Carrots and parsnips

[Scottishnewbie]

the raised bed i grew my carrots in last year has ended up being the only bed left that i can grow this years carrots and parsnips in! obviously bad planning, but nonetheless, here i am!

so what are the chances of the dreaded carrot root fly and is there anything i can do to prevent them? or should i even grow carrots and parsnips this year?

i do have tons of enviromesh stuff so, in theory i could cover the entire bed - i'm wondering if that is protection enough?

any thoughts?

[SarzWix]

Did your carrots or parsnips get root fly last year? If they did, then there's a chance of larvae still in the soil, I think, so would be safer to not bother in that patch again - maybe pots for this year?
If they didn't get hit last year, then they should be okay in the same patch again. Enviromesh is fab for keeping them out, and if you can cover the whole bed, that's even better

[zazen999]

Pots....is my suggestion.

Even if only 1 got it last year it's not worth it.

[Scottishnewbie]

i cant remember if any of them got it or not to be honest - i think i fed the whole lot to the horses so i didnt really check any of them!

[Scottishnewbie]

and on that note, what would i plant in place then?

[Scottishnewbie]

can anyone hear me sitting in the corner quiety sobbing cos no-one wants to talk to me....???

[chris]

What about some beetroot? Dunno if carrot root fly will infect that.. what about squash? (plug / young plants?)

[Bigmallly]

Chinese Cabbagge.....................maybe Christmas tatties.......

[gojiberry]

Leeks, leeks and more leeks

Ian

[Scottishnewbie]

i have leeks. i have sprouts. and i have pumpkins and squashes! oh, and i have beetroot seeds. so i guess i could plant the lot then!

thank you.

quietly dries her tears and goes looking for her trowel....

[Scottishnewbie]

peas? can i plant them after roots?

[haza1981]

I heard on gardeners world that the carrot fly can only get 18 inches of the ground. ......... Interesting. Planning on putting my carrot bucket up a height.

[Alison]

i cant remember if any of them got it or not to be honest - i think i fed the whole lot to the horses so i didnt really check any of them!

Carrot fly damage is usually pretty obvious so you'd probably have noticed. Are you only growing them for your horses, in which case it's probably not so crucial as if you wanted them for the table

[gojiberry]

Don't think horses worry to much about carrot root fly.

Ian

[Scottishnewbie]

only gave them to the horses cos i forgot about them! the carrots that is, not the horses! and they were a bit skanky - but dont know if age or CRF...

have a new plan now, planted 2 x squash plants, some peas and some beans yesterday - so we can see how that lot gets on.

nips and rots going in another bed now