I stopped buying from them back before they got nearly as bad as you guys describe. Most of the roses I got from them were alive when I received them; but I don't think one in six made it to knee-high for one reason or another. At the end of three years I'd lost 95% or more.
One factor was that they would ship in early May and I'd get these underdeveloped bare root roses on multiflora rootstock right at the start of the summer drought. Regular feeding and daily watering was not enough to establish them. Bare root roses planted late just don't settle in well if planted late where summers are dryish.
I proved to myself last year that when you plant bareroot roses makes all the difference in the world by buying bareroot orders for delivery in March, April, and Late May. All the roses delivered in March survived. More than 75% of those delivered in April survived. All the rosed delivered in late May died.
It's so sad, because Hortico had one of the most extensive catalogues around.
