carrots

[Ken the Chef]

earlier in the year I asked how everyone was dealing with carrot fly and promised to report on my years carrot endeavour.
I started by spraying all my beds with some lovely Nematodes a couple of days prior to planting four rows followed three weeks later with another 6 rows in my raised bed, not to take any chances I then covered the bed with micro insect mesh.
at the same time I planted up two deep tubs without any treatment or protection raised up three feet on my pond wall.
Results!
The tubs even though they were raised three feet off the ground were useless and completely infested.
The raised beds have been an unrivalled success! not even a blemish except for a few forked carrots caused by T BAG cases remaining from the wormery compost.
I also used, for the first time, pelleted seed. the first few rows had an occasional gap due to not watering enough, that were easily filled with a new pellets.
I intend trying seed tape next year.
I will certainly invest in more Nematodes again next year and protect with the micro mesh.

[WilliamD]

Well done Ken. Which nematodes were they? The Grow Your Own Veg ones?

[Kristen]

Results!
The tubs even though they were raised three feet off the ground were useless and completely infested.

I think this is very important advice Every year I hear folk say that Carrot Fly cannot fly high, and my opinion is that they get swept up on air currents or whatever, and it only takes one or two to make a right mess of a crop

[Ken the Chef]

I used grow your own nematodes from plants by post where you will find good advise on where, when and how use. they are about the cheapest too.

[Jonnyt]

I've grown 7 lots of carrots in tubs all through the summer and have 3 more currently growing. Not a single infested carrot. Is this because I'm half a mile from the sea as I once heard mozzies don't like any salt in the air?


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[Kristen]

I've grown 7 lots of carrots in tubs all through the summer and have 3 more currently growing. Not a single infested carrot.

You were lucky. Most years, at my location, I get lucky too Sowing late, harvesting early is often a strategy to be lucky too - along with putting up a 2' barrier, or sowing in containers and putting them a few few up. Or planting Garlic nearby to mask the smell

However, in my view the problem is the years when you aren't lucky. You might be lucky all your life, and some people in areas of very high carrot fly populations may never be lucky.

Just a few fly can wreck a crop ... best insurance policy is small mesh (like Enviromesh or Veggimesh) as both a wall and a roof over the crop.

[BUFFS]

my carrots were always infested with the maggots but this year I have them in raised beds, 24ins high, and from 2 beds @6ft x 3ft , we have yet to find any damage(so far, fingers crossed) and that will be a mega amount to use, for a pleasant change. last year they had so much maggots I laid them out on a huge tray and the birds fed off them for 3 days , this year all they get is wild bird food from discount store...

[skeggijon]

I've grown 7 lots of carrots in tubs all through the summer and have 3 more currently growing. Not a single infested carrot. Is this because I'm half a mile from the sea as I once heard mozzies don't like any salt in the air?


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I live in Skegness and believe me, we get loads of mozzies!

[Chippy Minton]

No carrot flies for us this year Badger dug up and ate all the carrots before the flies could get near them

Badgers are easier to spot that carrot flies though

[Ken the Chef]

having told everyone that my carrots had not been attacked by carrot fly; oops i have just found one.
question! will an application of GYO nematodes help protect the remaining crop. i also found the tops of a couple of carrots had been eaten away by slugs so a quick application of the killer pellets soon sorted that out as i found a couple belly up in among the carrots.
any thoughts on the subject?

[Ken the Chef]

MY nematodes arrived this morning so a quick sprinkle and a good spray with water after should stop any infestation that might have happed stopped. I found a place on Ebay that does FREE delivery. I have not found any more carrots with fly damage. The slug pellets worked too as I found several dead slugs while working in the nematodes.