"jane" wrote in message
...


Anyone know how big a carrot is when the fly attacks? I'd say when the
roots begin to swell, but I've never seen it mentioned...

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

jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...
No. I sow mine in small cells in the greenhouse and when they have at
least
three leaves I transplant them into the open ground. Well, I say open but
they're protected from the hens ...

Thanks for the replies. The answer from Mary is the way I was considering
and this gives me the impetus to try it myself. After all, the carrots were
not germinating when sown normally and it is worth a few seeds to
experiment.

Howard Neil

On Thu, 5 Jun 2003 00:05:11 +0100, "Michael Berridge"
wrote:

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.

I have just read in an old copy of The Garden that planting coriander
with carrots will deter carrot fly. The smell confuses as with the
marigolds I suppose.
Anyone tried it? I'm going to give the idea a try.

Pam in Bristol

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

On Thu, 5 Jun 2003 00:05:11 +0100, "Michael Berridge"
wrote:

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.

I have just read in an old copy of The Garden that planting coriander
with carrots will deter carrot fly. The smell confuses as with the
marigolds I suppose.
Anyone tried it? I'm going to give the idea a try.

Pam in Bristol