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Broadback · 14-03-2007, 10:01 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

wrote:
On Mar 13, 8:17 pm, "Dave Hill" wrote:
On 13 Mar, 19:29, "La Puce" wrote:

On 13 Mar, 18:46, Will Wilkinson wrote:
Not a chemical control, but my Father used to have a lot of trouble with
carrot root fly until he started using old coffee grounds a couple of
years ago. He collects the spent grounds from the coffee shop in his
local Sainsburys when he's shopping - just leaves them a clean bucket
when he goes in and collects it, full of grounds, on his way out. Then
liberally spreads the grounds round the carrot plants, it seems to work
very well - now that I've got myself an allotment I'll be trying it too.
Grown next to strong smelling onions is good too and deter the spila
as well as borrage. Also when thining, it's a good idea to do it on a
still day, so that not to attract the spila with the smell of carrots.
In the little film I shown on urg a few days ago, they did something
even better - they kept their carrots growing tight and didn't thin
well until the carrots were as big as a finger. They not only ate
these and didn't waste the thining but there's less chance for the
spila to get in there. I thought that was a brilliant idea.
Last year I've read that because of the hot and dry weather, the fly
got to potatoes too. That's very worrying!
I was taught that the carrot fly only lays its eggs around the time
that cow parsley is in flower, so if you cover with fleece for those 3
weeks or so and avoid handling the carrots you should be OK
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thank you everyone, I have printed off the lot and given them to the
Chief Gardener.

Judith

Apart from the first year on virgin ground carrot fly has been the bane
of my life. Last year I managed to grow some carrots successfully in a
builders bulk bag, I assume that as I had the soil well below the lip of
the bag it kept the blighters off. However I suspect there is a chemical
cure, otherwise how do commercial growers get a successful crop?