[Sooz]

I have grown carrots reasonably successfully for years, but last year had an attack of carrot fly.
I believe I should not use that part of my plot for growing carrots this year, but how can I stop the same problem happening again?  I used to use Bromophos until it became no longer available.  Is there an alternative?

[DD.]

Prevention is better than cure.

A 2' polythene barrier around the carrots will stop most of the fly getting in, but I've found the best results for me is a total covering in "Enviromesh".

Some grow their carrots raised up high, in barrels, old baths etc, but that's totally impractical for me.

[Sideways]

I used old net curtains to cover my carrots last year, the type with no partern or holes.

We were eating healthy, delicious carrots right up until November and didnt loose a single bite to fly.

I will be doing exactly the same this year.

[Jonajo]

yes full covering with enviromesh or similar is pretty fool-proof. Not one whiff of carrot fly on any carrot - and still harvesting them from the ground at the moment (a second, later sowing of them). But in previous years I was less cautious and paid the price!

[Sooz]

Thank you for your suggestions.  I think you're right.  But can I use the same ground, or must I use somewhere else?

[catmint]

someone said plant carrots close to onions will help, cause carrot fly does not like the smell of onions, and onion fly does not like the smell of carrot. I just got my allotment, haven't try this method yet.

[DD.]

Thank you for your suggestions.  I think you're right.  But can I use the same ground, or must I use somewhere else?

Always wise to rotate anything against pest & disease. The fly remains dormant in the ground over winter, so especially rotate in this case as you had the problem last year.

[JayG]

someone said plant carrots close to onions will help, cause carrot fly does not like the smell of onions, and onion fly does not like the smell of carrot. I just got my allotment, haven't try this method yet.

It's by far the riskiest of the 3 prevention techniques suggested so far!

[daisy1990]

raised beds are a great barrier against the flies (who fly low), care when thinning out is also important as the smell attracts the flies and I have planted garlic in between the rows.  These three measures have meant I have never had carrot fly *my next door neighbour has!)

[bigben]

My neighbour always grows his in a few old baths. He has got the soil nice by adding sand and seiving it and because the sides are high he never seems to get hit by the fly. I dont know how he copes about growing in the same area  each year.

[rowlandwells]

there must be a way of growing carrots without putting reams of enviromesh all over the crop I've seen fields of carrots and not a single sign of mesh or curtains or any other protection  

so how do they keep the fly off the crop when there are acres and acres of carrots as DD says the carrot fly lays dormant in the ground overwinter and is ready to  pounce when the time's rite  

what about spraying the carrots when they start to emerge as said bromophos has been withdrawn so we need to find an alternative what about Provado [Bayer] is that  the answer without miles of mesh or maybe nemasys' that they say you can be watered  into the soil is it  worth a try  

[DD.]

I think you'll find that farmers that grow acres and acres of anything have access to stuff that we don't.

I've seen fields of carrots organically grown in Jersey covered in fleece.

[JayG]

Commercial crop-growing (non-organic) relies on an enormous arsenal of pesticides and other chemical treatments, almost none of which are available to the home grower (which is one of the reasons many of us like to grow our own!)

Growing carrots high enough to be out of reach of carrot fly works quite well, enviromesh works 100% if you do it right; they are both quite cheap in the grand scheme of things so why go looking for chemical treatments?

[Sooz]

Does environmesh come in small quantities i.e off a roll?  I only grow a few rows of carrots and don't want to have to buy a massive roll and store it.

[DD.]

You can buy it by the metre, width to suit from here:

http://www.gardening-naturally.com/acatalog/Enviromesh.html#aEM001

If you can find it supplied locally, you'll save the postage, of course.