Topic: more carrot fly questions

[Julia]

I have a seed tray in poly with globe shaped carrot seedlings in.  When they are big enough I plan to plant them straight into the ground.  I bought the seeds because my ground is very stoney and long carrots would be impossible.

Now having read a few of the forums on this carrot fly issue, I'm thinking the best time to plant them out would be the evening?  And what about nets?  Are they a must, and if so, would plastic pea netting be any good? ???

Thanks in advance

[saddad]

You need a very fine mesh like Environ-mesh or debrsi netting..

[BarriedaleNick]

If carrot fly is endemic in your area then yes you should cover but the holes in pea netting are too big.  You need to use horticultural mesh fo something similar.
I seem to recall evening is the best time to thin or ptherwise disturb carrots but I cant be sure- sorry!

[manicscousers]

we always cover with fleece  :)

[Larkshall]

Carrot fly is attracted by the smell of carrots, more so when thinning is carried out. The farmers way of deterring the fly is to drag a paraffin soaked sack over the tops, this will not harm the carrots but deters the fly (paraffin is a death sentence to all insects but only a few plants can stand up to it, it will knock thistles back but not kill them. Carrots and Groundsel are not affected).

See this:- http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=41

[davyw1]

If you have grown them in a seed in a seed tray i very much doubt if you will get a result because you wont get the tap root into the ground in tact so the carrot will fork at first growth.
Carrots do not do well in stony ground so you will relay need to make a V in the ground and fill it with fine soil, compost or grow bag. If you are going to make a V and fill it then you would be better off starting from scratch and planting direct into it.
As you are planting in the ground then fleece would be your best option, raised above the carrots but held firm the the ground along the edges

[lincsyokel2]

If you have grown them in a seed in a seed tray i very much doubt if you will get a result because you wont get the tap root into the ground in tact so the carrot will fork at first growth.
Carrots do not do well in stony ground so you will relay need to make a V in the ground and fill it with fine soil, compost or grow bag. If you are going to make a V and fill it then you would be better off starting from scratch and planting direct into it.
As you are planting in the ground then fleece would be your best option, raised above the carrots but held firm the the ground along the edges

i have spectacular success growing carrots in an old fibreglass bath filled with multipurpose compost, and covered in debris netting, not a carrot fly in sight.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm going to have to try that the way things are going. I can't get them to do anything!

[davyw1]

Last year i grew in raised bed with walls of debris netting and covered in fleece but i found thet the carrot foliage got drawn and tended to droop over. Also having to lift the fleece to water, weed and remove the carrot i was leaving space for anything to get in. This year i am trying a different way by just have double debris netting walls.
Leaning against the greanhouse base is the next one ready to fit on top next year.
The boxes i get are the one in the photo folded up before knocking the pins out and joining them togethher.
Have a drive round any local industrial site you may find most firms will be more than glad to give you them.
One thing i have found is there is no point in trying to grow carrots and worry about carror fly getting in if you have not got rid of whats in the soil inside the netting.