First of all, manure should be well aged for a year or more to be safe. We do not recommend using manure around the roots. You can plant your roses using Aged Cow Manure if you put it in the very bottom of the hole with soil on top to keep roots from burning, or you can use it as a top dressing around the bush. Manure is the best fertilizer of all and will produce great roses. Apply it on the surface of the soil, once or twice a year, so that it is 2 inches deep. We prefer cow manure. It is best obtained from stables that feed alfalfa hay and do not bed their stables with straw, which contains seeds that will germinate in your garden. Steer manure is also a good choice.