Question
Can I use Cedar chips for my roses?
If not what is BEST!

Answer
There is a lot of bad publicity about cedar on op of any plant. The reason being that they say it draws out the nitrogen from the soil as well as laving a little cedar oil in the soil which is supposed to cause a chemical re-action. It also breaks down very quickly in comparison to other wood mulches. The truth is that all wood mulches will take a small amount of nitrogen from the soil but not enough to hurt the roses. The cedar oil is also not enough to cause any problems. However if you are concerned about cedar, just buy some cheap fertilizer that is high in nitrogen and after you have spread the mulch, sprinkle a little of it all around the base of the rose bushes. This will compensate for any nitrogen it takes from the soil. Many gardeners do use cedar without any problems at all.