
and
> easier alternative to stone or concrete walls is plywood and wood
studding.
> To keep rodents with sharp teeth out, metal screening tacked to the
> plywood, and overlapped a good distance at the joints, would work fine. To
> keep the plywood from rotting, it should be sealed with an exterior-grade
> varathane or a coat of hard-drying tar. Take precautions with the toxic
> chemicals in pressure-treated plywood. By using the studding method, you
> can easily insulate (between some, or all, studs) if it becomes necessary
> to alter humidity/temperature. You might buy the insulation and install it
> anyway, whether you think you'll need it or not, as you can always take it
> out at will. The only drawback to this method is that water may get in
> through the joints of the plywood, especially at ground level. Heap dirt
> above/around it so that rain water drains away and no pools form nearby.
> Figure a way to seal the plywood joints and don't treat this job with too
> little care. Standing water in your cellar will spoil food sitting on the
> floor and will be a major headache to deal with. If you caulk the studs at
> the joints before applying the plywood to them, then caulk directly in the
> joints afterwards, and finally adhere a 4-inch wood strap to each joint
> using the caulk as a glue, you should be water-tight for the few years
that
> you'll need the cellar. But frost can do a lot of damage, so screw, rather
> than nail, the plywood to the studs to prevent joints from opening, and
> while you're at it, screw the 4-inch straps to the studs.
>
> To avoid freezing of cellar foods, build a pantry over the root cellar,
and
> let the pantry be larger by a few feet all around;
> the more northerly the location, the further out from all cellar walls it
> should span. Keep in mind that this will also keep the root cellar drier,
> which may or may not be what you want, and that it will help keep rodents
> out, which is exactly what you want. Indeed, the size of the over-head
> pantry (or whatever else you want to call the structure) as it relates to
> the root-cellar dimensions will affect the cellar in various ways. Apart
> from mimimizing frost and rain moisture, it will reduce the heat from the
> sun's rays, which, in most cases, is what you want. Whereas the soil
around
> the cellar may receive less rain moisture, whatever moisture it does get
> will dry less quickly since the sun's heat will also be kept a distance
> from that soil, while the over-head pantry floor will reduce the
> evaporation of soil water even further.
>
> Create a perfectly flat ceiling in the cellar. The more protrusions there
> are in building materials (i.e. joists and beams), the more area there
will
> be for condensation to form. This means more drips and puddles on your
> shelves and in your food baskets. You want humidity for fresh vegetables,
> yes, but in the air, not pools in the containers. If your ceiling or roof
> structure is wood beams or rafters, nail unfinished plywood (definitely
not
> pressure-treated) to the inside of them. Leave it natural, and clean it up
> so that whatever drips you do get won't come with unwanted germs.
>
> The root cellar needs temperature control pipes, which are a simple matter
> to install. Because hot air rises, put an exhaust
> pipe 6 inches in diameter at the top of the room, going straight out the
> ceiling into the pantry. Screen the top of the pipe to keep flies and mice
> out, and add a dust cover suspended an inch or two above the screen. A
> second pipe for intake through a wall near the floor will allow cold air
to
> come in as hot air rises out the exhaust pipe. Since the location of the
> intake pipe's hole in the wall will be underground, the pipe will need to
> rise to the atmosphere above the surface of the ground. Of course, this
> pipe must reach the atmosphere outside the pantry. Put an elbow on the end
> of this exterior pipe (but don't glue it on) and point it north to receive
> the coldest air currents when you need them. Turn the elbow away from the
> north if you need to warm things up in the cellar, or if you need winds
> from other directions for cooling. But don't plug it for long periods
> because you need the constant air circulation in the cellar to remove
> air-borne molds. When you build shelving, do not let the back of shelves
> contact the cellar walls, as this restricts air circulation around shelves
> and promotes molds on foods. Leave a 3-inch gap.
>
> Some root cellars are completely buried and must be entered by stairs. If
> the cellar is built on the side of a hill, however, the front wall may be
> left completely unburied so that it can be entered without stairs through
a
> standard door. If coolness is a priority, as it will be in Texas, then
bury
> the cellar completely. A stairwell can be dug just outside a cellar wall
> with a landing at the bottom, where an insulated door can be installed
> leading into the cellar. Alternatively, the stairs may lead directly into
> the cellar with a door on the ceiling/roof.
>
> Much of the information I am using here is from the book, ROOT
> CELLARING(Mike and Nancy Bubel, Rodale Press). Their latest books can be
> obtained from http://www.amazon.com. I have been able to get a good bit of
> pertinent information. The authors claim that with proper management and
> air conditions, the following foods (in the upper latitudes of the US) can
> be enjoyed in the following months fresh endive in December, tender,
savory
> Chinese cabbage in January; juicy apples in February, crisp, fresh carrots
> in March; and sturdy unsprayed potatoes in April--all without boiling a
> jar, blanching a vegetable, or filling a freezer bag" For  survival, it is
> not necessary that we have "tender," "savory," and "crisp" vegetables.
> Therefore, under the same climatic circumstances, we could have the
> above-named vegetables one or two months later and still be pleased. And
if
> this is the sort of success story that Mike and Nancy got with exposed
> plants, imagine what we could do with plastic containers, plastic bags,
and
> dried foods in the same cool conditions. We should easily be able to
> sustain ourselves with crops alone until the next harvest. Yet, we could
> plan to store foods that last much longer than vegetables in the first
> place. In all, the authors say they could keep 33 different vegetables in
> open storage, and that spells variety on top of survival.
>
> FRESH FOOD LONGEVITY
>
> It is important to harvest vegetables at their peak, "neither
> underdeveloped nor past their prime," for best longevity results
> in cold storage. It is also important to treat them all with special care
> because the slightest bruising invites molds and bacteria, and these then
> spread to others vegetables. As soon as you see a rotting or molding
> section of any vegetable, get rid of it. Slice off the bad part and eat
the
> rest, or throw it into the compost heap. Inspect the foods often. The
> longer into the winter or spring we can eat our produce, the better.
> Therefore, it is important to time the harvest at the latest possible
date.
> As well as planting vegetables as early as possible in the spring to be
> able to eat them as soon as possible in late summer or early fall, plant a
> sizable crop later than usual so that their peak arrives only in the nick
> of time before the killing frost. This late crop will represent your fresh
> supply of food in winter, so don't skimp. Plant lots of cool weather crops
> in this later phase, not just because they can survive some frost and last
> longer in the soil than other vegetables, but because, as any good
gardener
> knows, many cool-weather crops taste better after frost has nipped them.
> Among these are parsnips, salsify, kale, Brussel sprouts, collards, and
> Chinese cabbage. What's more, rooted vegetables can safely stay in the
> ground past the first frosts too. Every vegetable has its unique period of
> growth, and you'll need a good book on gardening to know the lengths of
> each one in order to time their harvests as late as you can. Take into
> consideration that vegetables planted later will grow slower in the cooler
> months of fall.
>
> Some factors in the gardening department add to storage life. For example,
> potatoes grown in sandy soils last longer in storage than those grown in
> heavy soils. According to studies, both fruits and vegetables grown in
soil
> with high potash levels store better and longer than others. Wood ashes,
> which should be in abundant supply, are a good source of potash. Manure is
> also a good source of potassium. So store the ashes all winter long where
> the wind won't blow them away, and any manure your animals provide can be
> collected at the first thaw, but don't over-dose your garden soil. You
> might think that adding plenty of fertilizer is good, but whereas you will
> get a larger yield, high levels of nitrogen will increase the rate at
which
> some vegetables age, even after they've been picked, thus reducing their
> cellar shelf life. Therefore, you have the choice between larger
vegetables
> with a reduced shelf life, or smaller ones with an increased shelf life
> Understand that by adding plenty of nitrogen to the soil apart from adding
> plenty of leaves, grass, food scraps, vines, etc., you're doing more harm
> than good. The soil's nitrogen content is required by the bacteria which
> eat up organic matter, and it is very desirable. if there's an organic
> target in the soil other than the roots of your vegetables. As the organic
> scraps (compost) in the soil are broken down by bacteria, heat is
released.
> This is the magic pill that makes plants grow. For as the heat expands in
> the soil, it forces its way into roots. As it does so, it pushes along all
> water and nutrient contents in the soil so that they too are forced into
> the roots. The heat-energy then rises up the plants and propels all water
> and nutrients to rise with it. The more heat in the soil, the more water
> and nutrients enter the root and pass through the stems, and the bigger
and
> more succulent the plants. Remember this key for your greenhouse, and keep
> the soil warm. Elevated tables, off the floor, are ideal. If there is not
> enough nitrogen in the soil, or not enough organic matter, heat production
> will be stunted, and growth of plants will suffer accordingly. Don't
> overdose the soil with fertilizer, or too much heat will be produced,
> leading to root burn. If plants take in too much water in relation to
> nutrients, they will not last as long in the cellar, stressing the
> importance of a garden soil that drains well. Don't over-water. Clearly,
> aside from root-cellaring information, you must get a book which discusses
> soil preparation, for the two are, surprisingly, related. Many books on
> vegetable gardening will include a section on preparing soil.
>
> The whole idea of cold storage is to decrease the natural metabolism of
the
> food so that it doesn't age itself into mush. If adding heat causes plants
> to grow, removing heat causes growth (and all chemical reactions) to be
> suspended. Aside from infections, fruits and vegetables can be destroyed
by
> their natural respiration process, as the addition of oxygen changes their
> chemical states into something we don't care to eat. In some cases,
> vitamins are also lost with the process. Blanching (dipping in hot water),
> or other treatments, will retard/stop aging. Peas only require one minute
> in boiling water to stop the aging process, but corn on the cob needs 10
> minutes. Most other vegetables fall between these two extremes. Blanching
> is a good way to save foods that are about to go bad, when no other
> preservation method is available to save them. However, if you like fresh
> carrots and apples as opposed to cooked, or partially cooked, ones, build
> yourself an excellent root cellar.  Freezing is fine for some fresh
> vegetables and destructive to others (e.g. potatoes). However, you'll want
> to avoid completely, with all vegetables, the repeated freezing and
thawing
> that can take place in root cellars from week to week. Build your cellar
so
> that you can prohibit freezing if you so desire, but it wouldn't hurt to
> have a second cellar where foods are deliberately kept frozen in winter,
to
> be unthawed and used as desired.
>
> Common fruits like apples, peaches, plums, pears and tomatoes release
> ethylene gas in storage, and while small amounts will not affect other
> storage foods, it speeds up their aging process somewhat, not to mention
> that it makes some vegetables, like carrots, bitter. Keeping temperatures
> below 45 degrees F will keep the release of this chemical to allowable
> limits, but it is best to store large amounts of these fruits separately
if
> the longevity of other shelf foods is the goal. If your roots are
sprouting
> in a cold cellar, this chemical may be the cause. Cold weather at the
> garden site at harvest time is a positive factor because vegetables are
> prone to store more sugars and starch and less water in these periods.
> Having a lower water content, they are made of more stuff, and this keeps
> their water content from evaporating as easily on the shelf. Mike and
Nancy
> suggest leaving the vegetables in the soil as long as possible by covering
> them with 12 to 18 inches of mulch (dried leaves, grass, straw, etc.) to
> keep them from freezing. As they can be kept in the ground for two to four
> weeks longer by this method, not only are they skirting deterioration all
> the while, as would be the case on a cellar shelf, but they are storing up
> more sugars and starch so that they last longer on that shelf when
> ultimately they
> need to move there.
>
> There's no reason why we couldn't reap additional benefits by replanting
> some vegetables in the cellar, after the winter temperatures become too
> hazardous for their outdoor existence. Of course, don't replant them in
the
> hardened soil floor, but in cases filled with sand or loose soil. This
will
> keep some rooted vegetables for up to one month longer. Or, you can
> simply heap the vegetables on the cellar floor and cover them with damp,
> loose soil.
>
> We'll have lots of time to wrap all fresh foods in water-tight plastic
bags
> or containers, and you'll net crispier carrots as opposed to rubber ones.
> To keep cellars fully moist, just hang wet towels or keep pots of water on
> the floors. For drastic action, wet the floors. If there is a layer of
> loose gravel over a dirt floor, not only will the water splashed over it
> evaporate more quickly and for a longer period, but the floor will be
> cleaner for the treads of your shoes. Mike and Nancy bury some vegetables
> in moist saw dust.  They also drape moist cloths over-top of the bushels
or
> crates of food when needed.
>
> Bring most vegetables and fruits into the root cellar immediately after
> harvesting. Some vegetables, however, such as
> onions and garlic, need to be dried in the sun for a week before dry
cellar
> storage. Squash and pumpkins need two weeks in the sun to develop a hard
> rind, and they need a warm cellar. Sweet potatoes also need to be cured.
If
> you didn't know these basic things, then you need an appropriate book
> before you spoil your first harvest learning the hard way. Go to
> amazon.com, and search for Mike and Nancy Bubel.
>
> Do not clean the vegetables before storage as this will risk bruising.
> Leave them covered in a layer of dirt if that is how they arrive. Shake
off
> large clumps of dirt, of course, but be gentle. To reduce the clumps,
> harvest in dry weather. Do not cut the tips of roots off or slice any
parts
> of perfect vegetables as this will invite bacteria to form colonies. Cut
> off most of the leafy stems of root vegetables to inhibit the escape of
> water, but leave an inch to keep bacteria from getting into the tops of
> roots. The tops of beets and parsnips are themselves edible, so take
> advantage.
>
> If 33% or more of the cellar food is spoiling, something is very wrong.
> It's likely humidity, temperature, or ventilation that is the cause. Clear
> out the cellar air routinely using the intake and exhaust pipes, even if a
> temperature change is not  needed. This will remove air-borne molds and
> other unwanted, invisible creatures. A small percentage of waste is
> expected so that we should plan on it by growing more to offset it. Eat
the
> foods that are spoiling first. Cut out the bad parts, or cook them if they
> are merely bruised. You can even make a nice syrup, sauce, or juice by
> squeezing any fruit/vegetable that is just beginning to go bad. There are
> fewer cases of food poisoning from vegetable-based bacteria, though
> dangerous toxins can be produced from some molds. Beware the deadly
> botulism. 65% who get it don't live through it. This micro-organism grows
> where oxygen is absent, and that means there's a chance that every
> vacuum-packed jar or plastic wrap might contain it. If the can or lid is
> bloated, don't eat it. If it smells bad, don't eat it. If you're going to
> die, try to die peacefully.
>
> Make your cellar at least 12 x 12 feet. You might make two of them that
> large, side by side, one drier than the other. Remember, root cellars are
> keys to survival. Plan on storing enough preserved foods to live on for
one
> entire year, until the next harvest, and view the fresh produce as a
bonus.
> Plan twice as much food as you think you'll need, both as insurance, and
in
> case someone comes knocking on your door for aid. Consider anyone who
comes
> knocking as your laborer. If they won't work, why should you feed them?
>
> The following are root-cellar products that are best stored in cold and
> very moist conditions (32-40 degrees F and 90-95%
> relative humidity):Beets, collards, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, carrots,
> turnips, radishes, rutabagas, parsnips, Jerusalem
> artichokes, celery, salsify, celeriac, parsley, Brussel sprouts, leeks,
and
> kohlrabi.
>
> The following products do best in the same temperatures but a slightly
> reduced humidity (80-90%):Potatoes, endive,  escarole, cabbage,
> cauliflower, quince, apples, pears, oranges, grapefruit, and grapes.
>
> The following do best in 40-45-degree cellars with a relative humidity of
> 85-90%:Cucumbers, cantaloupe, eggplant, tomatoes, watermelon, and sweet
> peppers.
>
> Reduce the temperature and humidity of the following vegetables (35-40
> degrees and 60-70%):Garlic, onions and green
> soybeans in the pod.
>
> The following need high temperatures and lower humidity (50-60 degrees and
> 60-70%):Hot peppers, sweet potatoes,
> pumpkins, winter squash, and green tomatoes.
>
> You're not going to have a separate root cellar for every different
> category, but you can work around the less-than-ideal conditions in a
> number of ways. If the temperature is too cold for some foods, take them
> out and put them in the attic or an enclosed porch. You can also section
> off the pantry to have two different temperature conditions. Use your wit
> to create different places around your house which provide the best
> possible endurance conditions for various crops.
>
> The following list provides the near upper limits of preservation times
for
> vegetables kept in their ideal conditions, so long
> as they are kept in air-tight wraps or covered with a damp material (saw
> dust, towel, dirt, etc.). If you know temperature and/or humidity
> conditions will not be ideal, reduce their shelf life accordingly.
Remember
> that they will often remain edible longer than the times given. Although
> every case will not be exactly the same, use this list as a guide for
> determining how many vegetables of certain kinds you will plant. For
> example, the guide makes it plain that you should plant lots of potatoes
> and carrots as they might last 4-6 months, while you wouldn't plant too
> much broccoli since it keeps in a good condition only for weeks. Where
> specific times were not available, I have entered "long keeper" or "good
> keeper," and you can plan on growing lots of these with confidence. Leafy
> vegetables are not included as they are generally not good keepers in
their
> fresh states, not at all meaning that you shouldn't plant any (you can
> always preserve them in other ways). Remember also that you can extend the
> upper limits by keeping them in the garden longer while protecting them
> from freezes, or by replanting them on the cellar shelf/floor. Don't be
> fooled by writers who give carrots, for example, a mere 7-14 days in the
> refrigerator, even when wrapped in plastic bags. If your not the queen,
you
> can handle eating carrots after months in a cool spot, and if they are
> rubbery after a certain time, you can boil or fry them up to gather in
> their vitamins. You can preserve them as relishes in vinegar at any time
if
> you don't like how they have come to taste in the fresh state, or cook
them
> in broth/stews.
>
> Beets 4-5 months
> Broccoli 1-2 weeks
> Brussels Sprouts 3-5 weeks
> Cabbage (long keepers)
> Chinese Cabbage 1-2 months
> Carrots 4-6 months
> Cauliflower 2-4 weeks
> Celery (long keepers)
> Chives (not a root-cellar crop
> Collards 1-2 weeks
> Cucumbers 2-3 weeks
> Eggplant 1-2 weeks
> Horse Radish (long keeper
> Jerusalem Artichokes 1-2 months
> Kohlrabi (long keepers)
> Leeks N/A
> Onions (good keeper
> Parsnips 1-2 months
> Pepper (long keepers)
> Sweet Potatoes (long keeper)
> Potatoes 4-6 months
> Pumpkin (good keeper)
> Radishes 2-3 months
> Rutabagas 2-4 months
> Salsify (good keeper)
> Soybeans (long keepers)
> Squash 4-6 months
> Tomatoes 1-2 months
> Turnips (long keepers)
>
> A good idea is to get a spare refrigerator in the basement, and set it to
> the temperature that you expect your root celler to maintain in winter,
and
> then do some testing of store-bought fruits and vegetables, keeping
records
> of how long they last, etc. On a smaller scale, you could do this in your
> regular refrigerator.
>
> The following lists give you an idea of how long certain vegetables can
> keep in the garden soil before the cold weather demands their removal
> indoors. Generally, the less susceptible they are to frost, the longer you
> can keep them in the ground past their maximums using a 12-18-inch
covering
> of mulch. You'll need a good book on gardening to tell you what their
> maximum outdoor stays should be. If you incorporate a greenhouse in your
> plans, you'll be able to go further into the winter before shelving
> vegetables in a root cellar or cool pantry. In fact, a greenhouse could
> assure winter-long fresh foods apart from a root cellar, but don't rule a
> cellar out of your plans by any means; you never know if you will always
be
> able to keep the greenhouse warm enough to work.
>
> Very Susceptible to Frost:Cucumbers, Eggplant,Lettuce, Squash, Sweet
> Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Pumpkins.
>
> Moderately Susceptible to Frost:Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage(young), Carrots,
> Cauliflower, Escarole, Garlic, Onions, Celery, Spinach, Parsley, Peas,
> Radishes.
>
> Least Susceptible to Frost:Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage(mature), Collards,
> Kale, Kohlrabi, Parsnips, Salsify, Turnips.
> -------------------
>
> End. WOW.
> http://www.floydcountyinview.com/rcguidance.html
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Livingontheland mailing list
> Livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/livingontheland