[pa snips]

Hi All 
Over the last 3 years I have been carrot root fly free
Being convinced being taught that the smell attracts the fly I am now fly free ..................well the carrots are
When touched or rubbed against the aromas rise and the fly homes in so I only EVER touch when harvesting and dispose of the leaves in a plastic bag firstly then compost later
I only use pelleted seed easier to sow at 75mm apart no thining or waste at all,The cost of pelleted seed is justified £1 for 500 seed where as some ordinary carrot seed is dearer and lots wasted
I have tried most of the methods
This works if you plant on a bed which was carrot free from the previous season in case any grubs are there

[Christine]

I had no carrots last year so the fly ate the parsley instead.

[Kristen]

This works if you plant on a bed which was carrot free from the previous season in case any grubs are there

or if there is no carrot fly in your area.  If there is, this/next year then they will invade your crop.

No doubt being careful with thinning etc. and/or planting a resistant variety and/or using companion planting (Garlic/whatever) "Helps" but for my money even one or two fly can create huge amounts of damage, so "resistance" is not enough and I want "avoidance" so my advice is to net the whole crop, not just a wall around them because "they can't fly very high" - only one or two need to be swept up on an air current to do damage - build a complete walls-and-roof netting structure around them.

[pa snips]

No doubt being careful with thinning

As I mentioned NO thinning or touching at all a bit hard to except but it works
the only way is to try it out

[mumofstig]

I hope you are right, and they stay fly-free, cos I still wonder if you've just been lucky.

[pa snips]

I hope you are right, and they stay fly-free, cos I still wonder if you've just been lucky.

4th year now I must be very lucky 

[DD.]

I think a lot of it is luck. I didn't get leek moth this year and I'm counting myself lucky. I can't say I'll never get it again.

As I'm surrounded by numerous other plots with carrot fly, I'd never dare to suggest that careful harvesting and thinning alone would be the solution to everyone's carrot fly problem. The only thing I would ever rely on is a good physical barrier.

[Kristen]

4th year now I must be very lucky

Or there is no fly in your area or maybe you are harvesting early / young carrots?, before any serious damage is done.

[digga666]

I was told recently by someone  who should know these things that the companion planting of carrots with strong smelling other vegetables like onions etc for protection from carrot fly is a complete myth.

[pa snips]

4th year now I must be very lucky

Or there is no fly in your area or maybe you are harvesting early / young carrots?, before any serious damage is done.

 I  grow right through the season so its not early cropping before activity, plenty of flies attacking near neighbours carrots Why is there such disbelief?

[Kristen]

 I  grow right through the season so its not early cropping before activity, plenty of flies attacking near neighbours carrots

That's reassuring to hear. (I was meaning leaving in the ground and not harvesting until Winter, rather than successional cropping, but you may be meaning that too )

Why is there such disbelief?

'Coz if it were that easy no one would be having a problem

[pa snips]

 I  grow right through the season so its not early cropping before activity, plenty of flies attacking near neighbours carrots

That's reassuring to hear. (I was meaning leaving in the ground and not harvesting until Winter, rather than successional cropping, but you may be meaning that too )

Why is there such disbelief?

'Coz if it were that easy no one would be having a problem

Sometimes its the simple things that work best

Edit to fix quote

[Yorkie]

We're not saying you're telling porkies, pa snips, it's just that many forum members have tried growing in exactly the same way as you describe, with the results that they describe - i.e. failure of the crop.

They are therefore presenting a balanced response to your statement that if you grow in x way, the result will always be y.  Their experience demonstrates that the result might be z.  There is really no need to dismiss their experience outright or imply that they must be doing it wrong.

New growers need to be aware that different results can occur from similar growing conditions so that they can make an informed decision on how they choose to grow, or at least of the possible range of outcomes.

[oldgrunge]

Have tried being careful when thinning, various companion plantings, growing at height, and having a vertical barrier, result - carrot fly every time. I now cover my carrot crop with an "Enviromesh" cloche from the moment I sow them, no fly at all.

[pa snips]

We're not saying you're telling porkies, pa snips, it's just that many forum members have tried growing in exactly the same way as you describe, with the results that they describe - i.e. failure of the crop.

They are therefore presenting a balanced response to your statement that if you grow in x way, the result will always be y.  Their experience demonstrates that the result might be z.  There is really no need to dismiss their experience outright or imply that they must be doing it wrong.

New growers need to be aware that different results can occur from similar growing conditions so that they can make an informed decision on how they choose to grow, or at least of the possible range of outcomes.

Has anyone tried doing as I do as in" not touching the carrots until harvesting time" I would guess not I am not saying this is the only way but it works for me and some other local growers......Its nice to share good tips with others without getting patronising responses