[craigbruce]

my sprouts and brocolli have started well, but now are loosing their colour and are felling over. this is my first attempt. should i feed? help!!!

[Salmo]

They may just be short of water but I suspect that you could have cabbage root fly maggots eating the roots. Scrape away the soil and look for white maggots. If it is the latter there is no chemical available that will kill them.

The prevention is to put 6 inch discs of felt/card/rubber around each plant when they are planted out. The fly lays its eggs on soil near to the stem. With discs in place either the fly does not lay its eggs or if it does the maggots perish before they can get into the soil.