Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Frugal Living => Topic started by: Jeanieblue on April 20, 2007, 16:47

Title: carrot mesh
Post by: Jeanieblue on April 20, 2007, 16:47
Any suggestions for a cheap alternative to protect my carrots. Would an old piece of net curtain work, or would it keep out too much light?
Title: carrot mesh
Post by: purplebat on April 20, 2007, 17:14
I've used fleece on mine and that will stay on; but i have read about people using net curtains
Title: carrot mesh
Post by: Allotment Angel on April 22, 2007, 09:25
I think it was my book by Bob Flowerdew that suggested growing a row of carrots inbetween rows of onions.  The smell from the onions overpowers that of the carrots and confuses the carrot fly.  I tried that last year and got some lovely carrots-no sign of carrots fly!  I also planted (African? needs to be the taller variety) Marigolds at the end of the rows as I read somewhere else that they are really good to confuse carrot fly too.  Worked for me and I'm doing the same method again this year.  Hope this helps. :)
Title: carrot mesh
Post by: purplebat on April 22, 2007, 10:01
Quote from: "Allotment Angel  I also planted (African? needs to be the taller variety) Marigolds at the end of the rows as I read somewhere else that they are really good to confuse carrot fly too.  Worked for me and I'm doing the same method again this year.  Hope this helps. :)[/quote

are the african marigolds the stronger smelling ones? that's what I was going to try but all I know is they have to be the strong smelling ones
Title: carrot mesh
Post by: Allotment Angel on April 22, 2007, 16:22
Hi.  Thought I'd better check with Bob Flowerdew.  In his book he recomends covering carrots with fleece or netting.  He recomends sowing them with spring onions and leeks and also sowing French Marigolds across the allotment because of their scent.  Hope this helps.
Title: carrot mesh
Post by: purplebat on April 22, 2007, 17:19
yeps it does cheers AA  :lol: