Author Topic: carrot fly (Read 5861 times)

petefj · « **on:** October 01, 2011, 09:59:48 »

Speaking to other plot holders on my allotment site, it's been a disastrous year for carrots. Carrot fly has been prolific and the only plot holders that got a crop are those using a physical barrier of some sort.

The fly resistant varieties that all the seed companies tout seem to be useless. But no doubt good for the profit and loss balance sheet.
Inter planting with onions or marigolds or similar was not a success and neither was covering the rows of young carrots with grass cuttings. The latter method I have seen suggested on some of the gardening sites.

So how do the professional growers do it? Are their carrots so full of insecticide that they're dangerous to eat? I certainly can't see a professional grower covering a field with fleece.

What insecticide products do they use that are banned to us amateurs? And should we avoid buying professionally grown carrots?

Peter

grannyjanny · « **Reply #1 on:** October 01, 2011, 10:12:22 »

I was at a food & craft fare this time last year & Riverford Organics had a stand. I asked how they grew carrots & protected them as the fields can't be screened. The answer was garlic wash. The man I spoke to said they were grown in Southport not in Cheshire. I think someone on here said the resistafly were tasteless anyway.

star · « **Reply #2 on:** October 06, 2011, 17:20:34 »

Yes garlic is good, I chop up cheap shop bought garlic cloves every few days....onions and chives too (the bits you don't eat)

I had a couple of carrots with fly damage but most of the crop was great, I don't mind sharing a bit of produce :D

taurus · « **Reply #3 on:** October 06, 2011, 18:31:35 »

I suffered for years till I read somewhere that carrot can't fly above 20 inches high. Since then I have grown them in blue barrels and have had no problems since. A bonus to this is I get a nice long root, with no forking. As I'm on heavy clay I use to get some weird and wonderful shapes before. ;D ; :o

pigeonseed · « **Reply #4 on:** October 06, 2011, 22:33:17 »

My carrots have been badly affected too. Thanks for the tips!

pumkinlover · « **Reply #5 on:** October 07, 2011, 07:25:38 »

After taking advice on here about growing in baths that is what I have done and got my first good crop!

pansy potter · « **Reply #6 on:** October 07, 2011, 07:30:17 »

I always use enviromesh or fine net curtain and never get carrot fly.

carosanto · « **Reply #7 on:** January 20, 2012, 16:56:06 »

Hi Everyone

I know I am resurrecting a pre-Christmas topic here, but I've just come back from the lottie, having harvested some really good late sown carrots. I grow them in a bath, under mesh, and for 4 years now have had very good results But sadly the little b*ggers have at last sussed me and my latest haul has definitely got evidence of the dreaded cf.

So my query is: will the carrot fly over winter, if the damage is only small could I risk sowing again in Spring, or should I empty out all the compost and start again?

I am assuming there is no chemical deterrent, or if there was the EU will have banned it by now anyway! Thanks for any help Caro

saddad · « **Reply #8 on:** January 20, 2012, 18:00:12 »

If you can grow spuds or something else in the bath for a year... the grubs will pupate and fly off. This assumes you have something else you can grow carrots in... :-\

winecap · « **Reply #9 on:** January 20, 2012, 18:15:37 »

I always think it best to not grow the same crop in succession in the same place. I grow my carrots in builders bags - both to get the height and a good depth of decent soil. My allotment soil is clay and I never got a single decent carrot before I changed my growing method. I keep the bag in the same place each year, but change the soil. I've emptied out the top half and refilled with riddled compost from my compost heap. I have a few pictures on my blog.
http://jonsallotmentadventures.blogspot.com/

green lily · « **Reply #10 on:** January 20, 2012, 20:18:40 »

Well I have no problem with the flavour of the resistafly type carrots and have had my best crop of large carrots ever this year ;D ;D I'm still digging them but have to admit the slugs are beginning to do their quality control thing. We're in a dreadful area for carrot fly with cow parsley everywhere.
First I don't sow outdoors until June
Second I use one of the resist types of seed
Third I cover closely with environmesh.
For me it works and I shall continue. I have 3 pkts of different seed for next year so I'll see if we can taste any difference between them. PS I use builders buckets for early stump rooted ones and keep them covered and high....

boydzfish · « **Reply #11 on:** January 20, 2012, 20:22:20 »

Just a quick question. What does carrot root fly damage look like? My carrots had little black tunnels in them but I was told this might be eelworms. The good news is Santa brought me a lovely mini extending tunnel cloche thingy so if it is them they are out of luck next year ;D BTW I also tried the marigold interplanting as well as onions but the onions got white rot >:( Doh!! The joys of Mother Nature!!

green lily · « **Reply #12 on:** January 20, 2012, 20:57:05 »

Black tunnels and sometimes white grubs stuck in them. I've had plenty in the past... ::)

Russell · « **Reply #13 on:** January 20, 2012, 21:58:48 »

I thought I had got the measure of carrot fly until last autumn.
Plant in the back garden, not the allotment. Keep down the host plant weeds. Do one early crop under cloches, and a June sowing for main crop so as to miss peak carrot fly season.
But last autumns main crop was riddled with the creatures, all scrap.
It happened that I experimented with my first ever proper crop of celeriac in the next bed, and it grew very well. It turns out that celery is an alternative host for the carrot fly (so is parsnip).
What other hosts plants, wild or cultivated, do we know of for the carrot fly?

Alex133 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 26, 2012, 15:52:55 »

I read somewhere that root fly larva overwinter on/in ground, if so definitely best to move each year or change compost in pots. (I use environmesh and it's brilliant)

chriscross1966 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 23, 2012, 08:31:11 »

Quote from: Russell on January 20, 2012, 21:58:48

I thought I had got the measure of carrot fly until last autumn.
Plant in the back garden, not the allotment. Keep down the host plant weeds. Do one early crop under cloches, and a June sowing for main crop so as to miss peak carrot fly season.
But last autumns main crop was riddled with the creatures, all scrap.
It happened that I experimented with my first ever proper crop of celeriac in the next bed, and it grew very well. It turns out that celery is an alternative host for the carrot fly (so is parsnip).
What other hosts plants, wild or cultivated, do we know of for the carrot fly?

All the Apericums.... cow parsley, parsely, hogweed, Angelica, celeriac, parsnips, they'll go for them all if they have to.... That said I've never found them on anything other than carrots.... I think if they smell carrots they ignore everything else...

grannyjanny · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2012, 15:01:25 »

Has anyone used the net curtains from Ikea as a carrot fly barrier?

elfdread · « **Reply #17 on:** May 26, 2012, 16:16:10 »

Watcha All,
I also heard the bit about them not being able to fly above 20" so I've crossed my fingers and am growing them above that with my alliums all around.
best
Mick

Jeannine · « **Reply #18 on:** May 26, 2012, 19:23:35 »

The best carrotts I grew were in a quite deep old wooden sided cucumber frame, it was about 30 inches high and about 6 feet long, We half filled it with potting soil and sand. I never once got a carrot fly on either the carrotts or parsnips and I used the same bed fro 6 years. Folks all around ne had it so I am certain it was because of the height.

This year they are in a raidee bed about 14 inches and I am nervous but going with it in the hope it is high enough.

XX Jeannine

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Author Topic: carrot fly (Read 5861 times)

pumkinlover