Problems with carrots - carrot fly and split roots

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TROUBLE WITH CARROTS - HOW TO MANAGE CARROT FLY

The biggest problem affecting carrots is carrot fly

Carrot fly or carrot root fly can devastate a crop and you can be totally unaware of the damage done to the roots by the larvae until you start to pull the carrots from the ground and find the carrot roots infested with maggots.

Early crops of carrots in a sheltered position and main crops of carrots sown in mid-June or early July

HOW TO AVOID CARROT ROOT FLY -

If the carrot fly is prevalent, sow early or late.

Split carrot roots may be caused by drought followed by heavy rains. You can avoid irregular carrot growth by watering before the soil dries out entirely.

Sow carrot seed thinly to avoid thinning (thinning attracts the fly by the smell).

If you have to thin carrots, water afterwards to disguise the scent. water afterwards to disguise the scent.

Use a seed dressing.

OTHER TROUBLE

Slugs, wireworms and cutworms are also likely to attack carrots.

Please refer to other pages for information on pest control.

NOTE.

I heard of a very funny way of getting rid of carrot root fly the other day.

Apparently the female carrot fly is the problem. She flies along the rows of carrots at a height of about 2 inches above soil level with a territory length of one meter.

Before she is ready to lay any eggs she flies up and down her patch viciously attacking any other carrot root flies that might infiltrate her patch. rot root flies that might infiltrate her patch.

So all you need to do is use old bits of mirrors placed back to back at one yard intervals along the rows and the female carrot root fly will – incredibly – attack her own reflection and continue the attack until she dies and falls to the ground. !!!!!!!!.