Comments on: Carrot Plan (part 2)

By: mtp

mtp — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 18:44:18 +0000

Holy Heck! So that’s what the aluminium water tank was for? When I first took over mtp last year there was an old tank sunk into the ground with dirt in it. It was kind of in the way so we dug it up and took it to the recycle centre. Blimey – the things you learn when it’s too late.

By: jak

jak — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:42:23 +0000

The old Gods on my site all swear on planting carrots in ex water tanks – plastic, aluminium – which have the necessary height to deter carrot fly. I tried last year to grow carrots in the ground and it was a disaster. A later planting in a tank however produced very good results and nastursiums made it all look very pretty. Good to find mtp.

By: Amy

Amy — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 23:28:26 +0000

Love your site! We planted our carrots this weekend too along with our onions. We’re giving the companion planting a bit of a go and will see if that works. We’re also using fleece but may make some kind of teepee frame to go over it.

By: mtp

mtp — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 12:39:24 +0000

Wow thanks Shell – I’m honoured by your honourable mention. Good luck with the blog, it’s great to see people setting up new allotment blogs. The more of us the better – Make the world stand up and listen!

By: Shell

Shell — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 16:29:36 +0000

Another thing for carrot fly that I’ve heard of is earthing up the tiy seelings until they are strong enough to hold their own. Might be worth a go – especially if it gets cold again.

By the way, hello – I gave you an honourable mention on my new blog this morning :-) (You’re a bit inspiring you see.)

By: mtp

mtp — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 15:52:41 +0000

Does that work? – I’ve always been frightened by Scorzonera, there’s just something about black food that freaks me out.

By: clodhopper

clodhopper — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 12:42:52 +0000

How about also planting some scorzonera or black salsify alongside the carrots to deter the carrot fly?

By: Robsa

Robsa — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 07:10:43 +0000

If you lay your fleece flat directly on the ground I’ve found that it flaps about in the wind anyway and damages the seedlings as soon as they emerge. I vote for having the fleece suspended above the carrots – the wine bottle trick sounds good.

By: claire

claire — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 19:59:17 +0000

are you doing one seeda at a time? I do this and it stops having to thin so much. I use wine bottles upside down underneath the fleece to hold it up, it creates a warm space for things to start, when plants are bigger they can hold it up themselves as long as its not too tight, carrots need t be completely covered, no gaps to prevent carrot fly.

By: mtp

mtp — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 18:37:11 +0000

Flat – now that’s the key. I put small bent over canes under it to give the carrots room but they ripped it and now it’s in pieces. Hmmm….