Flyaway; Root fly resistant. NOT!!!!

[Graham K]

As is says in the title flyaway is not in the least resistant to carrot root fly. I have just had to bin every last one of my carrots (can I compost them?). I bought Flyaway because of it's claims to be "some what" resistant to the dreaded fly, complete waste of time!

Any comments welcome, but I think the photos say it all.

[Bren In Pots]

They could be photos of my carrots Mine went into the council recycling bin because I didn't want to risk composting them in case my Dalek didn't get hot enough to kill the larvae.

[WendyC]

I think resistant is the clue, not carrot fly proof. Probably they'd prefer other varieties but if that's what's available that's what they go for. They really are destructive.
They only way I have found to avoid attack is to tightly cover the whole crop in enviromesh for the whole of their lifetime.
I only uncovered the remaining ones last week. I have cut off the foliage as it was looking a bit manky and earthed up the roots.
I feel your pain.

[zazen999]

I either cover from sowing to harvest or don't bother. Too much like hard work.

[rustylady]

The only way is Enviromesh or fleece throughout the life of the crop.

[Graham K]

Thinking of cost again (I'm not really tight), would net curtains do the same job as enviromesh? Not the fancy patterned ones but plain nets, they are quite fine on the mesh but should let the sun and rain in but keep out the "fly".

Any thoughts?

[Nicos]

We use the cheap net curtains from Ikea- and they seem to work fine!

Graham- eeek!They look very small- try growing an earlier variety next time, that and fleece seem to help us stay root fly free.

[Tripmeup]

Enviromesh for me... Sow, cover and leave...no thinning for me...

[WilliamD]

Bad luck Graham. The annoying thing is all that damage could've been started by just one fly. Mesh is the answer, and your idea of net curtains sounds great. Personally I believe in a fully enclosed mesh cage, not just the metre-high barrier that's often suggested on the grounds that the flies can't get over that height. All it takes is a gust of wind to blow a fly over that barrier.

The success you'll have with them next year will make up for this year's disappointment.

[binley100]

My carrotfly resistant ones were fine .....and were uncovered ..guess its the luck of the draw .

[Alison]

I cover in enviromesh throughout the whole season from sowing to cropping on the outdoor ones but the quicker growing ones I grow in the polytunnel don't seem to suffer at all without any additional protection whenever they're harvested etc.

[johnjohn]

We have a root fly problem and the plotters at the top of the plot put a wind break of polythene or net sheeting around, approx 2 feet high, no covering over the top. My understanding is that they don't
(cant?) fly very high so the barrier is sufficient.

We are at the bottom of the slope and don't seem to have the same problem- we sow into open ground but companion plant marigolds between each row which seems to work for us, or maybe were just lucky?

[WendyC]

The theory that carrot fly can't fly over 2' is a myth. I know I've tried it!

[Bren In Pots]

They might not be able to fly over 2 ft but the wind or even the slightest breeze will carry them easily over it.

[Two_Sheds]

flyaway is not in the least resistant to carrot root fly..

No, it isn't.

The idea, it's been put to me, is that you plant the Flyaway next to your normal variety of carrot. The fly is then supposed to go for the normal carrot and leave the Flyaway alone.

Tis ballocks, as you've discovered.

Enviromesh is the only thing I've found to work and it needs to be totally pegged down with no gaps.

Either that, or grow the carrots miles away from any other carrot in the area. We have a superb crop (self-sown too) at school, which is in the middle of a concrete town, where the only gardens there have fridges & sofas in them