[Cheshire Phill]

Well, despite early fleecing, and choosing restant varieties (Resistafly and Flyaway), and also using carrot Fly nematodes (Grow Your Own), I have come back from hols to find I've lost all three 10ft rows of carrots to fly. They had all grown nicely too some were around 8" long.

I only took the fleece off a couple of weeks back since they were getting starved of light, and now the b******d flies have had the lot!!

Thats it for me. Never again. Too much faff, fleece, drums, thinning etc. etc. I don't like to be beaten, but thats 3 years on the trot, so I'm giving up on these. Sainsbury's here I come...

Phill 

[DD.]

Enviromesh.

[Jonajo]

I would echo the virtues of enviromesh. I used it this year and got no carrot fly yet I too had suffered in the past with my main carrots with the dreaded fly so I share your upset! I merely used a few bamboo canes around the carrot bed, upturned plastic bottles on top, and draped over the enviromesh - and earth/peg around the bottom.

I have just sown my winter carrots but had run out of enviromesh so have used fleece instead. Did that last August and the winter carrots were fine. I found it let enough of the light in.

[aelf]

I was going to give up after loosing my crop last year (again) but decided to have one more go. I made a large, deep wooden planter and stood it on breezeblocks (3 blocks high) so that the top of the box is at my chest height. no fleece used.

Result: lovely carrot crop - we have been eating them now for a couple of months, and NO CARROTFLY!! 

[DD.]

I can't get 3 x 32' rows of carrots that high!

[aelf]

I can't get 3 x 32' rows of carrots that high!

the box is 72'' long and 18'' wide. I can fit about 40 carrots per square foot in it and, with successional sowing, should get around 450 carrots out of it. That's enough for us 

[arugula]

Because of space constraints, we don't grow everything or as much of some crops as we would like, but carrots whilst cheap to buy are always there as the flavour compared to shop bought, is out of this world!

Worth persevering......

[aelf]

Because of space constraints, we don't grow everything or as much of some crops as we would like, but carrots whilst cheap to buy are always there as the flavour compared to shop bought, is out of this world!

Worth persevering......

quite right! There is no better taste than a fresh carrot 

[peapod]

Because of space constraints, we don't grow everything or as much of some crops as we would like, but carrots whilst cheap to buy are always there as the flavour compared to shop bought, is out of this world!

Worth persevering......

Couldn't agree more. Any chance of building a raised bed and environmesh too? Really worth it as Argyllie says

[Livinhope]

I have never had any success with carrots so I only grew a row of Resistafly about 5 foot long, covered it, and a few other things, with enviromesh then sat back and waited for them to fail.  Guess what, utter success so have quickly planted another full row.  Next year will go to town.  I guess the enviromesh is something that these days we can't do without.  Another method is what a neighbouring plot holder did which was to grow them high in an old tin bath.

[oldcow]

Not sure I'll grow any next year either. Mine were grown under mesh, so no fly problems, but I don't think they taste any better than the ones bought in supermarkets (and I grew two varieties). It was my first year, so maybe I did something wrong, but they look good and the other veggies grown in the same soil taste great...

[DD.]

I'd be examining my taste buds!

If the taste is the same as the supermarket ones, they'd have no taste at all!

[madcat]

I feel for you Phill!  I share your pain....      Its not just you ....

Why do they go for MY carrots and decimate them, while everyone else grows lovely ones in open ground without any protection at all???  No rabbits, no fly, no slugs ....  they home in on me! 

[JayG]

I feel for you Phill!  I share your pain....      Its not just you ....

Why do they go for MY carrots and decimate them, while everyone else grows lovely ones in open ground without any protection at all???  No rabbits, no fly, no slugs ....  they home in on me! 

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

[DD.]

I feel for you Phill!  I share your pain....      Its not just you ....

Why do they go for MY carrots and decimate them, while everyone else grows lovely ones in open ground without any protection at all???  No rabbits, no fly, no slugs ....  they home in on me! 

They only did it the once to me. The first year on my current plot and I skipped 6 wheelbarrow loads of carrots. I'd never come across the fly before.

I'm not going without proper tasting carrots and I vowed they'd never do it again!