Growing carrots in containers is one way to avoid carrot fly.

Carrot fly travel close to the ground, and a barrier 2 foot high will interupt their flight path, forcing the fly to take another route. If carrots are planted in a container at least 2 foot off the ground, the carrot flies will just zoom past the side of the container, and not bother the carrots growing inside.

Choose carrots from the Nantes or Amsterdam groups for containers. Nantes are sweet, round carrots that grow to around 6 inches long. . Amsterdam carrots are small and thin, growing no more than 3 inches long.

Carrot varieties suitable for growing in containers are:

• Amsterdam Forcing 2, Amice
• Amsterdam Forcing 3 , Sprint
• Chantenay Red Cored 2
• Danvers Half-long
• Spartan Bonus
• Nantes Half-long
• Little Finger
• Mini Round
• Pioneer
• Golf ball-type carrots (Thumbelina)

Sow container carrots from February for June pullings, thinning to 8cm between plants.