Protect carrots from carrot fly

Carrot fly can destroy any chance of growing your own carrots, but protecting your carrot crop from this pest is relatively simple. 

I recently sowed a row of carrot seeds, and I'll be sowing further rows later this month. As soon after sowing carrots as I can, I put fine insect mesh around the bed I'm growing them in.

See also: Sowing vegetable seeds outdoors

Protecting carrots from carrot fly is easy

Carrot fly apparently spend their entire life within about 2 feet (60cm) of the ground, and like a hot air balloon that's run out of gas, simply can't get any higher.

So preventing them from reaching your home grown carrots is simple. All that's needed is a barrier around your carrot crop that's at least 2 feet high.

I use a fine insect proof mesh, that lets in light but has holes too small for insects to get through.

I hammer posts into the ground at the corners of the bed. My posts are recycled from old bed frames and even a broken snooker table!

See also: Recycle to protect your allotment crops or garden fruit and veg

Fine insect mesh to protect my carrots

I hammer nails into the posts about three feet above the ground and hook the insect mesh over these, wrapping it around the outside so it surrounds the bed and is stretched out to avoid it sagging.

This creates a carrot fly proof barrier around this bed, meaning the carrot fly can't get to them, and my crop will be safe. And it only takes a few minutes to put in place!

A nice quick and easy job that will make a real difference to how your crops grow.

Happy growing,

Paul.

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