A dark green rind at harvest indicates succulence and good quality.
Do not store pumpkins and squash in outdoor cellars or pits.
Parsnips, Salsify, Horseradish can be left undug (stored) in the ground.
These vegetables withstand freezing, but alternate freezing and thawing damages them. If you store them in the ground, mulch lightly at the end of the growing season. Keep them covered until outdoor temperatures are consistently low. Then remove the mulch to permit thorough freezing. After they have frozen, mulch deep enough to keep them frozen.
Some fruits and vegetables can be stored outdoors in a partially buried galvanized garbage can or wooden barrel.
waterproof cover straw drainage ditch garbage can or wooden barrel
Root Crops
Root crops such as beets, carrots, celeriac, kohlrabi, rutabagas, turnips, and winter radishes should not be put in storage until late fall. Root crops keep best between 32° and 40° F. They require high humidity to prevent shriveling. Continued storage at 45° causes them to sprout new tops and become woody.
Large and overmature root crops may become tough and stringy in storage. Small and immature root crops probably will shrivel.