carrot problems?

Hi guys and girls,

We have harvested the first of our main crop of carrots, some of which have which have grown to gigantic sizes, forked or have had carrot fly damage.

How have yours been this year? same problems, beaten the pests? or have the best carrots see ever?

Click here to see our Monster Carrots.

Other harvest this week include. The first swede and butternut squashes, beetroot, salads, and runner beans.

Regards
Lottieblogs

 

I moved to a new house this year so did not have time to prepare the veg garden properly but threw in a few seeds on spec.
Very pleasantly surprised by the carrots. No fly or slug damage (though the slugs and snails ate anything leafy). Good sized roots with a bit of forking as the ground had not been dug deeply. Excellent flavour and very crisp despite very irregular irrigation.
A good year for growing carrots - or just lucky?

 

We have had a super year for carrots. No fly damage but all those that were growing when the flies were airborne were grown under fleece.

 

Some split due to excessive rain, but generally better size than average. No fly problems due to being grown under fleece.

 

Very interested to hear that carrots can be grown under fleece to protect from carrot fly.
We have never had decent carrots because of fly problem so perhaps we should try fleece
next year.
How big should the plants be before covering or do we cover as soon as seeds are sown?

 

Cover as soon as sown. It will keep them warm as well and the plants will simply push the fleece up a bit. I keep it on until after the beginning of June when the carrot flies have stopped flying. I have to grow all my early radishes under there as well cause otherwise they get ruined by cabbage root fly.
For late sown carrots, sown in June/july you don't have to bother with fleece.

 

Thanks Geoff, I will try that next spring.
I love young fresh carrots so it will be great to have some decent ones.



Having never used fleece before - where is the best place to get it?
We've only got a small garden so wouldn't need a huge amount.

 

Try this
http://www.plasticsbypost.net/index.htm
Look under crop protection. I bought the fleece rather than the carrot fly and cabbage root fly netting. It is probably more than you need but it is cheaper than anywhere else and you just cut off what you need and store the rest for when it wears out ( it will last several years).
Someone on this forum pointed me to it when I was looking for some roll over cloches.