Carrot fly solution

[annie8]

I haven’t yet found the best solution to protecting my carrots from carrot fly.I have slightly raised beds say 2m by 1.5m. Usually I have wrapped some fleece round posts that I put in each corner of the bed but feels like I am constantly fixing it as they get caught by the wind. I have plenty of the blue pipe hoops that I could put over the crops if I maybe buy some fleece? What do people do that works for them?

[greenishfing]

I have just about given up. It doesn't matter what I do, what resistant variety I grow, how high I plant them or how well I cover them those little bug*ers, the carrot fly, find them and tunnel them.

I am all ears if anybody has a foolproof solution.

[Penellype]

I grow my carrots in 30 litre buckets in a purpose built carrot cage:



The cage is 1m high, 2m long and 75cm wide and comfortably fits 10 buckets. I usually grow 8 buckets of carrots and use the last 2 spaces for brassicas. The net is a single piece of insect mesh, bought specially for the job. The frame is a mixture of 16mm poles from an old fruit cage (painted steel) and aluminium poles bought because the old ones rusted through, and the joints are the ordinary push in corners for 16mm poles. At the start of the season (around now) I put the net on. I clip the back of the net to the base pole, then I weigh down the remaining edges with bricks, which I can lift to harvest the carrots. I sow the seeds sparingly, trying to place them an inch or so apart in each direction and I never thin them. I use compost that has been sieved and has either never grown carrots or has not done so for at least 4 years.

I have never had problems with carrot fly using this method. There are definitely carrot fly around in York, as attempts to grow carrots at the allotment (in the tunnel) and in unprotected pots at home resulted in carrot fly damage.

I have grown the variety Nandor without a net. There was some fly damage, but nothing much when I started harvesting, after which it increased noticeably.

[Ger-annie-um]

I grow mine pretty much as Penellype and also in rows in a raised bed at the allotment. The lotty carrots have blue pipe over with fine mesh netting cover........usually voile net curtain from a certain Scandinavian store

[ameno]

I wouldn't recommend fleece. Although it works, it tears easily so it doesn't last long.

I use hoops made from that blue plastic pipe covered with fine insect mesh. I make sure the mesh is well pegged or weighed down all around the edges, with no gaps. It works very well for me, with no carrot fly damage.
I got my mesh cheap imported from China (from Aliexpress), as the stuff is so damn expensive here. Even my imported stuff is still more expensive than fleece, but it also lasts a lot longer.

[annie8]

Aha how interesting thanks. So sounds like I could use my blue pipe hoops but need to get insect mesh. Will get searching.

[Bren In Pots]

I grow mine in buckets covered in fine netting thats only lifted to harvest the carrots.

[Mr Bones]

For the last three or four years we've grown Katrin carrots adjacent to various other varieties. Apart from when the seedlings are very small all are left open and un-netted. Carrot fly gets to the other varieties (to some extent) but each year the Katrin have remained pretty well untouched until very late in the season. I don't know if the fly just isn't attracted to Katrin or if it prefers other varieties first, this year we're only sowing Katrin so it'll be interesting to see what happens.

[annie8]

Have ordered some fine mesh. Bought what I hope is decent stuff that’ll last a good few years. I’ve found it is false economy sometimes to go for cheap then it doesn’t last. Worked out easier just to cover the whole bed rather than just part. Will put it over the blue hoops.

[littlemoney]

I wouldn't recommend fleece. Although it works, it tears easily so it doesn't last long.

I use hoops made from that blue plastic pipe covered with fine insect mesh. I make sure the mesh is well pegged or weighed down all around the edges, with no gaps. It works very well for me, with no carrot fly damage.
I got my mesh cheap imported from China (from Aliexpress), as the stuff is so damn expensive here. Even my imported stuff is still more expensive than fleece, but it also lasts a lot longer.

I am trying to grow some carrots. What is the blue pipe/hoops please and where can I get it from. Is it very expensive? I have some net curtains wich were given to me which I hope will do.

[ameno]

The blue pipe is the flexible plastic pipe used for mains water fittings in walls or underground (they use copper or rigid plastic in places where it can be seen). You can buy it from any builder's merchants or DIY store.
It's not overly expensive, although it's not dirt-cheap, either. If anyone near you is doing some building work you may be able to get some off-cuts for free. That's what I did.

Net curtains should be fine, but just make sure they are large enough to cover the whole arc right down to the ground. The flies will get in if you leave any gaps.

[Bren In Pots]

If you can't get hold of the blue pipe would a kid's hoola hoop cut in half work?

[ameno]

It would work, but it would only be enough to cover a single row. By the time you have pushed it into the ground, it wouldn't offer enough head room to cover more than one row.

[annie8]

I bought my blue pipe in screw fix if that helps. It was a pretty long length so cut it and used for some smaller and some larger covers as my beds vary in size. I use it covered with net for my brassicas and finer mesh now for my carrots. Cost a bit to buy but will last for ages and flexible. Certainly cheaper than buying the covers the shops sell.

[annie8]

This is what they look like