How to store root vegetables - special features and rules

As far as I could see, the root crops are rather capricious in storage. What do you need to consider when storing them? Albert Leontyevich Zhodino

Root crops have a number of features that you need to know when storing them. Consider them.

Root storage characteristics

First of all, we note that root crops produce biennial plants (except for annual species of radish). At low temperatures, they are in a shallow rest, but as soon as she grows a little, growth processes immediately resume. And this is understandable, because the root crop is a kind of intermediate stage on the path, the purpose of which is to obtain seeds

It is also important to note that all root crops lose resistance to disease when wilted. At the same time, beets and carrots are able to heal minor damage.

Group

According to the keeping quality, root crops can be divided into two groups: with thin integuments and therefore poorly stored and with rough integumentary tissues, capable of lying a little longer. The first group includes carrots, celery, horseradish. The second - beets, turnips, parsnips, swede.

Preparing for storage

In order to be sure of the conservation of root vegetables in winter, it is necessary to achieve the cultivation of a healthy crop, which is not damaged by pests or diseases. Cleaning should be carried out at the optimal time, not allowing the roots to fall under frost.

For cleaning it is better to choose a warm sunny day. The water should be removed immediately or even before harvesting. Then it is necessary to decompose the harvested crop in a dry shaded place, so that the roots are dried. And to avoid wilting, they should be covered with something. After drying, root crops must be carefully sorted, removing the damaged ones.

---

Reference by topic:  Harvest - collect and store: varieties and storage conditions

---

Technology

The technology of storing root crops is slightly different from the storage of potatoes, but has a number of features. Keep root crops best in tight containers (boxes, baskets, small containers).

Before storing, the cellar should be carefully prepared, must be dried, disinfected, checked for ventilation, a thermometer must be installed, without which it is impossible to talk about organized storage. For root crops belonging to the first group, storage with interlayers of moist sand is best suited, this helps to prevent evaporation of moisture and loss of turgor, which ultimately significantly reduces the losses from diseases.

For root crops of the second group, there is a great variety of methods of storage. Let us consider them with the example of beets.

The temperature during storage of food roots must be within 0-1 degree. If it goes down, vegetables can freeze, and when it rises, the losses from diseases increase.

Rules for beets

Not every variety is suitable for long-term storage. Preference should be given to those whose root crops have a high keeping quality. Find out these data not after harvesting, but before buying seeds - read specialized literature or ask friends who are reliable in these matters.

During the vegetable season, observe the agrotechnics of beet cultivation and especially carefully fight against diseases and pests.

Dig up the beet after its ripening. For cleaning, choose a dry, fine day. In this case, it is necessary to loosen the ground under the shovel or fork and gently pull it out. Do not pull out for the tops. It must be cut off, not twisted by hand. It is necessary to leave a "stump" no longer than 1 cm.

After this, the root crops should be left for a couple of hours in the garden - to dry. Then sort by size and remove deformed and having signs of damage to diseases and pests of root crops. It is better to give preference to medium-sized root crops - IQ-12 cm in diameter, they are tastier.

Root beets must be placed for a week in a well-ventilated room, so that they dry up completely and undergo a "medical" period. Before you save them, you must go through them again.

Wherever beets are stored, this place must be cleaned, dried and disinfected.

It is not necessary to store frozen root crops for storage - only you should not waste time, they will not be saved.

The main conditions for long-term storage are darkness, ventilation, temperature from 0 to plus 2, air humidity 90%.

Ways of storing beets

Covering potatoes. This is the easiest way - in a cellar or in a balcony storage place beets in several layers on top of potatoes. This is useful to both of them. Beets will dry the potatoes and collect the missing moisture for themselves.

Bulk. After drying, put the beets in a cellar or cellar in a separate spot. Its walls and floor should be made of boards with slots between them 2-4. See the floor of the notch should be from the concrete at 10 cm, at the same distance the side walls should be from the concrete walls. This allows the beetroot to ventilate well.

In polyethylene bags. Beets are well stored in polyethylene bags up to 30-35 kg. In this case, the bags are not tied to ensure free air access and to avoid condensation. Preserves the increased concentration of carbon dioxide.

In sand. Pour dry sand into a box and put the beets, pour again with sand - and again a layer of beets. Root crops should not touch each other. Instead of sand, you can use coniferous sawdust.

With ash. Well-kept beets, if powdered with sifted wood ash.

With a fern. When storing for storage, rows of beets are restrained by the leaves of the fern.

In a refrigerator. You can pack the finely chopped beets in packages and put them in the freezer, so it will last a very long time. It is possible, wrapping wrapping paper, to store root vegetables in vegetable boxes in the refrigerator, so they stay for up to two months.

In the cardboard boxes. In an apartment, away from heating appliances, you can put beets in cardboard boxes and pour sand or sawdust. So it can be stored for up to four months, but it is very important to regularly inspect root crops for damage to some specimens.

On the glazed balcony. Beet can without any special efforts can withstand zero temperature, so it can be stored on a glass balcony using the methods described above. When cooling off, cover it with blankets and old clothes.

In the clay. Dissolve the clay in water to a creamy state, dip the beetroot into it, let it dry and store it in the cellar. The method is laborious, but effective.

Remember that even without taking any measures to preserve the beets, a month will be stored in the refrigerator, and a week in the apartment.

The queen cells

The storage of queen cells is somewhat different from the storage of root vegetables left for food. First, they must necessarily be sand interlaid. Secondly, the optimal temperature for them will be 1 -2 degrees, at a lower possible damage to the kidneys, since they are outside and are not protected. At queen cells it is necessary to leave petioles of leaves of length 1-2 cm.

---

See also:  Root storage - conditions and methods

---

Control and once more control

Whenever you go down to the basement, be sure to look through your "farm" and remove any root crops that have begun to deteriorate a little, but try not to disturb them in vain.

The agronomist answered the reader's question Stepan Antonovich ZHELEZNYAK, Pskov

ORDER QUALITY AND CHEAP SEEDS AND OTHER PRODUCTS FOR HOME AND COTTAGE. PRICES ARE BOTTLE. CHECKED! JUST LOOK FOR YOURSELF AND BE AMAZED. THERE ARE REVIEWS. GO >>>

Below other entries on the topic "Dacha and garden - with their own hands"

---

Subscribe to updates in our groups and share.

Let's be friends!