Bred at East Malling Research, Octavia is named after the Roman month of August thereby suggesting its fruiting period, bridging the gap between summer and autumn fruiting varieties. Widely used commercially, the large juicy fruits are uniform, firm & have a superb sweet flavour. The succulent berries are well displayed in prominent clusters and are easily plugged for a trouble-free picking experience. It is a moderately vigorous variety that prolifically crops all the way down to the base of the fruiting cane. Octavia is particularly noted for its excellent shelf life. Exceptionally hardy, having been known to survive -30 degrees! An excellent choice for the home garden.
Cropping season: late July-late August. Self fertile.
*Bareroot – November to March is the ideal time to plant bare-root plants. These are plants that have been grown in open ground, then dug up for dispatch and planting during the dormant season. They are called ‘bare-root’ plants as they are supplied with no soil around their roots. They will come packed in damp compost to stop the roots drying out and should be planted as soon as possible. As long as the compost is kept damp planting can be delayed for a few weeks if necessary.