[Togalosh]

My carrot tops were looking lush last week (my best to date)..then I weeded inbetween them & now this week they look like they are slowly dying as the tops are browning...

I watered straight afterwards as this was meant to compact the soil back around them as the weeds had grown to the same size as the tops & so a bit of the soil was disturbed.

Last year I got 5 stumpy things for my efforts- this year I had 2 full rows of lush tops with lots of onions either side of them to deter pests.

Can anyone give me advice on what exactly I did wrong... apart from keeping up with the Jones's of course - I'm not convinced a few weeds here n there would've affected the yield.

[pigeonpie]

Hi,
Did you make sure that the soil around each carrot was firmly back in place after weeding?  The little things are quite delicate with not much root so any disturbance may cause them to become loose and therefore struggle to pick up water and nutrients.

[Togalosh]

Hello Pigeonpie,

No I didn't because I thought the watering would do that.... so now I know what thought did.

Good name btw..we've been thinking of pigeon pie this week after the * have been at our beans..

[pigeonpie]

Watering does help but I always make sure that I push the soil around as well.  It might not be too late to make sure their feet are anchored safely.

If you do decide to do something about the pigeon problem I can highly recommend seared pigeon breasts with mushrooms, black pudding and poached egg for a spot of breakfast!

[Togalosh]

Right, that's it - I'm off to rescue my carrots & bag a few pidgeons.

Many thanks

[pigeonpie]

Also, just a thought.  If you watered late at night and then the sun was hot first thing in the morning the leaves may have been scorched which may have caused the browning.  If the carrots turn out ok perhaps there can be a carrot and pigeon recipe to celebrate!!!

[barbarella]

Or you could look after our cats when we are on holiday - they specialise in pigeon, with the odd mouse for an appetiser

[Togalosh]

Oh hell (I've noticed that stronger words are sensored)  ..it's Carrot Fly..

I went along tamping down the soil & found that while some brown ones were in loose soil so were some lush ones. I mentioned all this to our (almost) resident & all knowing plantsman who immediately said Carrot Fly...so I pulled up a brown one, snapped it open & found a maggot like beast poking it's greedy little wigglyness out at me !

I'm guessing that in my compulsion to keep up appearances I wafted the scent of carrot on the breeze to our resident blind-as-bat carrot flies who would not've otherwise found them    Another lesson hard learnt..ho hum.

All is not lost however..I'm not keen on the flavour of Nantes from what I've had so far & I had no space left to plant out my Celeriac..so as ever when one door slams shut in my face another one opens.

Is there any do's n don't's I need to know about celeriac??  :blink:

[mumofstig]

see if this is any help  

but the bad news is that carrot fly like celeriac as well 

[solway cropper]

If you sow early in the year for small carrots or from late June for maincrop you can avoid a lot of the problems with carrot fly as it does seem to be most active early to mid summer. I also grow my early carrots in containers and never have any problems. The theory there is that the fly stays close to the ground.

[pigeonpie]

I've never had much luck with celeriac, the bulbs don't seem to want to form no matter what I do.  I've read all the books and followed all the advice but I still end up with tiny but delicious bulbs that are about the size of radish!  Carrot fly is supposedly put off if you water after thinning but obviously that wasn't enough for you.  I grow my carrots in a raised bed (about 3ft off the ground) and have never had a problem with fly. 
If you're worried about the carrot fly also targeting your celeriac you could put some fly net around them.  Maybe celeriac mash with roast pigeon breast then? 

[PennyS]

Just jumping in on this...

I've got all my carrots and parsnips under environmesh.  But I didn't make the frame quite tall enough and they're a bit squashed.

They have managed to escape the carrot fly pretty well, as far as I can see.

Is it early enough yet do you reckon that I could take the environmesh off altogether and let them stretch their legs?  Are the flies gone?

Penny

[Togalosh]

Thanks for all the advice..I'm looking out for an old bath to plant into next time.

Looks like Celeriac may need the same lofty treatmet if the carrot fly like them too so I guess I need 2 baths.

[Paul Plots]

Weeding / thinning / lifting carrots is best done late evening or early morning - Carrot Fly seem to spend a lot of time in bed so these times help avoid their attention.

[greenun]

I saw a doco years ago on telly. This South american market gardener planted out his seeds and never weeded. When he harvested them (tomatoes and stuff the weeds where 3' high)
Carrot tip. Cut off the tops , soak the carrots in water in the fridge overnight keeps them fresh for days according to an Italian market gardener.












0. All the plants where healthy and ripe . No bugs no disease..
Carrot tip. cut the tops off and place in a bowl of water overnight in the fridge. keeps them fresh for days according to an Italian market gardener.