Grow Your Own Magazine

For years I've tried different methods of storing vegetables without a great deal of success. This year I decided to adapt an age old storing principle........a Clamp!!!

The Olde Worlde way of doing this was to put a bed of straw down, pile the root veg on top, cover with more straw and take soil from a trench formed around the perimeter of the clamp and pile it on top, with a little wisp of straw to allow it to breath.
I had heard stories of rats digging at the side of these to get at the veg within so decided to adapt it a bit.
My version is an old wooden childs wardrobe with the doors removed and the back taken out. This leaves a 5 foot by 4 foot by 1 foot high surround. Chip board would be useless as it would absorb water so it has to be real wood!
I placed it in a reasonably dry corner of my lottie and dug a shallow (6" deep) depression out of the bottom. The soil from this depression was used to cap the top after applying straw to the bottom and sides, filling with tatties and covering with straw.
This was all achieved about one month ago and today has been the first time I've had to take spuds from the clamp to use at home. After forcing my hand in through the soil and the straw to the tatties, I was surprised to find that the straw and the tatties were bone dry! I took enough for a couple of days use and replaced everything as it was. First impression is that it has been a success ie no rats, dry spuds in good condition. The straw must work the same as a thatched roof, shedding water and insulating spuds within.
I intend growing about twice as many spuds next year so already have designs on a full size wardrobe which I could use as it is, lying on it's back with the door intact.

Problem is, I'll have to find somewhere to put my clothes then!

PS This whole scheme cost me the princely sum of one pound, which I paid for the bale of straw from a local farmer. I only used half of it and the rest has been used as a mulch round my strawberries

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

I'm very impressed and taking notes!

Claire

I thought "Snadger's Clamp" was something the chemist would supply a beneficial cream for?

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It takes more oil than vinegar to make a good salad dressing.

vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated Aug 27th 2008

No - that's nadgers cramp.

Censors on standby...

KK

Any chance of a picture or two please Snadger? I can't quite picture what you are describing (not that I have anything to store this year but I am hopeful next year will be better)

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Pretty pointless posting a picture of a childs wardrobe with a pile of soil on it and an odd bit of straw sticking out methinks!

Come to think of it, it sounds a bit like a self portrait!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Fair enough. So you dug a 'pit' lined it and the wardrobe with straw and bunged everything inside then topped with straw then soil? Is that about it or have I totally misunderstood? (Sorry if I am being thick - not having a great day)

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Not at all Snadger! A picture paints 1000 words etc. Slightly worried about the self portrait thing though - I take it you're a surrealist?

Next year Ill make two clamps! The clamp has been a huge success and got me thinking "Why the heck am I storing my seed potatoes in seed trays in a cold greenhouse" They are in seed trays and with the recent cold spell I've had to put newspaper over them to stop them getting frosted!

If I made a seperate clamp for my seed spuds they would be no bother, nothing to worry about and when my eating spuds eventually start to sprout, then I would know to take them out and start the chitting process!

In the mean time, if this cold spell keeps up I think I'll have to move my seed spuds into the garage!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Compo, eat your heart out!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

This sounds such a good idea Snadger. I've only just caught up with it - have been out of circulation for a few months (no, not at her majesty's pleasure - just busy). I remember seeing clamps for mangolds, turnips etc by the field gates here in Devon ready to take for feeding stock in winter.

I invested in a metal dustbin at harvesting time last year and it cost a darned sight more than your clam. It would be good to use the space at the lottie rather than the limited space at home. However, the spuds have kept fairly well in hessian bags(different varieties separate so I could compare keeping qualities) in the garage and am only now rubbing the shoots off of the last of the Charlottes to make into mash.

I'm hoping they're not toxic or anything once they are sprouting! Am looking to see whether they can frozen now.

Just an update on the potato clamp!

I took these babies out this evening. They are Desiree spuds and have been in there since October. Thats six month and they are as good as the day they went in!
The only disconcerting thing is peeling the straw back and putting your arm up to your elbow in a hole to pull them out. I keep having visions of me pulling my hand out with a rat on the end of it!

A deffinate for me again next year , I guess those old Victorian gardeners certainly new a thing or three!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

They look really good, Snadger.

I'll be tempted to try one next year although the rat thing might make me chicken out. I wonder why the spuds in clamps don't get eaten by vermin though - they usually find their way into food stores one way or another. Some that I left on the worktop in the garage have mouse's teethmarks in them! Haven't you had any chewed?

Well done Snadger, this was the way all potatoes, carrots and swede were stored in. Ireland during my time in the 1950.

Talking of clamps - I heard of a farmer near Southport, who uses "clamps" to store his tatties over the winter if his customers don't want them - works a treat by the account I've heard. Perhaps us lottie owners ought to take note? Bernie aka DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Just harvested some more Desiree's today Bernie for the Sunday dinner tomorrow! They are still looking good!
Clamps arer much better than paper sacks as the moisture eventually gets through and stops the spuds from drying out. Because they're enclosed in straw tho, it drains away quickly!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

I remember my Dad also used to build a clamp to store the potatoes overwinter. He grew enough to keep a family of 7 kids fed, and they'd last well into the spring. He grew loads of stuff, and we were all expected to help with planting and harvesting. I didn't think much of it then, but it's stood me in good stead through the years, and obviously didn't put me off 'grow your own'. He did have a lot more space though!

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I could not live without a garden, it is my place to unwind and recover, to marvel at the power of all growing things, even weeds!

http://potagerplot.blogspot.com/