Carrott fly

[southsidejazz]

I'm quite concerned about carrott fly. I really don't fancy the faff of fleece. Can anyone suggest other faff-free soloutions? Also, are there any carrott fly resistant varieties that are worth growing?

[southsidejazz]

[caroline7758]

Sow them in dustbins. Apparently the carrot fly don't fly very high.

[goodlife]

Uh..don't know if the is faff-free solutions..I cannot grow carrot fly free carrot without fleece/mesh...full stop.
Even the so called resistant varieties get 'hammered' without protection.. ::)
I find insect mesh really easy..just somethin to support it off from ground, chuck the mesh over..few bricks to keep it down and job done..

[shirlton]

We cannot grow carrots except under some sort of cover, We use enviromesh. Had it for 4years now and its as good as new if washed and looked after.

[mpdjulie]

I always use flyaway carrot seeds.  I have never had any problem with carrot root fly.  I sow the flyaway seeds around the outer borders and sow other varieties within that border.  It works for me.
:)
Julie

[macmac]

We've tried growing carrots various ways ,the enviromesh is good but a bit of a faff.
We tried the "elevated"method working on the "they don't fly higher than 18" theory"
Mmm do they carry a ruler in their back pocket ? ::) ::) ::)
they're fine at home where they are reasonably isolated from other carrot growers but on the lottie it doesn't matter how tall our container they find em :(

[Mr Smith]

Try planting Chives between the rows of your carrots, I have done this and it seems to keep carrot fly away, not 100% but the damage I get is just the odd carrot or two, :)

[Fork]

Sowing as thinly as you can and not thinning out if possible..this will help too...Earthing them up like potatoes when they are about 2" tall apparently hepls too.....me!...I grow mine in containers and dont seem to have a problem.

[tomatoada]

Sowing as thinly as you can and not thinning out if possible..this will help too...Earthing them up like potatoes when they are about 2" tall apparently hepls too.....me!...I grow mine in containers and dont seem to have a problem.

How deep are your containers please?

[Fork]

I grow them in those black flower  buckets you can get from the supermarket....grow my toms in those too!

[Lottiman]

I have tried pretty much everything, mixing carrot and chive seed together,sowing between onions and garlic, fly resistant seed, I thought about raising them up in something last season but I'm not convinced they don't fly much more than 18 inches if the wind is blowing at 20-30 mph I bet the little buggers go higher then! ;D After sowing last year i put hoops and fleece over and left it there until I havested, lovely carrots.

[tomatoada]

Thanks for reply.  I have some plastic  boxes 18" deep.  Perhaps I will prop them up on bricks.

[1066]

tomatoada - that's exactly what I do, and so far, crossed fingers, I've had carrot fly free carrots.
But I've been thinking about growing some of the Nantes type carrots (short and stubby) direct sown in the ground and was thinking about planting spring onions and the like with them, but maybe I'll end up having to use fleece stuff  :-\

[tomatoada]

So when is the best time to sow?

[cornykev]

Yesterday.   ;)

[1066]

last year I made a note and sowed the 1st lot in the 1st week of April, then a few more a few weeks later, and on and on  :)

[ru2010]

Are carrot fly just active for a particular period or are they a problem throughout the growing season?

[rugbypost]

I could be wrong but I think its May, and August are the danger months, but I grow them in old plasticrubbish bins ;D

[Allotment-junkie]

what works for me is using my Onion bed I put in 4 rows of onions all at 6"  apart in every direction then 2 rows of Carrots (3 onions at 6" at the end of each row so they are totally enclosed within the Onions) then 4 rows of onions again leave 2 foot 6 gap to get in to weed then start again  as my beds are aprrox 21 feet x 26 feet , get a little but most are untouched .. Happy joy joy  ... forgot to do it last year and lost 95% of the carrots

[RSJK]

I done the same as Fork last year and grew most of mine in black flower buckets . I did suffer with carrot fly with the later sowings......if they do not fly above 18 inches then how do they get into walled gardens.....wait until someone opens the gate I suppose    ;D