Root Cellar Sizing & Storage Planner
Figure out how much storage space your harvest needs — and which crops need separate cold-and-moist vs. cool-and-dry zones.
How this calculator works
A standard bushel is about 1.24 cubic feet of produce, but real storage takes more room than that once it's in bins or on shelves with air gaps around it. This tool uses roughly 1.75 cubic feet per bushel as a practical planning number, then suggests a rough room footprint assuming a workable ceiling height around 7 feet.
Why two zones matter
Root vegetables and cabbage want it cold and nearly saturated with humidity — conditions that would make onions and garlic rot and winter squash mildew. If your cellar can't physically separate zones, at minimum keep these groups in different areas or containers, and never store apples with potatoes (apples release ethylene gas that makes potatoes sprout).
Where these numbers come from
- Crop-specific temperature and humidity requirements: University of Missouri Extension (MP562, "Home Storage of Fruits and Vegetables in Root Cellars")
- General root cellar temperature/humidity targets: University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension
A basic thermometer/hygrometer left in the cellar is the cheapest way to confirm you're actually hitting these ranges — don't assume.
Frequently asked questions
Why do some crops need "cold and moist" while others need "cool and dry"?
Different crops spoil in different ways — root vegetables like carrots stay firm longer in cold, humid conditions, while onions and garlic actually rot faster in humidity and keep best in cooler, drier air, so lumping every crop into one storage zone shortens the storage life of at least some of them.
How much space does a typical harvest actually need?
It varies a lot by crop and quantity, which is exactly why this planner works from your own harvest amounts rather than a single generic "root cellar size" — the same cellar can be undersized for a big potato harvest and oversized for a small herb crop.
Can one small cellar have both zones?
Yes — many root cellars are designed with a cooler, more humid section and a drier section using airflow and placement (like near a vent versus away from it) rather than needing two separate structures.
Explore the whole Calcs family here.
Not happy with our calculations or how it works? Let us know.
Have a suggestion for a calculator you don't see here? Let us know.
All HomesteadCalcs tools
Animal Care
Beehive Box & Frame Count Calculator Beekeeping Sugar Syrup Calculator Backyard Chicken Feed Ration Calculator Dairy Goat Feed-to-Milk-Production Calculator Goat/Sheep Dewormer Dosing Calculator Backyard Quail Housing & Feed Calculator Rabbit Gestation & Litter Due-Date Calculator Acres per Animal Calculator Chicken Coop & Run Size Calculator Honey Yield Calculator Egg Hatch Date CalculatorGardening & Food
Canning & Preserving Altitude Calculator Cider Press Yield Calculator Maple Syrup Sap-to-Syrup Yield Estimator Maple Tree Tap Count Calculator Orchard Tree Spacing & Pollination Calculator Root Cellar Sizing & Storage Planner Seed Saving Isolation Distance Calculator Worm Bin Size & Feed Calculator Garden Yield & Space Calculator Planting Date Calculator Raised Bed Soil Calculator Compost Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratio Calculator Canning Yield Calculator: Produce per JarOff-Grid & Rural
Firewood Cord & BTU Comparator Fur/Pelt Trapping Value Calculator Rain Barrel / Cistern Sizing Calculator Sawmill Log-to-Board-Feet Calculator Septic Tank / Leach Field Sizing Calculator Tractor PTO Horsepower & Implement Sizing Calculator Water Trough De-Icer Sizing Calculator Well Pump Sizing Calculator Solar & Battery Bank Calculator Generator Size CalculatorNo calculators match your search.