[Jim T]

As  first time plotter last Autumn I made great preparations with a raised bed, digging deep with sand to thin down the clay, added lime and finally growmore fertilizer.
Finally made 3 rows of seeds and started worrying about how I would protect all my wonderful harvest against carrot fly.
In late Spring, I peeped under the fleece to find a mass of weeds, most of which were the ones that pretend to be carrots.
After a feverish but useless attempt to remove the weeds while thinning the carrots, - thinking all the time that I would have let the devil flies in - I quickly threw the fleece over agin and tried to forget the carrot bed.
So I concentrated on the other stuff some of which was very successful (Rocket, Lettuce, Silver beet, spuds, onions and shallots)
Finally My wife and I looked at the carrots and they were a miserable looking lot, most very small and with holes near the tops.

SO I'm going to try again and would be very grateful for any advice and please tell me if I could start again now or must I wait till next spring.
 

[purplebat]

I had exactly the same problem Jim T; I ended up taking the fleece right off; that helped a bit cos I could actually get in there and weed; and what is it with these weeds that look like carrots? I thought I had some wicked ones! but alas, no  :cry:  I'm going to sow some more that should be sown in June but I figured that with this weather, they won't have a clue what season we're in anyway, I know I don't   I just figure they'll have 2 chances, try it and see what happens, good luck  

[brucesgirl]

One of the old-timers told me that whenever you plant seeds you seem to get look-alike weeds grow there. He told me that after I had asked him to check out my parsnips and he showed me the only one I had actually got. I had been nurturing two rows of lookalikes !

[purplebat]

One of the old-timers told me that whenever you plant seeds you seem to get look-alike weeds grow there. He told me that after I had asked him to check out my parsnips and he showed me the only one I had actually got. I had been nurturing two rows of lookalikes !

       that's me!!! glad I'm not the only one  
maybe it's because we leave those ones "just in case, they're the real thing"  :?:

[Aunt Sally]

My carrots are coming up perfect. No carrot fly at all.  When I sowed them I put a 2 ft wall of envormesh stapled to stakes all around the rows.  Keeps the fly out and lets me in to weed, water etc.  

[Jim T]

I had exactly the same problem Jim T; I ended up taking the fleece right off; that helped a bit cos I could actually get in there and weed; and what is it with these weeds that look like carrots? I thought I had some wicked ones! but alas, no  :cry:  I'm going to sow some more that should be sown in June but I figured that with this weather, they won't have a clue what season we're in anyway, I know I don't   I just figure they'll have 2 chances, try it and see what happens, good luck  

Many thanks Purplebat, friends in need
PS What's your subject in adult Ed :?:

[Jim T]

My carrots are coming up perfect. No carrot fly at all.  When I sowed them I put a 2 ft wall of envormesh stapled to stakes all around the rows.  Keeps the fly out and lets me in to weed, water etc.  

Right Aunt Sally, Think I'll try that next time - and give them a lot of Marigolds too

[purplebat]

Many thanks Purplebat, friends in need
PS What's your subject in adult Ed :?:

calligraphy and arts and crafts

[splodger]

i use old net curtains to protect my carrots - it lets alot more light in - and i don't get copycat weeds.

but you novices must be reminded of the old adage "one year of seeds = seven years of weeds"  

don't let the weeds take over  

[milkman]

My foolproof way to grow carrots is to draw out a v shaped row with a rake, water the bottom of the v if it's dry (ho ho ho) then fill it with multipurpose compost, sow the carrots on the top and then cover with a very thin layer of multipurpose - watch out for the carrots appearing 10 days later.  If the weather is damp, try and keep the row dry otherwise no sooner than the carrots appear will they be munched on by slimey slitherly b***ers.

The weeds are slower to grow through the compost so it's easier to spot the carrots  

I keep my carrots covered with viromesh at all times to keep the root fly out.

[Sadgit]

I started planting mine in bins/buckets 3 feet high.. the * cannot fly that high so cannot get to them...

[Jim T]

My foolproof way to grow carrots is to draw out a v shaped row with a rake, water the bottom of the v if it's dry (ho ho ho) then fill it with multipurpose compost, sow the carrots on the top and then cover with a very thin layer of multipurpose - watch out for the carrots appearing 10 days later.  If the weather is damp, try and keep the row dry otherwise no sooner than the carrots appear will they be munched on by slimey slitherly b***ers.

The weeds are slower to grow through the compost so it's easier to spot the carrots  

I keep my carrots covered with viromesh at all times to keep the root fly out.

This sounds good - Thats wot I'll do next time

[Celtic Eagle]

Jim

First  job to grow good carrots

Go skip diving for old baths

Fill with cheap but decent compost

sow seeds  and water

Works for me, no stones and no carrot fly

Reckon I'll replace about a third of the compost on the first bath this winter and get as manuy more as I can filled going to try this with parsnips as well

Good Luck



Good Luck

[Annie]

I do the same as milkman with most of my seeds now so I know which are weeds.I had those weeds that looked like carrots the first time I grew them,have not seen any before or since. :lol:I also use viromesh.
I have good carrots this year,at last,my first year the april planted carrots were loved and nurtured and eaten at Christmas as baby carrot 2" long at best,so keep trying,you can always sew a few now and get a crop.

[Jim T]

Jim

First  job to grow good carrots

Go skip diving for old baths

Fill with cheap but decent compost

sow seeds  and water

Works for me, no stones and no carrot fly

Good Luck

  Many thanks C.E.
One of our plotters told me this morning that he had done this and gacve me some of his magnificent harvest.
I told him that my wife would not allow a bath on the plot! "It doesn't look right you know". So  :idea: I have obtained 3 large pots and will stand them on pallets this should do nicely in place of a bath.
(I'm going to try, try and try again)