Everything I have read, including on this site, has said to bury the bud union 3-4" below especially in NY where we can have temps dip into the single digits during the winter. That's what I did with mine and so far so good? Yeah, so far so good. :)

I had bud onions freeze and die in 7b SC planted like you have them. I would get that knobby part under the ground. It won't hurt to be on the safe side, even an inch under will be better than above. It's also better for not getting wind rocking it back and forth breaking it off.

Paul explains it better here. https://youtu.be/TFak9vugdrg

Besides the advice above, it's generally suggested to "hill" bareroots up with mulch, compost or soil when planting. This protects and encourages new growth, but is removed as the season progresses. Perhaps that's what DA means. However, most places do suggest burying the union if it gets at all cold. I do 2" in Z6, so you could probably get away with a bit less. : )) What roses did you get?

These are wollerton old hall and jude the obscure, I’m so excited!

Okay, so put them a little deeper

whats everyone’s thoughts on the damaged cane, remove it?

How dissapointing to get a damaged rose... I would remove the damaged part, it was something i read online about damaged canes.

I would call them, or send them a picture. Ask them about it. If it doesn't grow well you have the reason why. I've never ordered from them, but I hear they are pretty good about replacing anything that has problems. I would leave it alone for now, and see how it does after it starts growing before cutting anything off. I don't know if I'd be correct though.

I would leave the damaged cane unless it grew poorly. Your photos look just like how I planted my last grafted DA order. I would have preferred to plant deeper but the shank was so long we couldn't dig deep enough to plant deeper. This is too recent to know how they will do, but so far so good.

Leave the damaged cane for now, but definitely, send a photo to DA Roses and let them know.

Yes, that graft union should be planted 2 -4 inches below ground.

Keep the soil moist. You can hill it with soil or other mulch until it breaks dormancy and starts growing leaves, then remove any covering.

I'm in the minority about the damaged cane since the outside is so thoroughly stripped that I would cut it away now and not make it work so hard to support the growth on the end of the cane that I fear would die anyway. In my experience roses bought from DA are at high risk for canker damage that spreads from cane injury, and that is one whopping case of unacceptable cane injury. By all means contact DA with these photos and ask for a replacement.

In the meantime, I'd go ahead and plant this without that cane, burying the graft as others have suggested. Leaving the graft above the ground is something gardeners usually do in zones like 8 and higher that we don't have as many options for doing in colder zones. Most Austin roses will survive fine in your zone, but I wouldn't take the chance and I'd bury the graft. The hilling up around the canes above ground is a good idea to prompt some additional basal breaks, since you'll be pruning off most of the above ground growth.

Cynthia

If you decide to leave the damaged cane and hill up around it I would try painting the stripped part or coating it with grafting wax. Just the stripped part. I usually hill up with peat moss but even if it is wet it could cause canker during the time it is covered.

It's interesting, when I first started growing roses over 30 years ago the borderline for covering the graft or not covering the graft was zone 6. I am never sure what to do where I am at but I think I am going to have to start covering because I am having way too much damage down to the ground because of wild winter fluctuations.

Well the climate was way more stable 30 years ago for sure! Indeed, every old rosarian I've talked to has said that zone 6 is the borderline because that is the highest zone number with sub zero temperatures and that has always worked for many people. These days with climate change everything is off the hook, we had two weeks here where it was warmer in Alaska than here.

I'm in a pretty rough zone 6, I say that because temperatures are just one part of the equation. I spent the weekend pruning pretty much everything to the ground despite it being the spring after a winter that was not very cold - but the excessive ups and downs in temperatures probably did those canes in. I only bury about 2 inches to the top of the graft and so far so good.