Hi Tom, this is one of those questions like "which is better, chocolate or vanilla; Toyota or Honda; Norelco or Remington?" Each person is going to have their right answer and in your climate, either way will work. Your few dips to those temperatures aren't going to damage a vigorous, healthy, well-grown rose.

The main reason planting the bud union below ground is promoted is for extreme cold hardiness. The bud union protected from extreme freezes by soil is prevented from being killed so the rose comes back. I grew many, MANY own root and budded roses in a canyon in the mid desert, CA (zip 91321 if the helps) for nearly twenty years. We had dips in that time range to as low as nine degrees, with spikes of up to one hundred fifteen degrees and I never lost a rose from either end of the range.

If you live where cold hardiness isn't an issue, the theory is planting the bud union below the soil surface can allow the plant to go own root so, theoretically, there won't be root stock suckers. That CAN happen as suggested, but doesn't always. If the variety roots well and performs well own root in your soil, water and climate type, AND if the root stock dies out without sending up growth, great. If it doesn't, your results won't be as desirable as it would have been on a well grown budded plant. If they're things like multiflora based purple roses and you live in a highly alkaline area, get ready for problems. If the variety doesn't grow as well own root in your conditions as it would budded, another worse case scenario. Mileage WILL vary, sometimes greatly, depending upon many variables.

Personally, I don't like planting that deep. I've not had good performance from either own root or budded plants when planted deeply. They just don't produce as many basal breaks to rejuvenate the plant as they do when the bud union isn't buried in this climate and soil type. When I've had planting holes sink or erosion bury bud unions in the past, those plants have become very geriatric much more quickly than other similar plants where the unions or crowns weren't covered. The canes become thick, woody, old and unproductive faster and produce many fewer basal breaks than uncovered unions or crowns.

I guaranty you one thing, this will generate many comments, some agreeing, most disagreeing with mine. It's as if this question ranks right up there with politics and religion as one better NOT asked! LOL! Kim

When you have two experienced growers giving contradictory advice, chances are it works fine either way.

Most people in warm climates plant with the graft exposed. Plants may start a little faster that way, because they want most of their feeder roots to be near the surface. However, roses adapt quickly to a change of grade, so it's not much of a factor.

The argument for burying the graft is to allow the plant to go own-root if it wants to. This means developing roots from the scion variety that starts at the graft. In some cases, own-rooted plants may live longer, but again, a grafted plant should last a long time unless somebody runs over it with a bush-hog or some other accident befalls the critical graft area.

If you have alkaline soil, the plant might benefit from the common rootstock 'Dr. Huey' being more adapted to that condition than many own-rooted plants are. And there are some varieties that don't grow at their best on their own roots.

Thank you Kim & michaelg.
It sounds like there is no right or wrong way to plant a rose, just personal preference. I think we will plant some grafts above & some below ground & see how they do. thanks again for the help, my wife & I learned a bunch!
Tom