[aelf]

Last year I kept my spuds, onions, turnips etc in boxes in my shed. But as it was such a cold winter, I lost a lot to the frost.

I'm considering insulating the shed this year and wondered:

What do others do?
What to insulate the shed with (polystyrene sheets looking good so far)?
is it worth the effort, will it help?

I would value your suggestions, thanks  

[JayG]

Good question! 

Can't help thinking that if we get some more severe frosts you would be lucky to keep the temperature above freezing despite the insulation (insulation helps to keep heat in and some of the cold out but of course there is no heat source unless you provide one.)

You would also have to draught-proof the shed (not easy!) and then you might create a damp atmosphere which could be even worse for your stored veg!

(Can't help also wondering whether I should move this thread to "CSP, ES or D&C" or leave it here, so will let a mod in a more decisive mood decide!)   

[mumofstig]

I've moved it
But, I agree with Jay............the shed is not an ideal place to store veg IMO

I store mine in brick built outhouse, which is frost free and dry, friends use their garages, so don't know what to suggest if you have no alternative

[Trillium]

I heard some folk use their airing cupboards. Not sure how successful that is. If you have a conservatory, that might work. Another person I know uses his coolest bedroom during winter.

[aelf]

I don't have any other space, I'm afraid, so it has to be the shed. 

[Trillium]

I recall in one of Bob Flowerdew's books that he stored some of his crops in a shed, but he kept everything in an old, unplugged freezer for the insulating factor and to keep out hungry vermin.

[DD.]

Insulate the boxes, rather than the shed.

Less insulation needed.

[compostqueen]

I spent hours yesterday bagging up my spuds on the plot, barrowed them down the long route to the car, back with the barrow and home. At home I barrowed them down my tricky steps and down the long, long garden to the shed only to find when I opened the door that OH had filled the shed with a great big new sit-on lawn mower    My empty spud racks were sitting there behind it   

I think I will store the spuds in his wardrobe 

[Paul Plots]

Under the stairs if you live, like me, in a typical semi. It's dark, it's dry and it's warm enough but not too warm.

Amazing how much you can pack in with a bit of stacking and regular checking!
Handy for the kitchen too.

[Trillium]

I spent hours yesterday bagging up my spuds on the plot, barrowed them down the long route to the car, back with the barrow and home. At home I barrowed them down my tricky steps and down the long, long garden to the shed only to find when I opened the door that OH had filled the shed with a great big new sit-on lawn mower    My empty spud racks were sitting there behind it   

I think I will store the spuds in his wardrobe 

  Oh, poor you. I would serve your OH right.

[rowlandwells]

Hi all
your comments are very interesting regarding veg stored overwinter winter storing veg is a problem for those with limited space i usually store my spuds in my tunnel afer harvest i put them in a paper sacks and then in hessian sacks on top of a small pallet in the tunnel and cover with an old carpet even though we had some hard frost's last year the spuds kept good

the rest of the spare veg went into the freezer still some left over i know some of the old gardeners used to put there spuds in a clamp because they had little or no space clamping is a good old fashioned way it does keep the potatoes good so long as you build the clamp properly frost free and don't open the clamp when its frosty i think you can store carrots the same way i think they do keep better that way but it does mean extra work   :Do you need to know how to build a clamp

[Paul Plots]

Mrs L took out the last remaining 3 butternut squash from under our stairs - they lasted wonderfully well in the cool, dark depths of our under-stair cupboard.  

Last year's bumper crop have allowed us to have BNS almost every week since last autumn and the local supermarket haven't provided a single one!

My shed would have been far too warm!

[Gwiz]

A friend of mine uses the old chest freezer trick, He leaves it open just a fraction to get a little ventilation, and plugs this gap with some very fine metal mesh to keep out small furry beasties.

[Pip Judgeford]

I recall in one of Bob Flowerdew's books that he stored some of his crops in a shed, but he kept everything in an old, unplugged freezer for the insulating factor and to keep out hungry vermin.

Yep, did that last winter with my dead fridge and one from the neighbour, both under a sheet of iron on the cold side of the house. The idea was the iron would make the whole set up last longer Used a min/max thermometer for a coupl of weeks to see what the temerpature was like- little fluctuation.

The spuds got a bit damp - OK eating but there was a lot of moisture so the thick paper bags I had them in lost spuds at the bottom when I went to get a sack of spuds.  V annoying in the dark & rain!  

I think in summer I'll air them out really well and increase the 2 ventillation holes - currently 10mm diameter but could do with double or tripple that.  Fine wire mesh over the end of the hole keeps out the critters.  Really looking forward to having heaps of late pears and russet apples to store for winter eating. 

-Pip

[diggerjoe]

Only place I have is the shed at home but managed to get most of the spuds through last years cold by covering the boxes of spuds all round with double thickness carpet and topped with some old wooden drawing boards we had - doing the same this year - so fingers crossed.