Brassicas: A Dead Loss

I decided to pay special attention to brassicas this year.   I laid aside a bed for them, manured it and made sure it was watered.   I didn't count on the black fly.

I got two fist-sized cabbages out of it and that's all from about 20 plants.   The rest were turned into crisps by a combination of blackfly and heat.   Even my Nasturiums were dessicated by blackfly.   I am consoled only by the fact that my neighbours have, like me, cofirmed a total write-off of cabbages, sprouts cauliflowers, etc.   And judging by these plants at the garden centre today, even the pros are having trouble.

I have recently planted a few seeds of Savoy cabbage in the hope that they will mature late in the year when the bugs have gone.