CARROTS - a gardener's notebook
One way of keeping carrot root fly at bay is to grow in containers, raised up above the close-to-the-ground-flying pest.
The RHS has done a trial of quick-maturing varieties for containers. RHS trials are brilliant, they do all the experimentation for you then collate the results. Unfortunately this one isn't on their website, so here's the gist:
New awards of merit were granted to 3 varieties and some have AGMs from previous trials:
recommended were Marion, Parmex, Adelaide, Parano, Baladis, Nantes 1087, Mokum, Napoli, Primo and Yukon.
Widely-promoted variety Resistafly did not get the award it performed relatively poorly. Sugarsnax was found to be unsuitable for containers although good as a miancrop. Flyaway also performed poorly in the trail. Old favourite Amsterdam Forcing did not mature as quickly as expected. The RHS recommended especially Marion (a hybrid between Amsterdam Forcing and Early Nantes), and the oddly-shaped but successful Parmex.
The RHS has done a trial of quick-maturing varieties for containers. RHS trials are brilliant, they do all the experimentation for you then collate the results. Unfortunately this one isn't on their website, so here's the gist:
New awards of merit were granted to 3 varieties and some have AGMs from previous trials:
recommended were Marion, Parmex, Adelaide, Parano, Baladis, Nantes 1087, Mokum, Napoli, Primo and Yukon.
Widely-promoted variety Resistafly did not get the award it performed relatively poorly. Sugarsnax was found to be unsuitable for containers although good as a miancrop. Flyaway also performed poorly in the trail. Old favourite Amsterdam Forcing did not mature as quickly as expected. The RHS recommended especially Marion (a hybrid between Amsterdam Forcing and Early Nantes), and the oddly-shaped but successful Parmex.
Another organic technique for keeping carrot fly at bay is to cover the beds with fleece. If you do this, be extra-vigilant for slugs. Under the fleece, protected from birds or frogs, they can just totally destroy your carrot seedlings before you notice!
