[whinpin]

Hello all .just wondering if I can use debris netting to cover my carrots to protect from carrot fly

[Paul Plots]

I think others would agree that the hole size on debris netting is too large to stop the little pesky fly from getting in. Enviromesh has much, much smaller holes so keeps them out.

Debris netting might confuse them but it won't stop them. 

[Yorkie]

Yes, I think the hole sizes are too big for it to be effective with any degree of certainty.

[alexroyall85]

Hi

I even tried the enviro mess which is meant to be a guarantee that the pesky things don't get through but the still do. This year i am going to try seed that is resistant to them and see if these do better.

[DD.]

If they got past Enviromesh, they must have got through a gap. They would not get through it.

You may well be in for a disappointment if you rely solely on fly resistant carrots and no barrier. They are fly resistant, not fly proof.

[MickyB]

After last years disappointment I have ordered 'Carrot 'Flyaway' F1 Hybrid' seeds and also plan to cover them up with enviromesh.

Does anyone have any experience with growing this variety?

If I have to open the mesh up at any stage for weeding etc is there a best time of day when the carrot fly are less active to do it?

[Glosterboy]

I can shop for carrots within any of the big or small supermarkets. Albeit the carrots are pre-packed or loose. And yet none of them of which I've purchased or have seen have any carrot fly damage what so ever. What are these carrot growers using to stop carrot fly damaging their crop? Why isn't this "magic formula" available to your everyday home grower?

[fatbelly]

If they got past Enviromesh, they must have got through a gap. They would not get through it.

You may well be in for a disappointment if you rely solely on fly resistant carrots and no barrier. They are fly resistant, not fly proof.

This.

[PudsTree]

Why are carrots in supermarkets so free of pest damage? Well, somehow I don't think they employ people to go round and blow the carrot flies away! I do think they use a whole pile of chemicals which the amateur gardener is not equipped to use nor would they if they knew how toxic they were. Below id a link to one site that list 26 chemical residues found on shop bought carrots.

http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=CR

It's not funny any more, the veg from supermarkets contains a cocktail of chemicals which no sane person would contemplate using.

[solway cropper]

I agree with the last post. I don't care how much fly damage my carrots get I'd still rather eat them than shop bought ones.

[peedee555]

i agree shop bought ones have so many chemicals they probaly kill anything that goes near them ..i had quite a good havest last year which was surprising as i did nothing to them at all after sowing the seeds

[Paul Plots]

MickyB

I tried 'Flyaway' F1 Hybrid' - They produced a decent carrot - not too dissimilar to Autumn King although I'm not convinced that the flavour was quite so good. There were fewer boring carrot fly holes in these than the Autumn King but for the additional price of the seed - not a full-proof answer by any means.

I don't use barriers - I do get carrot fly but the level of damage varies from year to year according to the weather conditions. If I'm lucky most of the damage is confined to the first few surface millimetres so a veg peeler leaves plenty of carrot for us. I usually grow loads which gives me a better chance of harvesting some good ones. I also leave many in the ground until late autumn and into the winter.

Later sowing times can help.

[strider84]

I had a square patch for my carrots with a stake in each corn and just wrapped some fleece so it was about two foot straight up and buried about 3 inches. Tacked it to the stakes and hey presto.....

If anyone gets veg boxes from riverford you can order 2nd hand fleece from them for a fiver for a quite a large amount.

There are small holes here and then but I just close pegged the holes up worked a treat for me in terms of the carrot fly. Shame it didn't stop the mice burrowing under and eating the tops.

[sunshineband]

After last years disappointment I have ordered 'Carrot 'Flyaway' F1 Hybrid' seeds and also plan to cover them up with enviromesh.

Does anyone have any experience with growing this variety?

If I have to open the mesh up at any stage for weeding etc is there a best time of day when the carrot fly are less active to do it?

Micky, dry evenings are a good time to weed, as the scent of the carrot leaves does not travel so far then. Take the thinnings away not leave them lying around.

I also grow my parsnips under enviro mesh, and they are then undamaged too. I cover one whole raised bed, leaving no gaps under edges, and it works a treat. I don't peg it down -pegs = holes in my book -  I weight is down with old planks wedged against the outside of the bed.

The stuff lasts for years, and can even go through the washing machine if you need it cleaned up a bit after a couple of seasons 

[AnneB]

I agree with Sunshine and DD.  The only way I can avoid carrot fly is using enviromesh.   If I try other methods such as raising a container up, a fleece barrier or debris netting, confusing flies with flowers etc, none of them work.  The level of damage I get at both the allotment and at home is enough to render the crop useless.

Like Sunshine I net one whole raised bed and grow all my carrots and parsnips in there and get good fly free crops.