Though I have used sand to store my beets in the root cellar for many years, this year I decided to use wood chips to keep the beets from rotting. Here's how to store your beets!
Storing Beets in Sand
Last year I had a problem getting dry sand to use on my beets for the winter. I used to wait for a particularly dry stretch in August and then take some buckets, a shovel, and a hard hat to a sand depot nearby. I would drive in and scoop the sand off the top of the many mountains where it was bone dry.
Last year there was a new system. The gravel owner had built a box outside of his fence. He had a backhoe put several buckets of sand in this new box and asked me to take it from there. It was sopping wet.
I put it out in the sunshine on tarps for several days, bringing it in at night. I raked it around. It seemed dry, but my carrots and beets didn’t think so when I checked on them just into the winter. They were rotting.
So this year, I took some advice from my neighbor, Nancy. She’s been putting her beets and carrots in damp wood chips for years. It was worth a try.
Storing Beets in Wood Chips
I got a bag of wood chips like the ones I use in the chicken coop. I harvested my beets, cut off the tops (leaving about an inch) and set them on the picnic table to dry. After an hour or so, I put a bunch of wood chips in a pan and added some water. Nancy said for it not to be sopping wet, but damp.
I covered the bottom of the bucket with some of these chips. Dusting off the beets, I set them in the bucket not touching one another.
This I covered with another layer of damp chips.
I continued this process until the entire bucket was full of beets.
Topping it off with some more damp chips and a lid, into the root cellar it went. It definitely weighed quite a lot less than the buckets with sand. That was a plus. I did my carrots the same way. So we shall see….
Find out more about how to grow and harvest beets, or watch our video on growing beets.
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re: "into the root cellar it went" and "I did my carrots the same way. So we shall see…."
Beets and carrots are ready to come out. How did this work out for you? I have a bag of aspen chips and a bucket at the ready. Can I assume that you topped the carrots?
I don't have a root cellar but I do have a small fridge in my garage that will hold a bucket. Or should I use an unrefrigerated cooler?
Appreciate the help.
A belated THANKS for the response. I'm probably not alone in not having a "cool" storage space. I suspect my cooler in the garage doesn't qualify...the garage itself can get to 70. Is there a preferred temperature range? If I bury my beets and carrots in DRY Aspen chips can I use my small fridge (45-50) or will the humidity get to them anyway?
Hi Bob, Yes, I did top the carrots. The wood chips work quite well, but I have resorted to leaving them dry. They do need to be kept cool so I don't know about a cooler. It would depend on how cold/warm it is where you live.
I'm growing beets for the first time and am wondering how the beets lasted in the bucket of wood chips over winter. Why do you put damp chips on top of each layer? Would flax straw work? Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Tammy, The beets did well in the wood chips, but I have been keeping them quite dry instead of damp. I don't know if flax straw would work. If you try it, let us know!
I had great success keeping carrots in the ground, covered, through the winter.
Can beets be stored the same way?
Where is the best place to get wood shavings? It's the end of July and some of our first planting of beets are ready to harvest. Is it too early to store them the way you describe in wood chips? We have too many to eat in the next two to three weeks.
How did they do in the wood chips?
I was wondering if these wood chips your talking about, aren't they in fact shaveings
Hi Jennifer, The beets did okay. I think that I added too much water, but the buckets ended up being much lighter and easier to carry than with the sand. So, I will be doing it again this year, just with a little less wetness.
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