Once again I've embarked on the gardening "obstacle course" of
attempting to grow carrots.

Why is it that the professionals are allowed to use a chemical that
obviously deters carrot fly when the amateur is not?

Growing carrots has become a nightmare of obstacles, fleeces, fine
meshed nets and raised beds.

Here in Cornwall it is impossible to grow them without heavy protection
and it's got to the point where it's costing a small fortune in
materials just to grow a couple of rows, when chemical protection is
available but forbidden to us.

I used to use a dry powder that smelt of mothballs and was sprinkled in
the row, and that worked quite well. So well that the E.E.C. banned it.
Now that figures!

Peter

--
-
The e-mail address obviously doesn't exist. If it's essential
that you contact me then try peterATpfjamesDOTcoDOTuk

"Peter James" wrote ...

Once again I've embarked on the gardening "obstacle course" of
attempting to grow carrots.

Why is it that the professionals are allowed to use a chemical that
obviously deters carrot fly when the amateur is not?

Growing carrots has become a nightmare of obstacles, fleeces, fine
meshed nets and raised beds.

Here in Cornwall it is impossible to grow them without heavy protection
and it's got to the point where it's costing a small fortune in
materials just to grow a couple of rows, when chemical protection is
available but forbidden to us.

I used to use a dry powder that smelt of mothballs and was sprinkled in
the row, and that worked quite well. So well that the E.E.C. banned it.
Now that figures!


I don't think the EU banned it I think it is so expensive to test these
products these days that testing for amateur use is not cost effective so if
it's not tested it cannot be sold. That is why us amateurs have lost so many
chemicals and seem, on occasion, to be fighting a losing battle.

We grow our carrots in an old large GRP water tank, so the plants are well
off the ground and we can provide the sort of soil carrots like (unlike our
heavy clay/silt) adding sand to fine compost, we usually get a very good
crop. Unfortunately this year the compost I bought is total rubbish
(literally!) so I'm have to re-sow as the germination is terrible. We also
only use the fly resistant varieties, annoying but better than nothing.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

In article ,
says...


Growing carrots has become a nightmare of obstacles, fleeces, fine
meshed nets and raised beds.

Here in Cornwall it is impossible to grow them without heavy protection
and it's got to the point where it's costing a small fortune in
materials just to grow a couple of rows

Have you ever considered buying carrots in a supermarket/grocer there
in Cornwall? Then you could lay off the armed bodyguards and get a good
night's sleep .

Janet.

Janet wrote:

In article ,
says...


Growing carrots has become a nightmare of obstacles, fleeces, fine
meshed nets and raised beds.

Here in Cornwall it is impossible to grow them without heavy protection
and it's got to the point where it's costing a small fortune in
materials just to grow a couple of rows

Have you ever considered buying carrots in a supermarket/grocer there
in Cornwall? Then you could lay off the armed bodyguards and get a good
night's sleep .

Janet.
The problem of course is that super market carrots are tasteless in
comparison with ones that are home grown. A carrot straight out of the
garden and into the pot tastes wonderful. Super market carrots just add
a colour to the plate, and taste like cardboard!

Peter

--
-
The e-mail address obviously doesn't exist. If it's essential
that you contact me then try peterATpfjamesDOTcoDOTuk

"Martin" wrote ...

"Bob Hobden" wrote:

"Peter James" wrote ...

Once again I've embarked on the gardening "obstacle course" of
attempting to grow carrots.

Why is it that the professionals are allowed to use a chemical that
obviously deters carrot fly when the amateur is not?

Growing carrots has become a nightmare of obstacles, fleeces, fine
meshed nets and raised beds.

Here in Cornwall it is impossible to grow them without heavy protection
and it's got to the point where it's costing a small fortune in
materials just to grow a couple of rows, when chemical protection is
available but forbidden to us.

I used to use a dry powder that smelt of mothballs and was sprinkled in
the row, and that worked quite well. So well that the E.E.C. banned it.
Now that figures!


I don't think the EU banned it I think it is so expensive to test these
products these days that testing for amateur use is not cost effective so
if
it's not tested it cannot be sold. That is why us amateurs have lost so
many
chemicals and seem, on occasion, to be fighting a losing battle.

but products used in agriculture are tested too.

I know but the professionals normally use a different concentration and
method of spraying to that we would be able to buy and use and amateurs are
just that. To be allowed to go on sale they have to be tested fully for
every use.

Many years ago a friend started to import a product from the US that was
pure chilli powder for mixing with bird seed to stop squirrels eating the
seed (birds cant taste it animals can). The powers that be contacted him
rather officiously and said it had to either be tested fully at £50,000 plus
(then) or he had to stop selling it, as he didn't expect to sell more then a
few hundred pounds worth a year he had to take it off the market. Chilli
powder just like we use in the kitchen!
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

Martin wrote:

snipped

If OP's carrot fly killing product smelled of mothballs it could have been
Aldrin. The reasons why it was eventually banned were given here in 1970.
http://exacteditions.theecologist.or.../308/6415/3/29
The name of the powder I used years ago was called "brimophos", or maybe
"bromophos", if I remember correctly.
It was suitable for use against carrot fly and I think, cabbage root
fly.

It was effective I seem to remember, but is now banned.

Peter

--
-
The e-mail address obviously doesn't exist. If it's essential
that you contact me then try peterATpfjamesDOTcoDOTuk

On 02/06/2014 16:30, Peter James wrote:

The name of the powder I used years ago was called "brimophos", or maybe
"bromophos", if I remember correctly.
It was suitable for use against carrot fly and I think, cabbage root
fly.

It was effective I seem to remember, but is now banned.


I assumed that would be for treating bromodrosis

--
regards andy

On 01/06/2014 08:03, Peter James wrote:
Once again I've embarked on the gardening "obstacle course" of
attempting to grow carrots.

Why is it that the professionals are allowed to use a chemical that
obviously deters carrot fly when the amateur is not?

Growing carrots has become a nightmare of obstacles, fleeces, fine
meshed nets and raised beds.


I have tried growing them under a mesh cover - this seems to act as a
protection for slugs so no carrot root fly because no carrots survive.

Ho hum resew - good for the seed companies

Paul