Storage ... wooden boxes why?

[glow777]

Does anyone know why all the books recommend using wooden boxes to store root crops with sand.

I ask because I managed to get a late sowing of beetroot in last year which I pulled at the start of the bad frosts. As there were rather a lot I stored them in 3 sealable buckets with sand between each layer and stacked them in a potato sack. I stuffed some old clothes in to the sack as extra frost protection and bunged the lot into my shed.
I brought some out for cooking the other night, rock hard and very tasty.

so the question is what is the benefit if any of wooden boxes?

[glow777]

[Larkspur]

I don't know the answer glow777 but I can make a pretty good educated guess. Much of our gardening knowledge is based on books that were written in Victorian times. Prior to the invention of cardboard wooden boxes and barrels were used to pack and transport all perishable goods, so used wooden boxes were widely available and rather like pallets today people started using them for all kinds of things they were not originally intended for - like storing vegetables in sand. I think the knowledge of how to do this has just been passed down as one author repeated what another had written.
So boxes are no better than sealable buckets as you have just proved. You've rewritten the books. ;)
Well thats my theory anyway :D

[sandersj89]

Probably a hang over from when wooden boxes were easy to get hold off.

Though wood will left the roots breath to some extent.

I store carrots in large plastic plant pots covered with dry peat/compost and they last very well. Still using some we lifted back in October. I dont cover or seal the pot though.

I have also heard of some one using an old chest freezer and dry peat to store root crops.

Jerry

[growmore]

I think You would be a lot less likely to get condensation in a wooden box If any of your peat,sand etc was dampish. So I think less chance of rotting. Also wood is a better insulator against frost etc . I just leave mine in the garden and dig them as I want them and they have always seemed  ok  ..  cheers Jim..

[ipt8]

Yes I think it is because the wood can breath so to speak.  It was also very popular for beer barrels of course.

Wood was the most common item as well. Even carrier bags were all made of trees once, now they are all produced from non renewable resources.

[jennym]

The rectangular plastic storage boxes have done ok for me, filled with dryish cheapo B&Q compost - but without a lid.

[Robert_Brenchley]

The only thing I can think of is thart wood breathes, but it would be easy to compensate for this by drilling a few holes in the boxes. Wooden boxes were still easily available in the 1960's, and tradition dies hard.