carrots - tips pleased

[Karen Atkinson]

so I sowed fly resistant carrot seed in gthe ground - they got carrot root fly. So, upon learning that carrot fly don't fly above 18 inches, I sowed some in a planter - 2.5ft high. They still got root fly. Is there anything else I shd  do last year (btw, my neighbour microfleeced his - and still they got his!

[Karen Atkinson]

[BarriedaleNick]

Well for the first time ever I managed to beat the carrot fly.
Built a frame around the bed with environmesh rapped round  it - about 30" high and buried the bottom bit.  My oppo on the site does the smae but with plastic sheeting and scaffold poles - he gets fantastic results. I think it's a case of sealing them off completely - our plot is a disaster area for the fly so if we can do it so can you!!

now if I can just keep the slugs off em!

[kt.]

I sow mine in black buckets / plastic fish trays with fresh compost everytime.  I also plant 2-3 spring onions to hopefully distract the scent.  After the carrot harvest the compost is then reused for over winter lettuce.  After that I then replace about a third of the compost with fresh compost for my tomatoes.

[saddad]

That about covers it...
they can't get through a barrier but are sometimes trapped inside when it's made,
they can't get up high but again are sometimes brought in with the compost.

Keep trying!  :)

[caroline7758]

I've read that sowing later- July- helps as the flies aren't around so much then.