Kitchen Garden Forum

Acknowledgements to Michael Baker. KG Sept issue. Page 16. [edited]

Put on your biggest and heaviest boots and walk heel to toe along the line of seedlings when they are about 1 1/2-2in tall and back again.
As expected the seedlings are now lying flat, but the next day they will be standing up straight again. The idea was to to consolidate the soil around the seedlings stopping the fly having access into the soil around the seedlings.
Got to be worth a try.

Morning Shallot Man, i think i will let you try that idea first....

OH. It is only one row after all.

I thought that one on the things thst sttracted carrot fly was thee smell of the foliage, especially if handled?

Seems like a stupid idea with no scientific basis and if done here on the clay would really set them solid, as in no growing room, until they open a crack in the clay.

peter. Looks like back to the drawing board.

I agree with Peter...the smell of the crushed carrot foliage would bring the little divils in from miles around...

Elaine wrote:I agree with Peter...the smell of the crushed carrot foliage would bring the little divils in from miles around...

At that early stage of development ?

Got to be worth a trail row though. If only to put this idea to bed.

I planted garlic chives down the side of mine the idea is that the chives maskes the smell of the carrots so as the flies do not find them ive also grown them in a raised bed with scalfold netting over the lot so far it has worked last year I had to throw the lot away they where that badly infested

One year I tried giving the plants a small 'earth-up' like spuds, can't think where the idea came from now, but I had no carrot fly. I didn't use a resistant variety and didn't have a control line of carrots so I can't say if it was the earth up or just luck. The idea was that by covering the shoulders of the young carrots the flies couldn't get at them, even if they laid eggs they were too high in the soil.

I haven't tried it since as to be honest I'd forgotten about it until this thread came up!

MW

Motherwoman wrote:One year I tried giving the plants a small 'earth-up' like spuds, can't think where the idea came from now, but I had no carrot fly. I didn't use a resistant variety and didn't have a control line of carrots so I can't say if it was the earth up or just luck. The idea was that by covering the shoulders of the young carrots the flies couldn't get at them, even if they laid eggs they were too high in the soil.

I haven't tried it since as to be honest I'd forgotten about it until this thread came up!

MW

That sounds like an excellent idea.

Motherwoman wrote:One year I tried giving the plants a small 'earth-up' like spuds, can't think where the idea came from now,

I read an article where this was recommended using either soil or grass cuttings, it prevents the fly laying eggs on the top of the carrot. (Something like that)

I often wonder if these recommendations are based on years of experience by someone who passed down the tip, a scientific study or nothing more than a whim.

Well done for sharing that one though ron, I'll try it on my rocket. All my rocket this year has been heavily attacked by flea beetle.