KJ I think it’s an easy task, especially with a young rose you planted yourself . In zone 9B, you can plant high above the graft and any Huey that pops out below the bud union will be very obvious, just snap it off completely when you see it. Claire those reasons make sense to me for cold weahter locales. If it dies to the ground, the rose will come back true to variety. In my mild winter climate I always plant as high up on the root system as possible because all the best soil is on top (there’s a reason it’s coalled topsoil lol!) , so its not wasted on the graft and can be used by feeder roots. Also, I don’t have to dig so deep into the much harder adobe clay below. I am quite opportunistic and get whatever rootstock comes my way! With good care and a benevolent climate, the great majority of roses thrive regardless of own root or whichever rootstock.

Hi springrose: I put MG-moisture control potting soil (denser than your potting soil) in my 10-gallon Smart-Pot yesterday, dumped a 5-gallon water into that .. was VERY IMPRESSED at how fast it drains. Then I put the same soil into a 2-gallon plastic pot (tons of holes at bottom), dumped a 2-gallon water into that, the water was floating above for a while .. even with wooden-planks to elevate the pot. So I took hubby's drill and drill more holes on the side of that plastic pot. Yes to gypsum .. the year which I forgot put gypsum into pots it was a blackspot fest. But the years which I put 1 cup of gypsum per 3-gallon soil, roses were healthy. Gypsum is calcium sulfate at pH 6.8, and calcium is essential for root-growth and thicker-tissue to prevent pests and fungal infection. The granular gypsum is slower release, and that's what you want. Roses Unlimited recommended gypsum, plus lime in the hole if the soil is acidic. My favorite granular fertilizer to mix into the planting hole is Tomato-Tone or Rose-tone, I prefer Tomato-Tone since it's higher in potassium & higher calcium. Rose tissue analysis is equal nitrogen to potassium, 1/2 calcium, and 1/10 phosphorus. Potassium is just as important as nitrogen. Tomato-Tone has more green sand (slow-release potassium) than Rose-tone. Espoma Tone is sold everywhere for $10 per 5 lb. I use 1 cup per 3 gallon of soil. The year which I put Tomato-Tone in the planting hole, my tomato produced many times more within our short-growing zone 5a summer. I just dug up a hole which I put Tomato-Tone & leaves few weeks ago, there more earthworms than hole with leaves, or hole with alfalfa meal. I put a few earthworms along with 1/2 cup of Espoma Tomato-tone and 1/2 cup of gypsum for my 2-gallon plastic pot. I reduce the dosage since my tiny bands are so small, less fertilizer is best .. both Roses Unlimited and Chamblee recommended only SOLUBLE fertilizer, no granular for 1st-year own-root, so alfalfa meal would be safer for tiny roots than Espoma tone's. Since Smart-Pot dries out faster plastic, I would prefer alfalfa-meal or Standlee alfalfa pellets over Tomato-Tone. Why? alfalfa-meal retains moisture better, and safer on the root of 1-gallon own-root in hot Texas climate. The pic. of 1st year own-root Scepter'd Isle which I posted in 100 degree heat had alfalfa meal in the planting hole. Alfalfa meal has calcium plus NPK of 3-1-2, but a tiny bit of SOLUBLE sulfate of potash would help for root-development. Gypsum is not best when one's soil is acidic, thus the calcium in alfalfa meal is safer. That pic. is in Nancy Rose's thread below: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3880697/need-help-for-my-austin-rose-scepterd-isle?n=3

Among my 33 own-root Austin roses, there are few scents that I can stick my nose in 24/7. Leander, St. Cecilia, Mary Magdalene, the Dark Lady, W.S. 2000. Below bouquet was picked July 24: Radio Times, sweet and pure heaven (not too face-powder perfume like Comte de Chambord), medium pink below. It's steady fragrant when topped with pea-gravel. Evelyn: sweet peach, light pink Munstead Wood: sweet berries, dark red. For beauty & scent & vigor, Radio Times is #1 Radio Times get my vote as the most photogenic. Below pic. was taken this July 24: Below pic. was taken back in 2011 when I first bought Radio Times as 1st year own-root: Bush has pretty leaves & healthy as 11th-year-own-root, pic. taken this July 14, I don't spray:

seasiderooftop I have Princess Anne as 5th-year own root, it's very tough with thick cane, and bloom best with chicken manure, it's in only 4 hours of morning sun: @joeywyomingzone4 I read your post on rooting roses with band-size containers with a mixture of pea pebbles, charcoal bits, and chopped up banana skins. Thank you for that fantastic tip. @rosecanadian Growing small own-root roses in the pot is so much easier than grafted. Plus own-root roses last longer. Evelyn roots VERY EASY here and yearly I throw away Evelyn rootings, which I wish I could send to you. I sent out rootings with zero soil & dunked in water before sending out, and they bloom well for a friend in Texas. Below is bloom on an Evelyn rooting I did. I kept it in partial shade thus the bee-leaf-cutter damage.