What's the best way to sow Carrots?

[KathrynH]

Growing carrots amongst the onions works for me. By the time the carrot fly eventually find them they've grown to full size and I'm ususally pulling up the last of them. You do need plenty of onions around them though.

[Digitalis]

Will carrots be able to grow correctly if the soil below is compacted slightly?

[amphibian]

All about mothballs:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothball

It has also been suggested that the toxic chemical in mothballs will bond to garden soil, causing permanent damage to it. Research has shown that a weak bond can occur, but naturally occurring soil microbes will break down the toxic component of mothballs over extended periods of time. In addition to this, the toxic effects of mothballs may also kill beneficial soil insects. By far, the risk of using mothballs in the garden - involving children, pets such as cats, and other animals accidentally ingesting exposed mothballs - outweighs any benefit of killing unwanted animals

Rules that one out for me.

I've only really beaten the carrot fly once, that was in my first year of gardening, when I had no idea any such thing existed, seems ignorance is a defence.

I sow late now and grow autumn carrots, because I hate losing a crop, it depresses me deeply.

Some of the old boys, on my site grow their carrots in the open and have beautiful crops, no idea what they're trick is.

[davyw1]

Couln,t find any moths so decided to soak some half inch rope in diluted Jeys Fluid and lay it along the edge of the carrot of the carrot row.

My first lot of carrots

[Borlotti]

Never had much luck with carrots, will try fleece.  Thought a fleece was something one wore.  Live and learn.  Also been told to put a strip of plastic round them so presumably carrot fly are on the ground and don't fly.

[SPUDLY]

This is something i found on the topic of the carrot fly.

They are low fliers rarely going above 50cm so one control is to surround vulnerable plants with a polythene barrier about 60cm high or to cover completely with garden fleece. Lifting the crop in autumn limits the damage. Sowing the seed very thinly to reduce thinning and removing any thinnings, limits the attack as they are attracted by the smell of the crushed plant. A technique called liquid sowing is a good method of obtaining a thin sowing. The seeds are suspended in Laponite gel and 'piped' like icing from the cut-off corner of a plastic bag. Delay sowing until May to avoid the emergance of the first generation. Avoid growing early and late crops together and if infestation occurs do not leave any roots in the ground to carry over to the next season.

Sowing at the correct time will avoid the flying insects. If sown in early June, the first generation females will have nowhere to lay their eggs so there should be fewer second generation flies to emerge. Other sowings in late autumn or early spring for harvesting in the summer should be at lower risk.
Harvesting before the second generation can do too much damage is important so lifting the June sown carrots by November should reduce their exposure to damage. Any left after this will be vulnerable and can provide overwintering quarters for the grubs. Chemical control is not really effective as the ones used in the past have been withdrawn.

[Borlotti]

Thank explains why people sow them in cut in half water butts.  Think I will try with the plastic surround or else just give up and buy them as they are not too expensive and stick to my lovely runner beans, courgettes (that seem to grow anywhere) and everlasting spinach which we seem to eat everyday.  Should be very healthy apart from the white wine and the ciggies.

[SPUDLY]

  Should be very healthy apart from the white wine and the ciggies.

  for me its beer and fags.

[the-goodlife]

i did mine today nantes, i use to sow in drills but tried something different last year i sowed my carrots like you would peas in a wide bed about 18" wide then sprinkled the pack out in the trench, saves thinning and after all this is how they are sown in the fields, had the best crop of carrots ever

[lushy86]

Nowt wrong with white wine and ciggies - Known as mummy's little helpers in our house 

Lushy x

[muddylou]

I've sown my carrot seeds today and covered with a fleece, a 10m x 1m one from the 99p shop (hope this is adequate).
Having read about not thinning when it's windy and in the evening (so as not to attract the carrot fly), I was thinking would it be beneficial to thin while it's raining (I know I'm being presumtious in thinking my carrots will even get to that stage) but surely flys don't fly when it's raining as it must be similar to travelling through the Asteroid Belt for a fly, wouldn't they be knocked out if hit by a droplet.