I also wonder how long some of those plants have been in their containers in the big box stores. The problem is figuring out who is a reputable mail order nursery anymore. Years back, most of them grew most of their own stock. Now they re-sell from mega nurseries. We have no way of knowing the timeline from grower, to seller, to buyer anymore. A few years ago, I ordered bare root strawberries from Jung (which has never disappointed with seeds). What arrived was on the way to compost: dried out, moldy, completely dead. They replaced the entire order and THAT batch looked good and are doing great. Be vigilant about returning dead stuff and asking for replacement or refund. I bought grape vines at Lowe's (in those long little cardboard boxes that you can't see the whole plant) that were rotting and moldy when I got them home. I took them right back, got a refund, and told the manager he should send back the entire display to the wholesaler for a store refund. Who knows how many people also bought these dead plants? Maybe that's the trick: Don't buy a plant unless you can examine the WHOLE plant, roots and all.
