Fact, fiction or old wives tale

[Ken the Chef]

For the past two or even three years I have grown carrots in old flower display tubs from Tesco. They are deep and square ideal for the job!
I have had variable results but that is a side issue. CARROT ROOT FLY has been my main cause of worry; I have increased the hight at which I grow them in tubs, currently the tub top is just over four feet from ground level.
We are told that CARROT FLY do not fly at any great hight- the hight at which they can fly is usually stated as low flying.
Is this fact, fiction or just an old wives tale???
I have a much higher wall for next years crop, six feet!!
Another factor that I have considered is the compost as this year I opted for peat free; which I had to sieve as there was so much rubbish in it; my plant found it difficult to germinate. Are compost normally sterilized?
Do nemo toads make a difference as I used this them this year on my carrots. I will be pulling from my main crop soon; early indications are looking good
the question still remains. WHERE IS THE TRUTH ABOUT CARROT FLY!!

[sparrow100]

I grow them in 42L tubs on my balcony, 7.5m off the ground - perfect carrots each time.

[teakdesk]

Now this is my own thoughts, not qualified by research!

I believe that carrot root fly do indeed fly, if unaided, no more than 12 or 18 inches from the ground.

However, I also believe that gusts of wind blow them higher than this.

So whenever I position pots of carrots 3 feet off the ground and still get the fly I put it down to the fly being blown up and over a nearby wall, greenhouse or other crops and so can land quite happily on my carrots!

[Kirk]

They will get pick up by gusts and turbulance in the air so will attain heights greater then they can naturally fly at in still conditions.

They have captured insects in airstreams and clouds at the altitude of Everset, planes and weather baloons, so I guess 4 ft is not uncommon for a carrot fly to be lifted.

It just depends that when deposited are your carrots there for a soft and nutritious landing.

[maytreefrannie]

My experience with carrot fly has been nil. Each time of 3 or 4 years, I've grown them in tubs 21 inches high or more. Also, I added about 50% sand to the compost. Perfect carrots each time.
I didn't grow them this year. OH grew them in the polytunnel, which I suppose in itself would protect against the carrot fly. He put them in the ground there, no sand. Result: carrots of all shapes and twists, which take a lot of time to prepare. However, they are still delicious.

[Bren In Pots]

My gardens surrounded my 5ft high walls and I still get carrot fly damage unless i net so I know they're getting blown in over the walls.

[Alison]

There's many factors round carrot flies but I've found that putting a wall around them doesn't really help and is more hassle than it's worth - I now cover with enviromesh for the duration, nice and simple and works really well.

[bearded bloke]

I'm in the .. carried on the wind .. bracket

However that does not clear my mental image,hoards of carrot fly all flying along 12-18" off the ground,following a garden wall all looking for an open gate

[jacob]

My carrot growing experiences:

* In a half barrel about 30 inches high in a walled yard in London -- no carrot fly.

* In the ground in Fife -- carrot fly

* In the ground *covered with enviromesh* -- no carrot fly (well, almost none)

* In a pot in a greenhouse in Fife (kicked out of greenhouse in June) -- no carrot fly

I find carrot germination problems are either a) the soil drying out too much, or b) them germinating just fine and being eaten buy the slugs and snails.

[Nicos]

Always get it when grown in the ground without a fleece.
With a fleece over them, only the outer ones seem to be affected.
Never tried growing them in anything higher than ground level!

[Richard Eldritch]

I grow mine in 50 litre pots filled with finly sieved compost and soil in London. I haven't had a carrot fly problem yet but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Perhaps they don't like citys?

[Penellype]

My experience with carrots is this:
Grown in the ground in sandy soil, unprotected - not a single edible carrot from a whole packet of seeds.
Grown in the same garden in a bed surrounded by a 3ft high plastic barrier - no carrot fly damage.
Grown in the ground in my current heavy clay soil - no carrots got past the seed leaf stage due to slugs.
Grown in an old water butt with the top of the soil a foot below the lip of the butt - no fly damage.
Same conditions the following year - foliage badly damaged by caterpillars, attempts to protect with fleece caused the foliage to rot.
Grown in an 18 inch square 1ft high pot on the patio with the top of the soil about 3 inches below the lip of the pot - nice carrots but some fly damage.
Grown in the same pot under veggiemesh - no damage to date.
Grown in in the ground at my friend's house, covered with veggiemesh and protected with slug pellets at her insistence, growing well, no fly damage to date.

[salilah]

My experience:
grown in about 8" high oblong wooden tubs, on 12" high legs - no carrot fly damage
Turnips in ground - given up due to damage

[jacob]

I get a little bit of damage to unprotected turnips in the ground. Is that the same carrot fly, when they can't find anything tastier?

[Alison]

Carrot flies won't go for brassicas but there are loads of other things that will