Root cellars work because they maintain cool temperatures, they are dark and they retain the right amount of humidity. Root cellars do not need to be underground. They can be above ground, built in a basement or even in a closet. Building root cellars that work is something everyone can do, even those who live in an apartment.

There is a variety of produce that stores well in root cellars, potatoes, carrots, squash, pumpkin, turnips, grapes, apples, pears and much more. The trick is learning how to store the items, what temperatures they need stored at and how long they will keep.

The answers to these questions vary just as the answers to how much food to put up vary. Here are some basic storage requirements.

Cool and moist: 32 to 40 degrees F with 90 to 95% humidity: Carrots, beets, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, celery, Chinese cabbage, winter radishes, kohlrabi, leeks, collards, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

 Cool and moist: 32 to 40 degrees F with 85 to 90% humidity: potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, apples, grapes, oranges, pears and grapefruit.

Cool and moist: 40 to 50 degrees F with 85 to 90% humidity: cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelon and ripe tomatoes.

Be sure you are building root cellars that work before you store your produce in them by taking multiple temperature and humidity measurements.