I had to pick off almost all of my Babycakes due to pollination issues. As soon as i bought Superlicious and stuck it nearby, babycakes finally started producing but they’re small even… i don’t know why i kept buying Babycakes throughout the years because they keep doing this 
i have 3 Babycakes… 1 Superlicious.
Also if anyone else is looking:
The only place to get Crimson Blush and Crimson Beauty are from Berries Unlimited now. Pretty sure Gurneys killed their entire stock by leaving them in the boxes, in the sun somewhere… no one that i know or sent any to, has gotten a living plant. After 2 complaints and telling them to check the plants, they’ve all gone out of stock.
Maybe I’m the problem…
Lydia has sent me healthy plants. Small but as expected.
Her strawberry plants are bigger than Burpees and similar to Starkbros small strawberry plants. The blueberries sent from her are the same size/ slightly bigger than Hartmanns as “12 cm” plants. The only difference between her new raspberry and Gurneys is that the ones from her is alive and well.
To anyone growing raspberry shortcake or interested, just wanted to report that while we’ve had an uncharacteristically cool spring, they appeared stunted for the last 4+ weeks on my full sun deck. Supposed to be very heat tolerant, but either did not like the sun/heat or the fact that’s it’s been near daily rain. They were in those self watering planter, and I was pouring off loads of water every week, so also could be drowning. Moved them to afternoon shade, and I’ll transplant them in the fall to normal containers.
I might try moving strawberries into these in the fall? My strawberry beds haven’t dried out for over a month but they seem to be doing great. Or blueberry?
Kingsburg (Fresno area) is HOT! Not famous for being humid, but there can be pretty solid heat for a long season. Their water is cheap cheap cheap, but I’m still impressed that commercial blackberries are doing well there.
I’ve got Newberry in northern Utah and it does get some sun scald, but otherwise handles the fairly arid climate without winter protection. I will admit that over the winter it looses many fruiting buds on the upper reaches of the plant. I’ve never tipped them. I’ll tip them this year, but would prefer to not do winter mulching, frost blanket, etc. They have too much vigor and thorns for that. Any thoughts on pruning/training/etc for low maintenance culture of robust trailing BBs like Newberry?
Year 3 Newberry canes are much stiffer and grow more erect than previous years. The problem is that the crown divides. There must be alot of raspberry in its breeding.
I dug up 1 crown for someone last year and it had 10 crowns all weaved into each other.
So now on yr 3 each ‘crown’ has about 50 or so new canes.
Its not fun at all anymore. This plant has insane vigor and it needs a diligent pruner.
I am down to 6 plants… and will need to go down to 3 i think. Its very worth the fruit but maintenance is too high with 5 foot spacing. Its like untangling a birds nest on a fishing reel every time i visit.
Ha ha! I certainly can relate to that. For the first few years I took all the canes down, untangling them, making nice neat loops and then mulching those with pine straw. I’m done that process for Newberry. It is vigorous for us, but not insanely so. Do you tip primocanes now? Grow it on the same trellis system as the rest? Thin the canes?
Please do update us. Logan has been more sensitive to cold than Tay. I’m also in 6b.
Melon, Have you seen any information on how the flavor compares between Crimson Blush and Crimson Beauty? I had hoped to give Crimson Blush a try this year but will be trying Joan J instead as my 2nd red raspberry variety after Caroline.
I dont tip any of my trailing…
I wrangle everything that looks usable up to the top wire all summer long… then by Fall i end up removing a bunch that has RCB… and of course there is spent floricanes to deal with.
After all is said and done on a bad winter i will lose a couple or few feet of the longer canes to winter damage…which works out ok. I lost all of my Loganberry canes this past winter so that was a total waste of time.
Yes im always thinning as i move them up to the top wire…
If you tip a bunch of canes on trailing or accidently mow over some tips then you will have to fight the tipping of the long laterals down low…so i just remove all low laterals as well.
Again its alot of diligent work and for me after all is said and done i may lose some or most canes to a bad winter…or RCB will get me…
Some years are worse than others… the good years make it worth it though.
I received my Thunderhead blackberries from Raintree today! I only ordered two plants since I’m a novice and mainly just want to enjoy a few berries whenever I’m outside and they’re ripe. I’m happy with the order and can’t wait to taste them—fingers crossed for next year!
Unsolicited feedback, so feel free to ignore. We have dry/cold winters, which is harder on berries than other plants. We’re zone 6b for cold & Tayberry has had minimal winter injury to buds. As far as I know, we haven’t lost a crown over the winter either. It is one of the best for us (I’d personally rank Tay as better than Newberry, for example).
Good to know. I’m pretty sure the canes I lost were just unhealthy, because in 8b, even in a “hard” winter, I shouldn’t be losing canes to winterkill alone.
No but i have both so maybe I’ll be able to update later this year if they grow fast enough
RIP Loganberry. One of my faves as well, but it does seem fairly tender. Are you replanting with something else?
I actually think Columbia Giant is one of my better berries. Not as good as Marion, but close enough for us and more cold hardy, thornless, etc.
I’m with Kris- Tayberry is one of the best for us (based on feedback from lots of people). I get cool nights, even when the fruit ripens and it is planted on the east of more heat-loving blackberries so it gets afternoon shade. I can only assume those with bad Tay experiences had different growing conditions.
Lots of Ponca blackberries coming in, and they are delicious. The problem is I have found SWD larva in a few of them. Not sure if this is the first year or just the first time I’ve noticed. I’m sure I have eaten many bugs overtime, but larva squirming around has a whole different ick factor.
@Frame-6b … I have not planted anything else there yet. I could plant a few raspberries there… great morning sun location (faces east).
TNHunter
First flowers from thornless Loganberry that survived 2x -7F and a -5F night in a 5 gallon bucket. Transplanted to the raised bed this Spring.
Dang, that is disheartening. We don’t really have SWD yet, but was hoping Ponca would be early enough to avoid them.
