What is stored on the balcony in winter and how?

If you live in a multi-storey house, storing vegetables in winter can cause some difficulties. An excellent place for potatoes, carrots, apples and zucchini will be boxes on the balcony. You can easily make these with your own hand by reading this article. It will be much cheaper than buying in the store.

We make storage

The dimensions of the box can be any. It all depends on what is stored on the balcony. For example, if it is cabbage or potatoes, the box should be large, if carrots, onions - smaller. By the way, the storage in the size 1500х800х400 sm contains about five bags of a potato. However, the usual box should be equal in width to the balcony and have a height of up to 100 cm.

Obligatory condition - double walls. Between them should be a distance of about 4 cm. First, a wooden frame is made, then a wall of plywood is attached to it, which will be on the outside. Inside the walls must be removable, and it is best to make them out of the hardboard and in one of them to make a hole. Again, it all depends on what is stored on the balcony, but ventilation does not interfere.

For uninsulated balconies in the store built in a conventional light bulb, which serves as a heater in severe frosts. Also it is necessary to make a special casing for it, so that the vegetables do not spoil. You can warm the box with a blanket, hide or woolen cloth.

A lid is attached to such a box with the help of loops, but you can not do this if you do not have the time or money.

Cinder

If you do not want to occupy a precious place on the balcony, you can build a mini-cellar. To do this, do not spend much time and effort. Usually the balcony is lower than the floor level in your home. This we will use.

Again, you need to make a strong frame, which would not fail under your weight. The frame must be divided into compartments, but it all depends on what is stored on the balcony. If it is beet, onions, then the sections can be small.

After the floor is broken by the frame into sections, it is necessary to make a cover. The best option here will be 2 removable panels - one part and the other. This is done to make it convenient to get food.

Heating

This method of storage does not provide for heating, but if you still want to protect vegetables from frost, you can do it. To do this, you need to run a sewage pipe from plastic with holes along the entire length of the cellar. Then pull it out from the edge, just above the floor level. Insert the most common hair dryer into the tube. The principle of action is that it drives warm air, which leaves evenly through the holes throughout the cellar.

But heating - this is not the main thing, except it still needs a thermostat to control it.
For this purpose, the thermostat is suitable. It can be purchased at any store that sells electrical appliances. With it, you need to connect the hair dryer, and set the sensor in the cellar and adjust the temperature of the on and off.

Here are some simple tips for heating the cellar.

Vegetables on the balcony in winter

To keep the food fresh and not to spoil it, you need to know some features and observe the storage recommendations that we are ready to share.

Let's start, perhaps, with the choice of vegetables. For storage, you need to choose only fresh vegetables and fruits, without damage or bruising. Before preparation for storage, they do not need to be washed. In the case of potatoes, carrots or beets, you can lightly only clean them from the excess layer of earth. The acceptable temperature for storage of root crops is from 1 to 5 degrees. Humidity of air should not exceed 80-90 percent.

Now consider the options in more detail. Everything, of course, depends on what is stored on the balcony. Let's start with the potatoes. This is the most popular root crop, which is purchased for the winter. Potatoes should be stored in a wooden box or a woven bag. One layer must not exceed a height of one meter. When storing on the balcony, direct sunlight should be avoided , as potatoes can turn green. These tubers can not be, but you can use to land.

Buryak, radish, zucchini and radish are also perfectly preserved in boxes or fabric bags.

Carrots are a bit finicky. Root crops are stored in boxes with sand, and they should not touch each other. Rotting in carrots usually starts from the top, so when processing before storage, you need to leave a few leaves.

Cabbage is very fond of fresh air. It is perfectly preserved in the nets, like onions and garlic.