Hi - I don't know if a lot of people would agree with my methods but so far, I've had pretty good luck with the way I plant and care for my roses. I start all of my roses in a pot and some may stay in pots for several months, depending on how large they are. I try to buy own root plants when I can but do have several grafted plants. When I'm ready to plant them, I dig the hole about a foot deeper than the roots and then back fill the hole with well rotted horse manure. I fill it just deep enough to be able to set the potted plant down in the hole (removed from the pot, of course) and then finish filling in around it with more rotted horse manure. If it is an own root plant, I try to plant it at the same depth that it is growing in the pot, but if it is a grafted plant, I put the graft a couple of inches below the surface. After they are planted, I use Weed Barrier around the plants and then cover with a good layer of mulch. I have had very little trouble with winter kill. Hope this helps.