Octavia, Raspberry

By permission of Vicky Knight, EMR East Malling

The berries are large, uniform, firm and easily detached. Their fruit size is larger than Tulameen averaging 6.6 grams per berry in trials. The flavour is pleasant and the colour good, if a little dull. Detailed tests at EMR East Malling have highlighted the variety’s excellent shelf life; yield is excellent with 3.3kg per stool recorded by JHI. Octavia is a moderately vigorous, thorny selection producing upright, leafy laterals with well presented fruit. Bud break is good and the variety crops to the base of the fruiting canes. They are susceptible to Root Rot. Resistant to biotypes 1-4 of the large Raspberry Aphid, Cane Botrytis and Cane Spot. The 50% pick date of Octavia has consistently been 11 to 12 days later than that of Glen Ample. Octavia has exceptional winter hardiness and survived -30º C in Poland in the 2006/7 winter.

Certified Stock

Standard Cane: £860 per thousand
Root: £20 per kg