[Micks Garden]

I have come to the end of my first year of veg growing.
Success's Ive had a few but a lot of failures .
I will put a few questions to the expert panel here to see if I can improve on my efforts next year.
Carrots : Nantes 2 & Autumn King , sown in successive batches from mid April .
Ground was manured heavily two years previous for mother stock perennials.
99% of the crop was destroyed by carrot fly the few that escaped barely made it to 2 inches .
How do others manage the carrot fly ? .
Carrot fly netting , does this work ? I don't see it in other gardens .
I wont to go the organic route so wont be using chemicals .
Any and all advice welcome .

[Blowin]

In my first year, Mick, I had what I considered to be a reasonable crop. The next year was roughly similar to what you've just experienced, as was the next, so, because the price of carrots is so low, I no longer grow them. I concentrate on what I CAN grow. Now, if you're intent on eating 100% organic food, I obviously don't know whether Lidl's qualify or not. I also have a suspicion that 'organic' is a bit of a con and simply an excuse to put the price up.

If I'm still here next spring, I've already decided to experiment with 5-litre plastic bottle cloches. I've got about 20 of these former water containers which, as you'll know, are quite wide, so I'm intending to plant a row of carrots and cover them completely with these bottles placed side by side all along the row, in the hope the carrot fly won't be able to get at them. The necks are quite narrow and I'll have my fingers crossed but, again, it's more for interest's sake than anything else. I may actually cover the necks I some way.

[tagwex]

Grow onions around your carrots and the odd bit of mint grown in a pot should keep the flies away.

[Blowin]

That's an old one, T, that doesn't work I'm afraid. An old bus inspector told me that in 1970, so I faithfully planted the two together but the carrots still got chewed up.

[tagwex]

Works for me B and I feed the five thousand remember! !! It's your stony ould soil that is the problem.

[Micks Garden]

I was told Marigolds would put them off , so I planted Marigolds and Calendulas round them . The Autumn King Carrots were between the Onions and Beetroot .
Maybe there are no carrot fly in your area tagwex .
Anyone used the carrot fly netting , and how did that work out .

[tagwex]

I shot them all!

[Greengage]

Carrot fly- fly very close to the ground so get them up in a raised bed, I used fleece as a cloche and it worked if you want to try planting them In toilet roll sleeves them once they put on a bit of growth plant the whole thing in the ground. carrots hate stony ground so also use a dibber and make a large hole then fill with peat moss and plant into this, the tap root is very sensitive once it hits anything be it a lump of soil or a small stone it will split.

[tagwex]

The netting works by forcing the fly to raise its altitude and therefore it doesn't sense the carrots below and keeps flying on. The onions mask the smell of the carrot.

[Micks Garden]

Thanks for that, I have found some netting on ebay , will purchase soon .

[Good guy]

A few years ago, I made this giant cloche from Enviromesh, using polyurethane water pipe and a timber frame. It keeps pests like carrot fly and cabbage whites out very effectively. Of course, it doesn't let pollinators in, either!
The cloche is still in pmo.

[Micks Garden]

That answers my question, the cover is effective in keeping the feckrs out .

[Good guy]

Yes. Enviromesh is good stuff. I got it mail order from the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Leitrim.

[Micks Garden]

Just ordered one on ebay 10 x 25 ft , 22euro inc post .

[Good guy]

Great! Let's hear how it does for you.
(I don't think Tagwex was telling the truth when he said he shot them!)