Content
- Where to go with the harvest? Is a cellar worth it?
- The planning of the storage reservoir in the earth
- Structural requirements for the Erdkeller
- Recommendations for the construction process
- Alternatives to the new building of the Erdkeller
An earth cellar is handy and looks like a hobbit
Where to go with the harvest? Is a cellar worth it?
We received an unexpectedly large response to one of our recent Garden Journal news articles about the proper storage of fruit and vegetables for winter storage. Times when new homes are built for cost reasons, mainly without the traditional cellar, make it quite difficult with the vitamin-saving storage of the harvest.
An alternative, provided that there is still a little space left on the property, would be the subsequent construction of a Erdkellers, depending on the terrain structure completely underground or as an independent structure, similar to a shed, partly above the ground, for example, on a slope created becomes.
The planning of the storage reservoir in the earth
The location is a shady spot on the property, if possible with an orientation to the north, which would reduce the duration of intense sunlight already to a minimum. Other aspects of the size and location of your Erdkeller:
Structural requirements for the Erdkeller
An essential prerequisite for keeping fruit and vegetables fresh over a longer period of time is a functioning ventilation for the interior, which must also be deep enough in the ground and is protected against penetrating moisture from the outside with appropriate insulation. Temperatures between 3 and 5 ° C at humidity levels around 70 to 80% are optimal for most storage locations. If your property offers a lot of space, a walk-in cellar can be quite worth it, which is not cheap from its construction costs, but good reasons for such an investment speak:
Recommendations for the construction process
As with almost every construction project, there are no limits to your own creativity when building an earth cellar. Smaller underground subterranean earth camps can be realized with little money and labor in a similar way as a cold frame. If it is a slightly larger new building, it is best to first raise a pit between 80 and 150 cm deep, which is then compacted to the ground with a rammer. The following scenario might look like this:
Depending on the location and property profile, the basement can be covered with soil and then greened, but wooden roofs are also very popular in such buildings.
Alternatives to the new building of the Erdkeller
Costs and a lot of construction work can be saved if a building that already exists on the property is subsequently basemented. Both the gazebo and the tool shed or your garage are suitable for this. In this case, only the foundation must be broken in the desired size of the earthen cellar and a corresponding pit be geschachten. The edges are then stabilized with concrete and angle profile, the newly gained basement room gets in the end only a secure cover with solid wooden planks.