Storing Root Vegetables over Winter.

A well stored selection of different potato varieties

The best ways of storing root vegetables.

Hardy root vegetables such as Celeriac, Parsnips etc can be left in the soil and simply covered with a layer of straw, fleece, or hessian sacking. They will store well like this, and the covering will make it easier to dig them up if needed in hard frosty conditions.

Beetroot, swedes, carrots, and turnips should be stored in boxes of sand or peat and left in cool dark sheds or garage. they can also be stored in 'clamps' outdoors, but this is more practical for the experienced grower with a large crop.

Potatoes should be stored in a dark place - frost free and cool. Paper potato sacks are best, but also hessian sacks can be used. be sure to weed out all damaged potato tubers, and check (by smell!) throughout storage period for bad potatoes. With paper storage bags, look out for tell-tale browned areas on the bag. This will indicate a bad tuber. get rid of it as soon as possible.