[fatbelly]

I have tried to grow carrots each year for the past three years, by every year the fly got to them and decimated them. I have tried Fly resistant varieties but they were useless and the fly loved them.

I erect a 2 foot polythene barrier and the fly some how got over it with the same result as using fly resistant seed.

This season on the recommendation of DD I bought some Enviromesh from Garden Naturally and so far it is has done the job. No sign of Fly damage and the carrots are romping away (Autumn King 2 ). I didn't sow until 31st May to try to miss the spring fly.

[madcat]

Are you only about 6" tall with a David Dickinson-like complexion? 

No - I'm a small, wide red head with a temper to match!!!! And 20 years younger!   

( )

[peapod]

I could not go back to supermarket carrots now, I worked really hard to make sure we had good snips and carrots because they are sooo worth it. Even my friends 2 year old will happily crunch one he has picked but turn his nose up at his mums tea time carrots

[Sharonx]

Carrots have been the bain of my life. Total disaster for the last couple of years & the ones grown in a raised container this year were worthless.....BUT the ones I sowed in the ground, inder Enviromesh are absolutely fab. I am so chuffed, has to be the best feeling ever pulling up gorgeous Carrots. Sooo.. I would say don't give up, invest in some Enviromesh you won't regret it.

[willowman]

aelf - what on earth (no pun intended) do you use to fill a deep 6 ft x 1.5 ft raised bed?

Using soil from the plot or garden would leave a big hole and buying bagged compost would be very expensive.

[Cheshire Phill]

Well then, maybe I'm being a bit hasty....I have lots of mesh and also the "build-a-ball" stuff, so will design a little cage and perhaps give it one more try....might even sow again elsewhere this season if I get a minute at the weekend....

Thanks for the encouragement folks!!!

Phill 

[agingchick]

Ok just to annoy you all this is my first time growing carrots, put seed in ground covered with cloche for a few weeks and thats it except for watering I've got some lovely carrots a few small ones cause I didn't thin and they taste soooo good
Diane

[aelf]

aelf - what on earth (no pun intended) do you use to fill a deep 6 ft x 1.5 ft raised bed?

Using soil from the plot or garden would leave a big hole and buying bagged compost would be very expensive.

I had a sand bag (1 tonne) full of spent potting compost - collected over the last fw years. I mixed it with some well-composted horse muck to fill the container. Just the job 

[Yorkie]

It's not generally recommended to use manure where you're going to grow carrots or parsnips, though.

[aelf]

true, but this is well rotted, crumbly stuff and I only used a little, well mixed in to boost up the poor old spent compost. And it worked - we are eating lovely carrots every day