[Jim T]

:idea: Just seen Monty Donn on TV planting cornflower seeds alonside carrots to protect against carrot fly. He said its prettier than fleece, yea but didn't say how it works.
Will it just make a physical barrier :?:  
Going to do it anyway  

[big green bloke]

no the smell of the flower hide the smell of the carrots so the carrot flies go eles where  to lays her eggs where there is a stronger smell of carrot or so i understand    yours big green bloke

[GafferGamgee]

I am doing a similar thing with a few marigolds, a pot of mint and a few chives in a pot
Smell-a-gastic!!!!!

[GrannieAnnie]

I've put 3 rows of carrots in the old bathtub and covered it over with an old shower door to help keep the soil warm, and when I put my outside carrots in, I'm going to try half of them with a fleece barrier and the other half with marigolds, lavender, mint and now cornflowers around them to see if that helps!!!!  Mind you, if the smell carries to the carrots behind the fleece, I won't know if it was the fleece or the smell that kept the carrot fly away will I?  

But if we don't try these things, we won't know will we?  At least that's what I keep telling OH when he keeps saying why are you doing that???

[Trillium]

If you're planting the true cornflower, then it will very quickly self seed and become a weed. In Holland it's a real problem, and it's one here if allowed anywhere near the veg or flower gardens. You're constantly pulling it because it went to seed and if you don't let it flower it won't have any scent to deter the carrot fly. Odd Monty should say that as I've watched his Fork to Fork series and in his own garden he uses lots of chives around carrot/snip borders.

[pwgun]

Could you tease carrot fly away from carrot crop using sacrificial small row of carrots that are rustled religiously to attract them, or will that create other problems?

[mkhenry]

In days of old to defeat the carrot fly trails of paraffin and creosote where used. It is indeed the smell that attracts and from a long way away.If next doors plot has them they will soon find you. And if you allow a few sacrificial carrots to become infected they will be considered the starter,and they will very soon find the maincrop and to them the main course. If you use a barrier dont forget if you lift it to water or just to take a peak they will fly in,you will not notice them until its too late. This is how most covered carrots become infected.

[king cauli]

[Mind you, if the smell carries to the carrots behind the fleece, I won't know if it was the fleece or the smell that kept the carrot fly away will I?  

that did make me laugh g.a
have seen em doin the cornflower trick on our site,got chives,onions and garlic round mine

[Jim T]

If you're planting the true cornflower, then it will very quickly self seed and become a weed. In Holland it's a real problem, and it's one here if allowed anywhere near the veg or flower gardens. You're constantly pulling it because it went to seed and if you don't let it flower it won't have any scent to deter the carrot fly. Odd Monty should say that as I've watched his Fork to Fork series and in his own garden he uses lots of chives around carrot/snip borders.

Right :!: I'm going to plant Chives instead of cornflowers

[purplekat]

I had an idea - don't know if it'll work.
I was researching how to keep cats off my seed bed and found somewhere said cotton wool balls soaked in tea tree oil as they hate the smell - I was wondering if the same would work for carrot fly if I put some in the middle of my carrot patch (i'm doing square foot gardening so the patches are only small)

worth a try anyway

[Dan]

I wish i knew carrots were such bother before i bought my three seed packets ! lol....before i started this, it was the lure of growing "easy" things like carrots and pulling the fresh ...long...fat and sometimes odd shaped roots and rejoicing....

Im now convinced im going to end up with a sorry bunch of festering fly food instead.

[sootypaws]

Grannie Annie if you are growing your carrots in a bath tub then you shouldnt have any problems with carrot fly. apparently the carrot fly only flys about 2 foot from the ground, your ath will be taller than this. I've never had a problem when growing in my old bath.
Ann

[Jim T]

I wish i knew carrots were such bother before i bought my three seed packets ! lol....before i started this, it was the lure of growing "easy" things like carrots and pulling the fresh ...long...fat and sometimes odd shaped roots and rejoicing....

Im now convinced im going to end up with a sorry bunch of festering fly food instead.

What is lol.
My gandaughter uses it as "Lots of luv" butthat can't be it here ... can it :?  

[Jake]

I wish i knew carrots were such bother before i bought my three seed packets ! lol....before i started this, it was the lure of growing "easy" things like carrots and pulling the fresh ...long...fat and sometimes odd shaped roots and rejoicing....

Im now convinced im going to end up with a sorry bunch of festering fly food instead.

  It might happen, might not. This is the first year I've actually got any carrots to worry about. Last 2 years attemps resulted in such poor germination / seedling survival that I got about 8 carrots both times. This year I've got loads of good healthy seedlings but am worried about all these new problems. I planted chives nearby, well they're a bit like onions aren't they? Thats supposed to be good, right? :?

[Jake]

and lol can be lots of laughs OR laughs out loud

as well as lots of love.

I hate that text speak though.