Thinning Carrots

[jagdens]

I'm just about to thin out my first carrots (bit late I know, but I do live in cold and wet Scotland) and wondered if there is a particular time of day i.e. morning or evening to do this, as I believe the old carrot fly loves to help me in my task. :)

[jagdens]

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

I don't know if it really makes a difference. The important thing is not to damage them or bruise the leaves, and remove the thinnings from the plot. Can you cover them with fleece or build a barrier round?

[saddad]

Supposed to be best on a damp evening...  :-\

[jagdens]

thanks , don't suppose I will have to wait long up here for that!!

[kt.]

Thin them last thing in the evening,  then water afterwards.  Watering helps erode some of the smell which attracts the carrot fly.

[Ishard]

If you can water with that very stinky rhubarb stuff we make  ;)

[Sinbad7]

Or.................................... I never thin my carrots, I often wonder why people do if they are just for eating and not for show.

Sinbad

[cambourne7]

I think its such a shame to thin them so i left mine grow a little bigger and have just picked a handful of baby carrots and a couple of small parsnips from last year for cottage pie.

Yum

Louise

[vegging out]

Or.................................... I never thin my carrots, I often wonder why people do if they are just for eating and not for show.

Sinbad

I agree,i've never bothered to thin mine.

[MrsKP]

I sowed my rows far too liberally again this year and was out thinning last week.

Even though they're in the bath and theoretically above fly height, I've covered them up with fleece.

Old chap on the allotment always covers his carrots with pop bottle cloches from the sowing stage as the fly is rife up there.

Could do with a bit more of the wet stuff over here on the west.  Only one decent rain in the past month or more.   :o

Still I'm looking forward to July.  Bound to be torrential then.

;D

[robototitico]

I have read that earthing them up prevents the carrot fly too. They seem so small though, Im afraid I will hurt them by earthing them up. Im not going to thin them as I dont want to attract the fly

[Trevor_D]

I thin my carrots by pulling the biggest when they are ready to eat and letting the smaller ones carry on growing.

[robototitico]

Yes, this is my first time growing carrots and Im going to do it that way, As I have read that the thinning process attracts the carrot fly.

[star]

I cut a few chives or use a small clove of garlic cut up finely along the rows of carrot to cover the carrot smell, works for me :D

[thegreatgardener]

I can't say when best time to thin carrots is since i always plant each 3 inch apart in a block planting scheme. Aka (I don't need to thin)