Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Hampshire Hog on January 30, 2008, 19:22
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I am hoping to succeed with carrots this year!
Have had problems in past with the dreaded fly then tried covering a row but that didn't germinate :cry:
Is the method of surrounding with a 60cm high barrier effective??
Appreciate others experience of this
Cheers HH
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Don't know if it will be effective, but I am certainly going to try that this year.
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Hi
I am trying carrots for the first time this year but in quite high raised beds - will I need to do anything extra if the seeds are about 20" above the floor?
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I'm sorry, so experience seems to prove the books that you need clear of two feet. :wink:
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i start mine under a closh next to my onions never enny troubel with root fly
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Ive had the same prob tried a clear plastic barrier 30in high (in old money)and they still got in. Latest idea is infestation may over winter in the soil as eggs. Trying same idea this season but in an area that has not grown carrots or parsnips for the last few years. Keep fingers crossed for a clear crop. Unless someone has a fool proof idea. :(
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Thanks for replies looks like the barrier method plus a flame thrower! :twisted:
Cheers HH
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Ive had the same prob tried a clear plastic barrier 30in high (in old money)and they still got in. Latest idea is infestation may over winter in the soil as eggs. Trying same idea this season but in an area that has not grown carrots or parsnips for the last few years. Keep fingers crossed for a clear crop. Unless someone has a fool proof idea. :(
You should rotate crops, it always helps, as a prevention. This is not a new idea, my book first published in 1986, gives 3 years of min rotation for carrot fly eggs(pupae) to give significant decrease.
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Unless someone has a fool proof idea. :(
POLYTUNNEL.
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I agree with nobby about planting carrots next to onions. The carrots I had that were closest to the onions (next 2 rows) had no carrot root fly damage, but the carrots that were allegedly 'fly resistant' (fly away if I remember) but further away from the onions had significantly more root damage. Will try the same this year
Nikki
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Unless someone has a fool proof idea. :(
POLYTUNNEL.
Grow them in plastic barrels or dustbins, with a foot high mesh or fleece barrier ringing the top. Gives an effective barrier height of 3 feet or more and works perfectly.
It's an especially useful tactic if you struggle with carrots because of heavy soil. The exact composition of the growing mixture can vary but carrots seem to like it sandy, so I use 50/50 soil/sand. It's also an effective use of space, amazing how many carrots will fit in a bin!
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Grow them in plastic barrels or dustbins, with a foot high mesh or fleece barrier ringing the top.
I'm really good at putting things in pots, barrels, baskets etc, etc :D :lol:
Unfortunately after a few weeks I invariably stop watering, dunno why, usually its a case of 'I'll do it tomorrow as its rained today' so everything dies :oops: The worst part is I KNOW they need watering even if its rained as they are relying on me, and I'll nag OH if he says he'll do it and then forgets :?
Is there any hope for me?
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Grow them in plastic barrels or dustbins, with a foot high mesh or fleece barrier ringing the top. Gives an effective barrier height of 3 feet or more and works perfectly.
If you are gonna grow 'em outside I'd agree 100% with the 3ft. +height. not a beleiver in all this Carrot Fly can't get above 2ft. rubbish.
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Grow them in plastic barrels or dustbins, with a foot high mesh or fleece barrier ringing the top. Gives an effective barrier height of 3 feet or more and works perfectly.
If you are gonna grow 'em outside I'd agree 100% with the 3ft. +height. not a beleiver in all this Carrot Fly can't get above 2ft. rubbish.
You're right DD. All it takes is a stiff breeze to lift them over the top and the damage is done. By the time you notice it's way too late.
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If you are growing carrots in a tunnel, it's useful to fit a half-height screen to keep them out when the tunnel needs to be ventilated.
It's relatively simple to make and fit an inward-opening mesh door on the back of the existing frame, like the bottom half of a stable door.
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Have mentioned this method previously. We use 4 corrugated plastic sheets to form a 4 feet by 4 feet area. The height is approx. 3 feet. Use canes to support them. In general it is very successful though the odd bit of fly damage can sometimes occur if you leave any sort of gap at the corners where two sheets meet.
If you want to see a picture look under plot holders' snaps on our web site and click on Janet & Brian's carrot barrier.
Other solutions:
* grow on a very raised bed (as mentioned in other posts)
* use enviromesh netting.
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Thanks I like the picture of your barrier looks good. Think I may be able to improvise some thing similar either solid or in polythene sheet.:D I had tried the growing onions nearby strategy and cover but they still hit me hence my post.
Thanks HH
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Have mentioned this method previously. We use 4 corrugated plastic sheets to form a 4 feet by 4 feet area. The height is approx. 3 feet. Use canes to support them. In general it is very successful though the odd bit of fly damage can sometimes occur if you leave any sort of gap at the corners where two sheets meet.
If you want to see a picture look under plot holders' snaps on our web site and click on Janet & Brian's carrot barrier.
Other solutions:
* grow on a very raised bed (as mentioned in other posts)
* use enviromesh netting.
Do you keep this barrier up through the whole carrot growing season?
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Have mentioned this method previously. We use 4 corrugated plastic sheets to form a 4 feet by 4 feet area. The height is approx. 3 feet. Use canes to support them. In general it is very successful though the odd bit of fly damage can sometimes occur if you leave any sort of gap at the corners where two sheets meet.
If you want to see a picture look under plot holders' snaps on our web site and click on Janet & Brian's carrot barrier.
Other solutions:
* grow on a very raised bed (as mentioned in other posts)
* use enviromesh netting.
Do you keep this barrier up through the whole carrot growing season?
See my post on the WYSIWYGGY, SN. Depending on how exposed your plot is, a solid barrier can be prone to wind damage. I use enviromesh on wooden frames (panels), which can be packed away for the Winter.
http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=10947
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sweet nasturtium,
we put it up soon after sowing. Used to remove it around the end of Sept but we had trouble with badgers that seem to take a liking to carrots ... so now we leave it up until we harvest the remainder of the crop, usually round mid November time.
We are not in an exposed position so wind has never been a particular problem to us.
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... I was reading about the dreaded carrot root fly at the weekend.
And I was absolutely gobsmacked to read that the carrot fly, once having being forced to fly up and over a barrier the carrot fly cannot descend for 6.5 feet ... :shock: But there was no evidence or logic to back that up ... and of course it struck me that if a carrot fly has to go up and over a barrier it clearly is capable of flying higher than ground level. :roll:
And then it struck me ... it it has to fly over a barrier 6.5 feet away from my carrots (like the fence between my plot and next door's!) ... it's already up in the air and coming down like a bomber pilot and potentially right into my bleeping carrot row ... :lol:
So I'm sticking with the covering em over with fleece method ... :wink:
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So I'm sticking with the covering em over with fleece method ... :wink:
Me too :wink: I'm absolutely determined this year to grow some decent carrots!
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I have just secured an allotment and at the moment a bit disillusioned after reading these posts
It seems it is nigh on impossible to grow carrots without a 24" high barrier around. How do the commercial guys grow their carrots.
I will have to take my seeds back I think :cry:
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Don't be daft - give them a go. Try a bit of fleece over them, the 99p shop has cheap bits.
I had good results from Resistafly last year, and Autumn King in pots.
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I grw mine under a fleece tunnel last year, but it was cheap fleece, and got tatty and they got in through the holes :evil:
So.... this year, I'm going to use an enviromesh tunnel! It kept the butterflies off the half brassicas last year, so they're getting a bigger one to cover the whole bed, and the original half size one will hopefully protect my carrots this year...
Variety seems to make a difference too - the Resistafly fared a lot better than the Auntumn King. I don't know how resistant the coloured varieties are, cos they always get eaten first :D It's the maincrops that get clobbered :?
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Growing a cheap non resistant variety each side of a resistant variety has some success, they go for the cheap ones. Not foolproof however.
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i start mine under a closh next to my onions never enny troubel with root fly
So in theory, if I planted a row of Onions, then a row of Carrots, next to them, then another row of Onions next to the Carrots should keep the fly at bay? 8)
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In theory. 8)
Also, whilst the onion is actively growing and you might need a bit more onion for a row of carrot, can't remember, how much.
I'd fleece them. :wink: