Topic: carrot fly

[settler]

can anyone give details on carrot fly as i am growing carrots next year but im told there are no insecticides in shops anymore they have stopped selling them

do i not grow carrots

[tim]

Grow them! - under fleece from day one & you'll have no problems.

NA Kay, Cumbria, has good value fleece - 01946 692134 = Tim

[settler]

thanks for the info i will save that in my inbox till i need it

cheers ;D

[jamie]

This is one of the carrot root fly grubs that I managed to pull out of my recently harvested carrots, a bit maggoty looking.



Jamie

[oubykh]

Great photo jamie!!

As tim said, and i found, using fleece seemed enough protection from the fly, only ensure you have adaquate access for thinning and weeding and that its sufficently secured in the event of high winds such as we suffered this year. i had to completly replace my fleece mid-season as it was torn severely.

[tim]

I must repeat that I find the cheapo black pegs lethal to the fabric.

The white 'trident' ones are fine. = Tim

[Moggle]

What is the best way to hold down the fleece without doing too much damage to it?

[sandersj89]

I use wire hoops to support the fleece off the plant, over the hoops there is a length of string holding the fleece down. I will try and explain but no photo to hand to show you which would be easier.

I bought a roll of what they call line wire from a fencing contractor. This is galvanised wire that is pretty stiff. I cut this in to lengths about 140cm long. I then bend this into a U shape. Next I bend a complete circle on each end of the U leaving about 15cm of straight wire before the circle. These straight bits form the legs that you push into the ground. So what you end up with is an inverted U with a pig tail twist close to each end. (Hope that makes sense!)

I place these hoops in the ground along the length of the row. About 3 meters apart. Take your fleece and lay it over the hoops. I bunch each end with a bit of string and create a loop of string which I use to anchor the ends of the fleece to the ground with a peg.

The final step is to run a piece of string over the fleece at each wire hoop. The two pig tails on each loop are used as fixing points for the string. This stops the fleece blowing around in the wind. I often place a clod of earth along the edges of the fleece to help as well.

This stops fly and also keeps the fleece off the carrot foliage. Weeding is also easy as you simply lift one sedge of the fleece and push it over the top of the hoops. You then have total access to the row. It takes seconds to move the fleece back into place when finished.

I have used this method for a coupe of years. The wire hoops will last years and fleece lasts 2 or 3 years. No problems with it blowing away yet!

I know this is a horrid description and pictures will help. If I get time I will take some to show you my set up if you like.

Jerry

[tim]

I'm sure my white ones are not the 'best' - but I've yet to find anything simpler & more effective.

Hoops are great - but far too much hassle for me! = Tim

[Hugh_Jones]

The best method of securing the fleece is a collection of stones, good sized pebbles etc, placed at intervals around the edges.  No damage at all is done to the fleece.  I`ve been using this method for years.

I cannot think of any real reason why it should be necessary to raise the fleece off the foliage of the plants - that is merely complicating matters.  Fleece was intended to lie loosely directly on top of the foliage, and even the feathery carrot foliage has no difficulty in lifting either the fleece or the somewhat heavier fine gauge mesh that I use provided that the appropriate amount of slack is allowed in securing them. Both can easily be rolled back from the crop for either thinning or weeding.

[sandersj89]

Hugh

Interesting but I have tried your method in the past as well. I suffered problems with the foliage being damaged. Brown marks and stunted growth.

I also suffed increased slug damage as the fleece combined with the slightly flattened foliage created a nice hiding place for them.

With hoops holding the fleece away from the foliage I get clean foliage and no problems with the slugs.

This may be because I have very heavy soil.

I will stick with my hoops as they take only minutes to put in place and they work for me!

Cheers

Jerry

[john_miller]

Again, with a little bit of planning growing something like rye, sown ahead of time, will lift fleece off leaves. It can then be dug in, or just mown, once the covering is not needed anymore. Like Hugh I use stones, aka rocks, to weigh down fleece or mesh but I partially fill plastic fertiliser bags, which I get from the nearby dairy farm, with them. These are then placed around the edges and makes temporarily removing the mesh for cultivation purposes quicker. When the protective covering is permanently removed each year the bags are carried away and the rocks dumped off the field- this I do in the firm knowledge that there will still be sufficent rocks available next year for this purpose!

[legless]

phew. i'm pleased fleece will do for protection - i have fleece and if i had to buy enviromesh it would make for some expensive carrots!!! especially as none germinated last year.