Roeshot Hill Allotment Association
  • Home
    • Want an allotment?
    • Welcome
    • Late News >
      • Green Flag 2016
      • 2014 show prizewinners
      • Working Parties
      • Woodchip
      • 'Manure' heap covering
  • Members
    • Your Committee etc >
      • Committee's duties list
      • Constitution (2003)
    • Report a Problem
    • Members' Notices >
      • Suppliers giving Discounts
      • Data Protection Policy
      • Notice of 2017 AGM
    • The Trading Hut
    • Hints & Tips >
      • April Jobs (RHS)
      • Blight warnings
      • July Hint #3 - Potato Blight
      • July Hint #4 - Green manures
      • July Hint #2 - After welcome rain.... Mk2
      • July Hint #1 - After welcome rain......
      • June Hint #4 - yellowing cabbage leaves
      • June Hint #3 - Clubroot
      • June Hint #2 - sowing dates
      • Hint 31st May - Protecting Cabbages etc.
      • Hint 25th May - extra crops
      • Hint 10th May - Weeds
      • Hint w/e 4th May - Sowing tender veg.
      • Hint w/e 24th April - Planting cabbages for summer
      • Hint w/e 20th April - carrots
      • Hint w/e 20th April - Still planting potatoes?
      • Hint No.1-13th April-digging & sowing
      • Hint w/e 6th April - Onion sets & shallots
      • 30th March-planting potatoes
    • Photos >
      • Mince pies and Mulled wine at the Cafe 15th Dec 2013
      • Summer Show 2010
      • Summer Show 2012
      • Summer Show 2013
      • Steve Burgess Pics
    • The Cabin
    • Plot 40 - Special needs plot
    • Growing Tips >
      • Hugh's water saving tips
      • Growing Potatoes
      • Grow2eat tips
      • Hint - thinning carrots
      • Preparing for the show
    • Recipes >
      • Courgette and Raspberry recipes
      • Christmas or Fruity Flapjacks
      • Toffee Apple Pudding
    • wildlife >
      • Birds
      • Wildlife 2018
  • Ideas & Advice
    • Rat Control
  • Contact Us
    • Steve's Blog
  • Save our Allotments!
    • EIP Update - 9th Jan 2014
    • Letter to the Echo - 6th Jan 2014
    • Members Update Sept 2013
    • Community Asset Application - 20 Sept 2013
    • Update on EIP - 19th Sept
    • Summary of the situation - Sept 2013
    • RHAA Chairman's comment in Bournemouth Echo - Feb 2013
  • 2018 Green Flag
  • Caring for Wildlife
  • Corona Virus
  • NASLG Covid advice

Thinning Carrots


Having waited for carrots seeds to germinate, however thinly you tried to sow them, they are bound to be too close together to give them room to develop into useable (or even prizewinning) roots. If you leave them most will remain very small and only a few will get to any size - and they will be twisted and forked as they fight for survival amongst the crowd.

Carrots have a strong smell when disturbed or crushed and it is said that the carrot fly can smell them from up to a mile away. When they lay their eggs next to the young carrot plant, the larva hatch out and feast on your carrots leaving tunnels just under the surface and making them uneatable.

Any thinning is therefore best left until the evening as the carrot fly tends to travel only in the heat of the day.

As the wind also disturbs the carrot leaves, preventative measures are recommended.
  • Growing onions or any other highly scented crop either side of your carrots can disguise the small.
  • Carrot flies tend to fly close to the ground so a barrier about 45cm. (18") high surrounding the carrot crop can stop them. Enviromesh or fleece is better than a solid barrier as the wind eddying round solid objects can blow the fly over into the crop.
  • On the other hand you can grow carrots inside an Enviromesh or fleece enclosure or tunnel. That way the crop is completely protected. However, don't forget to weed them - and thin them in the evening!




Finally you could try growing a Carrot Fly resistant type - but you may find the taste is not as good as the traditional carrots.



  • 'Grow carrots in containers or stacked tyres over 30" above the ground to prevent carrot fly.'
  • 'When thinning carrots, water straight away to stop carrot fly.'
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.