What’s up Doc? ...Carrots

[Spruance]

I have often thought of growing carrots, and although I did try them - unsuccessfully - in a raised bed some years ago, I have not bothered with them since.

Nonetheless, every year when I place my seed order, I usually include a packet of carrot seed!

The problem is that I am so obsessed with the thought of the garden being invaded by a horde of hungry Carrot Root Flies that I wonder if it is worth it.

What I don't understand about the infamous Carrot Root Fly, is that if it can only fly to a height of 18 inches, how does it get about? There is no boundary in my back garden less than 6 feet in height. Is this a sufficient barrier on its own?

I am aware of companion plantings - onions / chives etc - to confuse the flies but do they work?

Also has anyone tried starting carrots in modules and then planting them out.

How effective are the Carrot Fly resistant seeds?

I would love to grow my own carrots so who can convince me that it is a good idea?

[sweetleaf]

I think Carrot fly get picked up by the wind but are more comfortable flying at 18"...... Perhaps they are afraid of heights? ;D

I had a good crop of early carrots last year. I kept em covered with fleece as soon as they sprouted though, and grew them in an old tank, and some in the ground, the ones in the ground were rubbish. They were resistant varieties but cant remember what they were called.
The later sown ones shrivelled and died in the heat.

[lottielady]

Much as I like the image of Carrot Flies dong a kamakaze mission and making a splat on your 6ft fence - I think they can get through any little gaps in a fence at the first sniff of a Carrot.

I was Lottie no carrots last year as the little buggers got to mine despite growing them between onions and surrounded by Marigolds. Raised beds I have heard are much better and if you cover them with fleece until June (I think) when they stop laying eggs you stand a better chance of a good crop. Another tip I heard was not to sow them until May and to earth them up as they start growing. Give 'em another go - I am

LLx

[oldmoleskins]

Well, I'd endorse all the fleece/raised bed tips but would suggest leaving the sowing even later - as you have the seed 'for nothing' see it as a selfless trial on its own and sow in July. Don't sow successively ending in July or you might perpetuate hatching.

Fred Loads says the fly have gone by then. Let's see if he's right.

OM.

[roxann57]

lottielady said:

I was Lottie no carrots last year as the little buggers got to mine despite growing them between onions and surrounded by Marigolds.
LLx

Same here LL nothing worth eating (loads of marigold seeds and pickled onions though), but I haven't given up. Got a free packet of Autumn King with my veggie mag and have bought Early Nantes to try again. I am going to have a go at home made seed tapes too and hopeully avoid thinning

[Dutchy]

Oh dear,
Check how wealthy the poly tunnel producer in your nick o'the woods is.
Poor? go for carrots. Rich? forget them.
Sorry.
Marigolds don't help then? I was always told they are best.
I do not grow carrots other than the ones that fell from the birdfeeder. Never had carrot fly but I also never had more than three carrots either.
Dutchy

[Spruance]

I mentioned to Rosefriend via PM earlier on, that carrots are grown commercially (and organically) within 2 miles from here, so I really should have a go.

Thanks for all of the tips. I'll have to get my thinking cap on and decide which is the best option.

[Dr Bill]

I grew Parmex in pots last year. They were rubbish. I think on reflection that my containers were not big enough,

I have bought some Early Nantes this year. I am going to sow some in the raised bed (if I can find space) but I am also going to try some in the deep pots that roses came in. My plan is to use a mixture of spent compost from the potato barrel and sharp sand. I am going to sow some in the next couple of weeks to bring on in the greenhouse for an early crop. My main sowings will start in March.

You have to try things to learn don't you?

[Deleted]

grew my early nantes in the bath last year surrounded by onions and marigolds and covered in fleece, autumn king went in the half-barrel just with a marigold and fleece, not a fly to be seen.

got the marigolds sown now as they seemed to take forever to get going last year.

don't know which one of the defence mechanisms worked but i shall be repeating the exercise this year. only problem is space or the lack of it.

Got some Chantenay Red Cored to try this year as well, and some cute round ones (lost the catalogue and they haven't arrived yet). As they don't require huge depth, they can go in the infamous black buckets.

;D

[4pygmies]

I grow carrots every year with onions very close by. I also have a garden filled with native plants. I sow a few rows every few weeks. I only grow the quick maturing types usually (I have a feeling that might be crucial but I dunno why). And I always grow Marigolds, Tagetes and Nasturtiums in my veggie beds. I am very rarely troubled with carrot fly. I can't say categorically that that's the reason I don't have any problems but I like to think so!

[Deleted]

My carrots just don't produce anything a carrot fly would bother with, luxuriant tops, no bottoms, I've tried in different places in the bed, with different feeds, I've given up now, the tops are pretty but a waste of money.

[Deleted]

I grew carrots first year we had the garden, there were no fences etc as the builders had moved out. The carrots romped away until....i thinned 'em.

Anyways by the next year i had fences up and tried again and didn't thin and the blighters hit again.

The following year i had put wind break netting on the fence to cut down the wind and also raised my beds 2ft off the ground.

Interestingly my carrots have been ok since but then again i also plant near to onions but i don't think that is the reason. If i thin or pull the carrots i can smell the carrot scent quite strongly. I therefore, do my thinning and pulling at dusk and usually after it's rained or i've watered as apparently they fly in sunlight. Any thinnings are taken straight to the compost bin (i'm really paranoid about the smell). A trick an old sage gave me was to make sure the carrots were sealed into the ground so they can't lay their eggs (also suppresses weeds too).

I also plant quick maturing ones and do it after Mid May so usually sow end of May when they have laid their first lot (usually too cold up here for them to lay in early spring) and the next lot are June/July and in mild winters another attack can occur in Autumn (these will pupate in the soil and hatch out in the Spring).

Also heard that a mulch of grass clippings/compost will do the trick but haven't tried this.