Is it safe now to remove the carrot fly netting as the tops are very long and encouraging weeds. Also would it be wise to shorten the tops to let more air etc to the actual carrots.
Answers please.
Brenjon
carrots
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Hi,
I have left my enviromesh on the carrots since there could be a second wave of the fly in late August/September. Since it has been so dry and warm I am keeping the nets on until end of September, just in case. I have started to lift some of the main crop since the slugs appear to have had a happy summer under the mesh! So will lift and store half and see how well the rest survives in the ground ......
Hilary
I have left my enviromesh on the carrots since there could be a second wave of the fly in late August/September. Since it has been so dry and warm I am keeping the nets on until end of September, just in case. I have started to lift some of the main crop since the slugs appear to have had a happy summer under the mesh! So will lift and store half and see how well the rest survives in the ground ......
Hilary
Hello Brenjon
I agree with Hilary about leaving the environmesh in place for a bit longer.
As far as the foliage is concerned, don't cut this back as it will limit the growth of your carrots. The carrots themselves don't need light in fact its better to draw soil over the carrot tops to prevent them from greening up.
From what you say I guess that you've asked about this because you're running out of headroom under the mesh. If the carrots are big enough I'd suggest you start eating one of the outside rows, using them as baby carrots - this will free up mesh and help you to cover the remaining rows more effectively.
John
PS It is OK to remove the mesh for a short while so that you can weed and thin out the crop. I also put down slug pellets under the mesh. I do it in the evening assuming that the carrot flies will be asleep by then!!! Don't leave the thinnings lying around though as this will attract the flies.
I agree with Hilary about leaving the environmesh in place for a bit longer.
As far as the foliage is concerned, don't cut this back as it will limit the growth of your carrots. The carrots themselves don't need light in fact its better to draw soil over the carrot tops to prevent them from greening up.
From what you say I guess that you've asked about this because you're running out of headroom under the mesh. If the carrots are big enough I'd suggest you start eating one of the outside rows, using them as baby carrots - this will free up mesh and help you to cover the remaining rows more effectively.
John
PS It is OK to remove the mesh for a short while so that you can weed and thin out the crop. I also put down slug pellets under the mesh. I do it in the evening assuming that the carrot flies will be asleep by then!!! Don't leave the thinnings lying around though as this will attract the flies.
The Gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men’s lives, the hours spent fishing Assyrian tablet
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
Hi John
You are quite right i am running out of room under the netting. Some of the carrots are quite big now and we have ben eating them for some while
The large tops are encouraging slugs .
that is why I thought it best to remove the nets and reduce the foilage
Brenjon
You are quite right i am running out of room under the netting. Some of the carrots are quite big now and we have ben eating them for some while
The large tops are encouraging slugs .
that is why I thought it best to remove the nets and reduce the foilage
Brenjon