shannie wrote in message ...
As a girl I used to be given the job of thinning the carrots for my
dad. He
used to tell me to be very very gentle with the foliage as squashing it
releases a scent that attracts the carrot fly, he had an open 'manure
heap'
and I used to have to dig a hole in it with a trowl and bury the
thinnings.I
was also only allowed to do the thinning in the late evening. We did
the
same with parsely as it would seem the scent of this crushed attracted
the
fly also. Old dads tale??...dunno, but it seemed to work.

Shan
No, not an old wives tale but based on fact. thinning them leaves the
ground disturbed and as the smell of the crushed plants attracts the
carrot fly they then find a way to the roots. watering after thinning
does help, as does a barrier round the row, often a wall of fleece about
2 ft high, the carrot fly goes over it, but can't drop down quick enough
to find the row. Carrot fly are not active late on, so again that works.
Growing French marigolds close also confuses the carrot fly as it gives
of a scent that masks the carrot smell.

Mike
www.british-naturism.org.uk