Thanks Don and you're right. The search for the elusive bababerry is not an easy one. For some reason they disappeared from the retail market in California a couple of years ago. One reason given was that wholesale growers had a hard time growing root stock in a profitable manner or something to that effect. Don't know all the details. However, I'll keep trying and if I find anything, I'll let you know. Thanks again for the lead!

Ken Barber
Millbrook AL

Success. After quite a bit of searching on the web, I found some 2 year-old Bababerry plants online at a nursery in Georgia whose reviews were all positive on a variety of forum sites, so I ordered 20 and we'll see how they do. Thanks again!

Ken Barber
Millbrook AL

Is there a trick to keeping the weeds down in the respberry patch? Do you use mulch or plastic or nothing? I live in lower Mississippi and would love to have a patch like we had in Wisconsin. I tried growing them once but the super growing weeds took them.

I know what you mean about weeds. Here in Alabama, weeds and grass definitely love the humidity. What we do is use a post-emergent herbicide called Poast which does a good job at killing most grasses, but doesn't do much to kill the weeds and nutsedge. We also use a pre-emergent like Surflan or sizamine around the middle of February in an attempt to keep the grass and some small weed seeds from germinating in the spring. I've added a link which describes these and other possibilities you may want to consider in your quest to grow a weed-free raspberry patch. But let me also add, most raspberries shut down their photosynthesis process when it gets over 90 degrees (i.e., the berries will stop ripening), so afternoon shade in some fashion should definitely be in your planning.

Hope this helps.

Ken

Here is a link that might be useful: Weed Management in Blackberries in Florida

Where did you find the baba plants?

Rayrose,

I apologize for not responding earlier to your question. I found the bababerries at the Willis Orchard Company in Georgia. I ordered 20 and received them about a week later, all of which were in great shape and packed well. I've included their web link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Willis Orchard Company