#Carrot seedlings overwinter Patch

If you need to thin or weed, do so on a cloudy day, water the soil well after disturbing the plants to firm them back into the ground, and bury the thinnings in the compost. 'Flyaway' is considered the most resistant variety.ĭo not sow too thickly, because not only does this mean there'll be lots of thinning out to do, but the female carrot fly is attracted to the smell of bruised carrot leaves (which she can detect from miles away). Sow early under cloches, or late (as in now).

So avoid sowing in mid-spring, because your seedlings will be ready just in time for the flies' move. Lift all your carrots by early autumn.Ĭarrot fly tend to spend winter and early spring on cow parsley (or parsnips) and, as those come to an end, then move on to your seedlings. The real trick with carrot fly is not to leave any carrots or parsnips (the damage is generally around the shoulders) in the garden over winter, because this stops another generation from hatching.

#Carrot seedlings overwinter Patch

So this has never worked that well for me: I'd rather just cover the whole patch with hoops and mesh. This is great for a flat site with nothing of any height nearby but if there are hedges (particularly thick with cow parsley) or trees, the flies will coast down off these and into your carrot patch.

Carrot flies are weak flyers, so in theory they won't be able to land on the crop. Try creating a barrier around your patch of about 75cm high. You can cut off damage and eat the carrots, but they don't look pretty. You can tell if carrot flies have been visiting, because the plants' foliage tends to turn a bronze colour, seedlings do badly and carrots will be mined, often with the white grubs still munching in their tunnels.