[foster75]

Hi all I got my allotment last year and it's taken me a while to sort it out as the whole thing was a pigeon loft. However I did manage a few late crops last year, one of them being carrots.  The stalks looked healthy but when I pulled them up they were riddled with holes. So I'm planning to net them this year.What size netting should I use?
thanks
David

[snow white]

Get veggie mesh.  Dear, but lasts for years

[mumofstig]

Yes, veggimesh or enviromesh ( the smallest holes )

[georget]

Would fleece that Wilko sell keep carrot fly out.Its a lot cheaper than enviromesh.

[Maarten]

Hi,

I have used enviromesh for a few years on a carrot bed and was very happy with it. I am about to make a new raised carrot bed at our new allotment and will definitely go for enviromesh again. The idea is that it is fine enough to keep insects out, but light can still penetrate very well, which will probably be the biggest difference with the fleece you are mentioning. It also lets the air go through quite well, which keeps fungal disease down and is also good when it is very windy as it is (somewhat) les likely to fly away. The long durability is completely dependent on keeping it nice and clean, not on pointy supports etc. Any hole and a lucky carrot fly is in heaven and not likely to leave. I used to put bricks around to keep it in place as Ididn't want to put stakes through it.

Best wishes,

Maarten

[JayG]

Fleece would keep the fly out but isn't very durable, and blocks more light than enviromesh.

Whichever you use make sure there are no gaps, especially round the edges - carrot flies are poor fliers but unfortunately that means they're quite good at crawling through gaps! 

[beesrus]

Fleece is good for frost, seedlings, and short term needs or emergencies.
But to cover a carrot crop properly for 3 to 4 months against determined blighters, enviromesh is the answer and lasts for years and years. Lasts far better than scaffold netting. Well worth the investment, if only for carrots.
Lets a lot of light in too and protects plants from wind a certain amount and hence probably raises the temperature a degree. Perfect for carrots and brassicas. No good for pollinated crops obviously and overqualified for general bird protection.

[foster75]

Ok I'm sold best place to buy it? Would b & q sell it

[Silkworm]

l use old net curtains (the plain type not patterned) or muslin worked great for me last year , had some stonking carrots.
Just make sure you all edges are weighted down, l use pet bottles filled with water.

Silky 

[JayG]

Ok I'm sold best place to buy it? Would b & q sell it

Not seen it in B+Q, but then again I've not actually looked for it. 

Gurgle Enviromesh, Veggiemesh, Wondermesh (probably other names too) - lots of suppliers and good prices if you shop around.

[3 allotments]

I have used fine net curtain before  and it worked ok

[shoozie]

Fleece would keep the fly out but isn't very durable. Whichever you use make sure there are no gaps, especially round the edges - carrot flies are poor fliers but unfortunately that means they're quite good at crawling through gaps! 

Just make sure you all edges are weighted down

Agreed 

[Growster...]

We use debris netting, which comes in various thicknesses, so I assume it's a better one. (It had been chucked out after a building job)!

Last year, we only had about 2% fly attack, and that was well after I took the nets off!

Much cheaper than Enviromesh when new too.