I only put a bit of bone meal in the hole, if I use anything as a
fertilizer. As far as soil preparation, it really depends on the type of
soil you have in the first place. I know Pickering roses, who sell a ton of
bare-roots, does not recommend, and, as a matter of fact, sight putting
manure in the hole as possible cause for "failure to thrive".

That being said, if the manure is well aged, the actual nitrogen content is
not very high. Interestingly, when using horse manure, as I do, you need to
be careful that you do not create a nitrogen defiance, as the wood chips
used in the stalls as bedding are high in carbon, which depletes the stores
of nitrogen in the surrounding soil.

The American Rose Society has a bunch of info on soil preparation, so that
would be a good place to look.

Best Regards

Jeff, Southeast Michigan, Zone 5


wrote in message
...
I have a bunch of new bare-root roses coming from mail order that I am
going to plant around my patio, and was looking for suggestions for
the most effective soil amendments.

Last year I planted my first rose bushes (I am a rookie) with a mix of
dehydrated cow manure and peat moss. It took about 1 - 2 months
before the plants started to grow, and I was concerned that the cow
manure was too high in nitrogen and perhaps was stunting/slowing the
roses' growth.

Any good recommendations?