Weeks Roses
Weeks Roses is one of the largest commercial rose growers in the United States since 1938. Our hefty bare-root field-grown plants, Leaf N’ Bud container plants, Tops In Pots dormant plantable pots and own-root rose liners are sold to nurseries, garden centers, and select mail order outlets nationwide.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Technology
- Industry Type:
- Horticulture
- Market Focus:
- Nationally (across the country)
This company also provides solutions for other industrial applications.
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History
Weeks Roses Today
Our state-of-the art processing, refrigeration and distribution center is located at our growing grounds in Wasco, California, in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley. Weeks has over 1,200 acres of production facilities in the same area as many of the other major rose producers. Wasco has a good deep loamy soil, plentiful clean well water and a natural climate that fits commercial rose production particularly well. In Wasco we can produce strong healthy bushes that ship easily and adapt well to most any climate in the United States. Our research and licensing office is located on the Cal Poly Pomona Campus along with our hybridizing greenhouses and display/test gardens.
Beginning in early December and ending about mid-February, Weeks Roses ships over four million bareroot roses throughout the United States. Immediately following harvest, our roses are carefully graded and packed in strong boxes, then shipped in temperature-controlled trucks, where applicable, either directly to our customers or to various strategically located cold storage warehouses and made available to our nursery and garden center customers when they are ready in their particular area.
Research & Development
Since the 1950’s, Weeks has invested in developing proprietary rose hybrids through its own breeding program. Weeks’ Research Department is dedicated to bringing you the best in all types of new rose varieties – whether from our own hybridizing or from the efforts of international breeding firms or amateur stateside breeders.
Early in the history of the company, Mr. Weeks formed a partnership with the great American rose breeder, Herb Swim. They produced a remarkable group of new roses in that time--many of which are still in commerce. During this time AARS Award Winners such as Royal Highness (1963), Mister Lincoln & Camelot (1965), Angel Face & Comanche (1969) and Gypsy (1973) were introduced. Oklahoma was one of the first of the 'State' series. And the 'Talk' roses were amongst the forerunners of today's modern Shrub roses.
After the partnership with Swim dissolved, Ollie continued the hybridizing program on his own. Weeks hybrids came to be known by their sturdy vigorous plants. His AARS winners were Perfume Delight (1974), Arizona (1975), Paradise (1979), Bing Crosby (1981) and Sweet Surrender (1983). One of the last roses to come from Mr. Weeks was our special 50th anniversary rose, Celebrity.
Each year at our research greenhouses on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona, we hand pollinate about 50,000 flowers to produce around 250,000 seeds. After a thorough 8 to 10 year evaluation period only about 4 to 5 varieties emerge from the group as truly superior and market-worthy.
To date, 14 AARS Award Winners have come from Weeks’ research efforts. Under the direction of Tom Carruth from 1988 until 2012 and currently under the direction of Christian Bédard. In the years to come, we will be bringing you many more excellent roses to grace your gardens.