Dry shed or attic storage of vegetables

Dry shed or attic storage
Dry shed or attic storage provides cold, dry
storage — just right for onions, shallots, pumpkins,
and winter squash. By "dry shed," we mean any
location that offers constant low temperatures and
low humidity. This could be a garage, an unheated
breezeway, a shed or storage building, even an
unused doghouse, (if your garage or storage shed is
fragrant with oil and gasoline, it's no good for storing
vegetables. Some vegetables will absorb the oil and
gasoline fumes and odors.) In milder winter zones,
shelves in a storage shed or boxes on the floor may
work well. If you live in a very cold region, you may
have to insulate the corner of the shed to keep the
vegetables from freezing.
Attic storage is convenient only if temperatures
can be held somewhat constant. Since many attics will
warm up quickly on a sunny day, you'll have to
construct a special little storage area In it. Choose a
spot that's well-insulated and near ventilation in the
coldest part of the attic. Partition and roof it off from
the rest of the attic, and use it for storing winter
squash and onions.
Basement storage room
You can go all out and build a cold storage room in
your basement. What you'll be doing is creating a
separate little room, insulated from heat. You can
get plans for constructing indoor cold storage rooms
from agricultural extension offices, lumberyards,
or gardening magazines.
Basically, you'll have to partition off an area that
has no heating pipes or ducts. For ventilation, there
should be a window — two or more windows if the
room is partitioned. For air circulation, plan to have
removable slatted flooring and shelves. Slatted
flooring makes it easier to use dampened sawdust or
other wet material to raise the humidity.
BASIC EQUIPMENT FOR STORING VEGETABLES
In addition to the proper indoor or outdoor storage
areas, you'll need the following equipment to store
your vegetables:
• Containers, such as wooden boxes, crates,
barrels, or plastic garbage bags — cardboard
boxes are only suitable for storing vegetables that
need dry conditions.
• Newspapers or other paper for wrapping
vegetables.
• Packing and insulating materials, such as sand,
sawdust, peat, sphagnum moss, leaves, straw, or
wood shavings.
• An indoor/outdoor thermometer for monitoring
temperatures in an indoor storage area.
• A humidity gauge for monitoring the humidity in
an indoor storage area.
• Metal screening for use as protection against
contamination by rodents in outdoor storage
areas.
• Wood slats for constructing lean-to and frames.
• A shovel for digging out mound, frame, or barrel
storage areas.