Or you can dig a small trench in a shady spot of your garden, lay the rose down at a thirty-degree angle, cover the roots with moistened soil, and cover the top with a layer of hay. If you can't amend the entire bed, amend in a circle of 3 to 4 feet for each rose. This guards against aphids, mites, and certain other insects that like new growth. A five-foot spacing works well for hybrid teas. Larger plants will need more room.
Antique roses vary tremendously in size and form.
Follow planting directions on the rose label. Avoid planting too deeply. In the South, the crown of grafted plants should be about 2 inches above the soil line, even if the package doesn't say so. Buried crowns invite disease in the South. The first lateral roots should be just at the soil surface.