Carrot website

[Tin Shed]

Have just found this website - www.carrotmuseum.co.uk.
It covers everything you want to know about carrots ;D - how to grow, pests and recipes - but not sure about carrot icecream!!!!

[Tin Shed]

[star]

Hehehe Im not sure either, but thanks for the link ;)

[PJW_Letchworth]

There are some useful video's available from a link on the carrot site.  Very good for the novice gardener.

[PurpleHeather]

Ah yes the carrot

We (on our allotments) seem to be plagued with carrot root fly. We have tried everything from Jayes fluid wiped rags (to wipe along the tops to stop the blighter's sniffing them out) to growing seeds in an old plastic dustbin (reason:- carrot root fly only fly three inches off the ground) Ours must have had rocket power because they still got in.

One year we tried to get every one to have a carrot growing year off but a few bought seed varieties guaranteed (they said) not to get troubled by the pests. That didn't work either.

I went to this site with all the speed my mouse clicking would allow and read through, with eager anticipation, wondering 'does this guy have a cure for our terminal plight?'

Sadly not.

[davyw1]

Its been a while since i have tried to grow carrots directly in the ground but as i had a load of seed coming to the end of their time i decided to have another go as i have  used up all my tubs and boxes.


There is no doubt the best method for growing carrots is in a high raised bed, tubs, boxes etc,
The carrot fly lurks in scrub, bushes and brasica waiting to pick up the scent of a bruised carrot, so keep your carrots away from the above. It is not supposed to be able to get more than 18" off the ground, but no one has told the fly that.
The fly is most active on warm sunny days until this month so if you intend planting in the ground this is the month to do it.
Alltho all my carrots are in raised beds i still put a smelly deterrent on the surface in my case i use moth balls and a spray of diluted Jeys Fluid

[adrianhumph]

Hi all,  :D
              Thanks for the link Tin shed,  ;D what better way to waste some time on a miserable wet FLAMING June day :(  A good site to visit , especially liked the tenuous link with carrots in fine art, great stuff.

                                                                           Adrian.

[GodfreyRob]

I've had just the same problems with carrot root fly - dispite continuously covering them with fleece - a real shame as I was hoping to encourage my partner to grow veg with me but all the carrots she painstakenly sowed were riddled with holes and inedible :(
This year I have sown mine in a big rectangular tub (almost identical to the ones above) in the greenhouse too, to see if that will be any more successful. Hopefully I will grow them all year round like this if it works.

[tim]

I cannot understand the fly beating the fleece. With us - although I'm a c****y carrot grower - what we get is always clean.

Does it depend upon when you apply the fleece? Bolting the stable door?

[calendula]

I only fleece when I sow directly into the ground, straightaway and don't wait and all my other sowings are in boxes, tubs that I rest on my compost bins so quite high up - be careful about re-using the compost though if you have had the fly as the maggots will stay there and get spread around

love the idea of carrot ice cream actually and even better as a sorbet on a FLAMING HOT JUNE DAY  ;D

[Deb P]

I'm trying the earthing up method this year, I saw a mature gent do it on one of the 'Big Dig' programmes. I started earthing the carrots up as soon as they were through, and have just added to it as they have grown so the neck and bottom foliage of the carrot is totally covered. So far so good.......I'll let you know how it works out!

[daileg]

i grow my carrots in big blue barrels with the tops cut off

havent had a problem so far

[carrotmuseum]

Hi - Curator of Carrot Museum here. I grow only in tall tubs and find it's all about timing. Plant around now and you will find the carrot  fly have past their 1st breeding season.  If you have to plant early then interplant with garlic, onions or marigolds.

Laying grass mulch around the seedlings also helps.  Less success is achieved with "resistant" varieties.  Fly Away seems best to me.

Also avoid the second wave in early July.

Anyone need a fact sheet let me know.

John

[PurpleHeather]

I was told that the larvae may well be in the ground and fleece wont stop them if they are already there.

That there are three stages of carrot root fly, so when ever you sow the seeds one type will get them before they are big enough to harvest.

[Sinbad7]

Hi John,

Really found your site interesting and loved the cats :)

A fact sheet would be good.

Sinbad

[pg]

Such a great site I left a guestbook message. Thanks for finding this for us Tin Shed.

[Jenfur]

Very useful site, I am trying to grow carrots again this year after no emergence last year  :( but we did have very rocky and clay soil, so I'm blaming that. Looks like we have done one thing right by sowing seeds now, but we have no money for fleece, can we possibly use old net curtains to cover them instead?
Any input appreciated :)

[Pumper]

At what point in the carrot's development is the fly likely to do it's bizzo?
Mine are in the ground and the tops are about 6 inches high. Sowed them about 6 weeks ago.

Quick edit to ask if it's only carrots, or does it effect parsnips as well? Coz I got both side by side.

[davyW]

I have just put mine in, but at the beginning of last month i watered the patch with bleach on capfull to the gallon the a fortnight before my planting i watered with Jeys fluid again One capfull to the gallon in an attempt to sterilise the soil. So only time will tell. NO PAIN NO GAIN