On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 16:01:29 +0100, Broadback
wrote:

Steve Harris wrote:

My vegetable plot is totally enclosed by walls/fences 6' high. I've just
lifted a trial crop of carrots which are completely clean. No
precautions were taken against Fly. I'm encouraged!

Is this just luck or have the walls/fences done the job of keeping out
the low flying pest?


My first crop of carrots were excellent, but the two subsequent years
useless, or almost so. They were very badly damaged by carrot root fly
the second year, so this year I covered them with agricultural fleece.
No root fly but a very poor crop of carrots, so next year? Not sure.

I can't see how the fleece would give a poor crop - I use it all the
time, and have never noticed it affecting the crops negatively.
Mind you, the tops of carrots are rather delicate...so maybe if there
was no support for the fleece it might have restricted development?

For carrot fly, it's not necessary to completely enclose the crop -
just run the fleece round the bed in a 2ft high wall.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk