I don't think I have a bias against TC plants but definitely think it's harder to keep them alive for the first year. The first ones I ever received were from Select Plus, think it was spring 2008 or 2009 and I lost half of them. Those that did survive bloomed for the first time spring 2013 (maybe 2012, can't remember and I didn't have any garden pics before 2013). That does feel like a really long time but even with really nice roots I don't always get a bloom 1st spring. I'm sure you're right, Jerry--clones taken from poor material produce poor plants. Looks from the pictures that Pantek is producing some amazing flowers, looks like they're doing it correctly! I think if I found 2 different divisions of an Itoh I wanted, 1 a tiny TC and the other a 5 eye bareroot I'd buy the bareroot every time, just because it'd bloom quicker. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to buy that TC if it's all that was offered or if there were enough varieties that I wanted to make me hesitate about the cost of multiple bareroots!
