Mine have tended to sulk a little but pull out of it with a little tender lovin'.

I was forced to move several May Nights, as well as many other perennials last fall. It was actually quite a bit later in the fall than I would have liked, but I kept them well watered until freezing. Most of the plants survived surprisingly well and I believe every one of the Salvias did fine.

I don't specifically know about the soil, but mine are in full sun. I do water during extended dry periods though.

Hope this helps.

I move Salvia only in the spring because in fall in my zone it would not have enough time to build a root system. Spring transplanting works great with the Salvia in my zone. I see we have the same zone 5 but I figure we could still be somewhat different.

Salvias do best in well drained soil. Amend clay soil or you are apt to loose it during the wet cold days of winter.