Hi, Kaig! See if this site has any useful information. It lists all kinds of potato pests, and there are several that attack potato plants underground. This particular site includes only sketches (linked) of the pest, but you can always image-Google a pest name to get photographs.

myk1; I kinda half-way wondered about that too, which is why I mentioned it - thinking someone may want to comment on that aspect of my pre-planting preperation. I've been trying to discount that in my own mind though by thinking that they say once Roundup hits the dirt it's done. The stuff I used was not target specific like poison ivy or anything, but it was the good stuff, like 46% or something like that. Then I thought, well..., Roundup is sometimes slow to show effects on broam, maybe 7-10 days, but then you have a good idea you hit it good and in a couple weeks it'll look like scorched earth. That these plants have been in 40 days, can it be that even Roundup would take that long to have an effect, and wouldn't it be getting 'em all? (I wish I hadn't said that...)But then again mostly Roundup is sprayed directly on leaves, so if there is any residual in-the-root action going on I wouldn't know that so maybe it would take longer to show an effect on my raspberries if it's first contact is with a root system somehow... Then I reasoned that heck, I placed a mound of new humus and topsoil that's made my planting bed maybe 5" or so higher than the original soil grade level, and that my understanding is that Raspberries are shallow rooted. I took care to not plant them too deep, etc. But I don't know I may just be trying to convince myself that I didn't doom my plants from the get-go! Do you have any thoughts on the tiny skinny little multi leged gray/brown worm things? I was just out there and noticed every plant had about on average 10 dead ones laying around them as a result of me spraying them earlier. Thanks!

Hi firstyear & price403- After a little Googling, it looks like you are right. Yeah, I realize they're not that big of a deal (which is why I haven't worried about them too much), I just like to understand what's going on. Great, now I have Rasperry Crown Borer, and Raspberry Cane Borer! Anyway, thanks for the ID! Hopefully this is also joberry's problem as well. If not, sorry for hijacking the thread! -Glenn

Jay, I am not even in the running, but it isn't because I don't want to be. I think I have about 50 or so, I guess that makes me half as bad as you. LOL I could have had more, but I use a lot of my garden for peppers and other things. Next year I will have a little more room when Al moves all of his stuff out of the end of my garden. There is a tree there so I can't plant the entire thing, but it should add about 12 x 20 feet of additional space. I could have done a little better job of planning this year, but I was kind of planting as I got an area finished and ready to plant. We actually have a fair size lot, but we have eleven very large trees and 210 feet of infiltrator lateral line. As it is, I have 18 tomatoes and 2 berry plants in a sunny spot near the south lot line. That area and the garden get the most sun, but because of the laterals I only put containers in that area. They are not over the lines, but are fairly close. I gained a little more sun for this season when the two cedar trees were cut, and there is a chance that we may take down two redbud trees. They have electrical lines running through the forks of them and they create a lot of headaches for one of my neighbors who gardens near them. He would love to see them go. I would miss the spring blooms, but must admit they are kind of a pain with seed flying everywhere. I have one more sunny spot that has potential, but I am saving it for my "wishing I had a greenhouse someday" plan. My garden area has a chain link fence, but the rest of the yard is not fenced. I only plant container edibles and flowers outside that fence because we have so many darn dogs that run loose. We have deer very close but I have never seen them come into the neighborhood. We get a lot of rain so they are probably well fed in the wild areas and don't get hungry enough to come looking for food. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they continue to stay away. They would sure find a big tomato snack if they came into my yard. It's funny because none of us have tall fences, and some have no fences, but the deer don't bother us. It is just amazing to me how much there is to do around a home. If it's new you have lawn, trees, and flowers to put in and if it's older you have to replace things and repair things, and just simply change things that don't meet your needs. A homeowners job is a lifetime career. We were in OKC today and although it was hot, there was wind so it didn't feel too bad. When we got home it was very hot with a heat index over a hundred again today. It is so humid that my tomato containers didn't need to be watered today although it was a hot day. The garden had a few things with a slight wilt, but the ground still has moisture so I'm sure they are fine now that the sun has gone down. On our last trip to Baker Creek, I bought a blackberry plant and a raspberry plant and they were little more than sticks with very few leaves in a gallon pot. The soil looked like it had just been dug from the ground. I decided that I would put them in pots for the summer and let them establish a good set of roots, then maybe put them in the ground in early fall if they looked strong enough to survive. That was just over a month ago, and they are great looking plants already. Now I have to get serious about finding a permanent home for them. The two blueberry plants that I put in last year seem to be doing very well. I need a farm, but I don't want to move to one. LOL I planted a short row of Contender beans and have picked them twice. I took both pickings and cooked them all last night with onions and crumbled bacon and they were sure good with a big hunk of cornbread. I may have to go finish the leftovers in a minute. I had zukes for a few days and I thought they were making, but they srivelled and died so I guess they aren't getting pollinated yet. I have 4 types of summer squash blooming, plus tons of blooms on the winter squash and I am seeing some bee action, so it shouldn't be long. It will be a DIY project if I don't see progress in a few days. Paula, I did not plant as many squash as you did, but I planted four zucchetta seed so that is just as bad. I had all of the squash I could use last year from three. I hope Monday is a dry day because I have lots of garden chores to catch up on.