I'd plant the trunk straight and have the root, below ground, at an angle. Trim the high side of the roots if needed so that the graft union doesn't set too low. I've done this before and it worked. If the stock is small caliber or if there is a low branch that could become the new trunk, then doing it the other way could work just as well. You won't be able to pull the top straight until after it has rooted for a year. By then it may be too stiff to bend.

I soak in water all the way up as high as it will go in a 5 gallon bucket of water with a few drops of Superthrive in it for at least a day (and I'm ashamed to admit that it's gone as long as a week when I couldn't get back to them) before planting. No chemical fertilizer but I do use some fish emulsion on them. Most of mine go into pots but I still plant the unions below the potting soil level. Anything dead or black gets cut off immediately. As well as any of the sickly white growth that you sometimes get from shipping. Later on after they've leafed out I go back and re-prune any new dead tips. I've planted as late as July 4th but you have to be extra careful that they stay well watered and if it gets very hot shade them during the hottest part of the day until they've started to put on some size. I hear you, Mike, YIKES it was hot today! But last week I was griping about the darn frost warnings, lol!

So if I understand correctly, if I put the white part of the stems below ground, then the place where the roots emerge from the stems will be an inch or so below ground, correct? ===>>> not in my world ... roots in the ground.. leaves above the ground... the middle part.. the crown.. at the surface level .. in the ground ... but not like an iris ... you say.. where the roots come out of the crown should be one inch deep .. maybe on a larger hosta.. your comment is an over generalization to some extent ... but one thing for sure.. the petioles... the celery-like stalks that hold up the leaves.. which come out of the top of the crown ... should NOT be in the soil.. MUCH AT ALL ... i dont understand why you can not tell.. looking at what you got in the mail ... which creamy white parts.. have never seen the sun .... that stuff has to be in the ground.. if the parts are green.. they were and are supposed to be.. above ground .... now.. here is the real issue ... all of the above [including your thoughts] is within the realm of OK .... but the issue is whether .. when the soil settles.. they end up another inch or two deep ... and then.. all of a sudden.. they are 3 inches underground ... and that is where the problems will be .... now .... something like liberty.. a potential large.. will probably not care .... but if baby bunting ends up 3 inches too deep... you will have problems.. make sense??? it usually ends up being a function of what you use to 'fluffify' your soil.. what you amend with.. and how it reacts to ground freeze and the freeze thaw cycle ... but never forget.. they are hosta ... and but for totally ejecting themselves in the freeze thaw cycle in winter.. you are going to be hard pressed to kill them quickly ... if something just doesnt look right next spring... odds are.. they ended up too deep.. and at that point.. you will lift them.. and set them properly .... most of us.. at looking at a pic.. can quickly tell.. what is planted too deep ... [sometimes i think babka.. in tx.. with her pot culture.. forgets what a witch mother earth can be.. lol ...] good luck .. it sounds like you are already having fun... ken ps: is this your first mail order??? did it make you feel like a child at xmas again.. lol ..

who is selling bare root 'Green Jade' anyhow? That's still a somewhat uncommon variety here in the US and the nurseries I know of that have offered it do not sell bareroot. (Far Reaches might sometimes sell unpotted, but that is different) Anyhow if your soil is reasonably drained you can plant them a little low (more like 1" than 2" though) and fill around the collar as the plant grows. In marginal climes remember to leave the dying foliage on top, it protects the crown.