Wednesday 21 March 2007

CARING FOR CARROTS


Ian
I have planted carrots this year. They are growing really well but someone has said that they will probably get carrot fly. How can I keep these pests off my crop?

Reply.
The carrot root fly can find its way into a carefully tended crop. Most of us try to tolerate all creatures, but have to admit that some are less tolerable than others. There you are rejoicing in the luscious, feathery green leaf growth and patting yourself on the back for having successfully germinated the seed and fought off the slugs, whilst underground it's another story. Suddenly without warning there could be the tell tale signs of root damage. Reddish-brown tinges to the foliage are the first indication of trouble. Red speckles and tiny holes in the carrots will show the presence of the unwanted visitors. There are a few solutions to the problem.

Cover your crop.

For commercial growers it's not so easy, but in a garden, it really pays dividends. Old net curtains can be used to cover the crop. This is not the most attractive feature to put in your garden but it could work. A more expensive alternative could be a product called “Enviromesh”. This is a very light material that stops the flies from getting to the crop. You might need to keep the cover away from the carrots by using some hoops pushed into the ground. The edges can be kept in place by using stones.

The first flies arrive at around the end of this month. The flies lay their eggs on the soil and the tiny maggots burrow down into the soil and into the carrots. Later, they pupate and in August/ September lay their own eggs and the cycle starts again. It's therefore essential to get your covering in place early on. Lift the cover only briefly for early watering, weeding and slug removal. Some other ideas that work well is to make sure that when you thin or pick the crop, be very clean and take away all of the plants. The pesky flies can smell an old carrot on the ground from miles away. If you only have a small patch you could put up a plastic barrier. The flies can only go about one foot off the ground so a physical barrier would be very effective. If all else fails you could use a natural insecticide incorporating Pyrethrum.

This is effective against most insects including beneficial ones so use it carefully.

CARROT TIP
I mix unused coffee grounds into my carrot seeds when I am planting. This deters and confuses the carrot fly. Also I sprinkle coffee grounds into the seed drills a week before planting beans or tomatoes to counteract root rot. W.M. by e-mail. It’s worth a try.



Horticultural.

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