Culture
Best grown in medium moisture, slightly acidic, well-drained garden loams in full sun to part shade. Best flowering and disease resistance generally occur in full sun, however. Water deeply and regularly (mornings are best). Avoid overhead watering. Good air circulation promotes vigorous and healthy growth and helps control foliar diseases. Summer mulch helps retain moisture, keeps roots cool and discourages weeds. Remove spent flowers to encourage rebloom. Crowns need winter protection in cold winter areas such as St. Louis. Remove and destroy diseased leaves from plants, as practicable, and clean up and destroy dead leaves from the ground around the plants both during the growing season and as part of a thorough cleanup during winter (dormant season). Prune as needed in late winter to early spring.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Rosa is a genus of about 150 species of deciduous (occasionally evergreen) shrubs and climbers noted for their beautiful, often fragrant, single, semidouble or double flowers which are borne singly or in clusters on often prickly stems clad with 5-9 leaflets often having toothed margins.
Shrub roses are usually large-growing bushes between 4-10 feet tall and as wide. They are a very diverse group of hybrids and usually produce clusters of flowers several times a year but some may bloom just once in spring. They do not require the heavy pruning required of hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora roses unless being pruned to control size. Plants can be allowed to grow large with minimal pruning.
Genus name comes from the Latin name for rose.
CANDY OH! VIVID RED is a shrub rose that typically grows with a dense, upright-mounded habit to 3-4’ tall and as wide. It is noted for its continuous bloom of single roses with vivid red petals and yellow center stamens. Roses bloom in clusters that blanket the foliage from May until frost. Flowers are mildly aromatic. This hybrid is the result of a cross between an unnamed seedling of the polyantha commercial rose class (female parent) and R. 'Robin Hood' of the hybrid musk commercial rose class (male parent). Breeder is David Charles Zlesak of St. Paul, Minnesota. Green compound leaves, each with 3 to 7 or more ovate leaflets, retain good color throughout the growing season. U.S. Plant Patent PP20,471 was issued on November 10, 2009.
Problems
Roses are susceptible to a large number of diseases, the most common of which are black spot, powdery mildew, rust and rose rosette. Although good cultural practices are the first line of defense in disease control, regular preventative fungicide applications throughout the growing season are usually required, particularly in humid climates with regular rainfall such as the St. Louis area. Potential insect problems include aphids, beetles, borers, scale, thrips, rose midges, leafhoppers and spider mites. Local rose associations and extension services are usually able to offer specific recommendations and advice for selecting and growing roses.
CANDY OH! VIVID RED reportedly has good resistance to the aforementioned diseases.
Uses
Grow as a specimen or in small groups in borders, cottage gardens, foundations or rose gardens. Also effective as a hedge.