Making a underground cellar - any advice?

[Bill HH]

This will only happen if you have a high water table ie you need to check the flotation and ensure the dead weight is greater than any potential uplift. If the standing water is below the base of your container it will be fine but if, say, you're down near a river and ground water is just below the surface then you'll either need a heavier container or tie it in to a greater mass (as you did with your concrete).

I know people who have buried tool chests below ground and it's worked great although I'd be cautious about storing crops in them as they would be liable to water build up when watering etc.


Sent from my iPad using Grow Your Own Forum

That is quite true Alison but in periods of heavy rain the ground is sodden and hasnt had chance to filter down to the water table, the place we lived was on a hill and not noted for flooding. The old well we had in the farm garden was 100 feet down to the water so I presume that was the water table.
Periods of rain like we have had recently would be enough to float your boat. I know septic tanks can pop out of the ground if not installed correctly. I expect for 9 months of the year his box would be fine, its the wet periods that can cause problems. Another good reason not to do this is that it would be haven for slugs and snails and its right there in the poly tunnel.

[mothhawk]

I think the only veg/fruit you could store this way would be root crops and hard fruit (apples/pears). Roots store better left in the ground (except potatoes), onions store better with good air circulation. I think all other veg and fruit are better processed in some way (frozen/bottled/dried).

If you have so much growing space that you have a huge surplus, then cut down on growing space and put storage on the part you don't use. "Dead" chest freezers make excellent insulated storage boxes.

[Samuel1988]

Ah thanks for the food for thought everyone.

And I was really looking forward to using the soil as well!

[Samuel1988]

Have you considered making a raised path (with a false floor) in your polytunnel?

No but this sounds interesting.

Any advice on how I can go about doing this?

[Hans Mum]

Apologies - I guess my query was not as clear as it should be.

I know way intend to make a walk in one under the polytunnel lol

What I mean is a place where I can say sink in a large plastic container/bin and store things in in which say I would have a sheet of wood on top so I can walk over it.

If it collects any water I could maybe use it as a reservoir and pump it out when needed? I dunno.

I hope this makes it clearer.

Samuel

You need to be careful with sunken containers filling up with water. Leeds City Council made us put lockable lids on with signage warning they were there just in case one of the little darlings who come over the fence falls in & drowns errm they should be there was my argument.....not a defence apparently....