[Varnish5000]

I'm planning to grow some carrots next year and all I see is talk of carrot fly this and carrot fly that.

I live on a housing estate in Wiltshire, my garden in fenced in on 3 sides, open to the front with maybe 50ft of driveway and garden to the carrot patch.
As far as I can tell I don't live near any carrot fields, its mostly wheat and potatoes round here.

How likely is it I will get a case of carrot fly?
I hear they don't fly that well.

[Aunt Sally]

Interesting question !  It's one I don't know the answer to.  They fly very low and I've no idea how far they will migrate.

[woodburner]

Hmm not that I'm even considering 6ft fences I'd be interested to hear how you get on. The gardens here are all pretty open away from the houses. Apart from the new houses at the top and bottom that have 6ft fences all the way down, we only have wire fencing, or post and rail, so even though there's ony 3 or 4 of us growing veg the carrot fly is free to migrate.  :evil:

[Oscar Too]

They are very low, weak fliers with little ability to manouvre.  However they can be blown a long way.  We grow carrots successfully as the prevailing wind hacks across our allotment quite fast, which doesn't give the blighters a chance to land.  People lower down the site have a bigger problem.

With your situation, I'd say your first year will be ok, but you might see problems in subsequent years as once they do get established they are difficult to shift.  Remember they like parsnips and parsley as well.  Be on your guard, thin carrots in the evening with minimum disruption and damage to leaves, destroy thinnings carefully, and when you lift the crop get all carrot remains out of the ground so as not to give them somewhere to overwinter.

[Varnish5000]

I have growen carrots here before, but that was about 15-20 years ago. I seem to remember them doing quite well.

I hadn't even heard of carrot fly until I looked into growing them properly.
I think I'll use the 2' barrier method, don't want to risk getting the fly.

Thanks

[richyrich7]

They are really only a major problem at certain times of the year

Sow Feb or beginning of March or June to miss egg laying season

I got this info from Carrot Museum all you need to know about carrots and more  

[alfman]

I have growen carrots here before, but that was about 15-20 years ago. I seem to remember them doing quite well.

I hadn't even heard of carrot fly until I looked into growing them properly.
I think I'll use the 2' barrier method, don't want to risk getting the fly.

Thanks

I think you'll be fine with your 24 inch barrier Varnish. Carrot root flies don't fly any higher than about 20 inches from the ground. It will also help if you make shure the soil is well tucked around the stalks when you thin them out, so the flies can't get under the soil easily.

[garddwr]

very interesting website Rich

[DD.]

When I've been plotless, I've grown carrots at home. We are no where near any other carrot growers, but still got the fly.

[corynsboy]

If in doubt cover up.  There's nothing worse than getting a disease because you thought it wouldn't happen to you.