My understanding is that Spring is best (especially if the plant is dormant), and that Fall works for zones 7 and below (a matter of hardiness; the roots having an opportunity to "take hold" before the ground freezes). It is difficult to get all the root, and what might be the most important is the most vulnerable, the root "hairs".

Early spring is the ideal while the rose is dormant (you can bare root them then and they don't miss a beat) but I have moved roses even in July. Water well first, have your new hole dug and ready before you start digging the rose, and after the move water, water, water. Shade helps, too - even a lawn chair strategically placed for a week or so can help. And no fertilizer until you see new growth.

Fall. Woody plants grow their roots during the winter. In spring, the plant's energies are going to leaves and flowers. Thus, when you transplant in spring, the plant has to divide its energies between new growth and establishing roots. In fall, it can devote all its energy to roots. When spring comes, it is established and ready to rock.

For me, the harder I try to dig it out carefully, keep the rootball together, etc the worse my success. If I just shovel it out, dump it in the new hole, water it in and walk away, it thrives. Last year I moved a small Reve d'Or with all the tenderness and loving kindness in the world. It is in a perfect location and it has taken until now to recover. About the same time I moved a large (tho not full-grown) Paul's Himalayan Musk. I had to chop and hack and yank to get it out of it's old hole (it had grown among tree roots). Then it lost what soil was left on the ride home when I had to slam on my breaks and everything went flying. I was so certain it wouldn't survive that I stuck it at the bottom of the garden, where it's rather shady and I frequently run out of time to water that far down. It's thriving. Go figure.

I move roses anytime in my climate. In your climate, I would think that either spring or fall would work. Depending on how much care you want to take, you can prepare the rose for about one to two months prior to the move by digging around the rose to create a root ball about 1 foot in diameter (start with 2 foot diameter and narrow it each time you dig). You dig every few days and water the root ball frequently. After one or two months of this process, you will have created a root ball that can be moved without cutting much of the top growth. Of course, this is an arduous process and one can instead cut the top growth to the size of the root ball and do it all in one day. I just moved a 3 year old 5X5 Souvenir de Docteur Jamain after about 1 1/2 months of creating the root ball. I did not cut any top growth, not a smidgen. It had a couple of new canes and they are still growing well in its new location. As I said, it can be a lot of work to do it this way, but the plant seems to respond well and not go into shock. Plus, it takes off much faster in its new location when moved with such care. Good luck!

Dormant is best, but most roses don't go dormant here, though there are some exceptions. Try not to do it on a hot day if you have a choice. Water deeply. Inevitably you lose some roots.

To move an established rose I follow a suggestion one of our really smart rose people here made once. It has proved very successful for me. I'd like to give credit where credit is due but unfortunately I forget who it was. Perhaps someone else can chime in and help me. Here is the suggestion: strip off all the leaves. Lacking leaves the rose will not wilt away all its strength while settling into its new home. Fresh new leaves will grow. Since I started doing this, I have not lost a single transplanted rose.

Rosefolly

Dormant. They are sleeping and have no idea. They wake up fresh and new in spring. From Auburn University, dormant, cut back by one-third.

jbfoodie

An interesting idea.I'm wondering it the root ball becomes more "together" during this process making it easier to move without losing soil?

I'm also leaning toward fall as somehow I have more time then. And I like the theory about roots forming in the fall while Spring is the time for leaves, etc.

I think I'll try the root ball thing for doing a switch between two roses, one to big for its' spot with a lower sreading rose, this on the front of a bed.

Other roses I'm just going to dig them and try for getting the most soil. Might see about wrapping the root ball in burlap and planting with it.

I've come to the conclusion,after my ball and burlap tree episodes, that if a plant was made to be moved around like a piece of furniture, it should be in a pot or have come with wheels. After half of my expensive trees died I found. A couple of websites that declare that 90% of the roots are destroyed and in 13 years it will be the same size as a smaller tree. I've never seen anything about anything similiar on roses but I have on lilacs. If it isn't destroying your house, I'd just leave it. I will never again buy a ball and burlap anything, and I will be sure and ask about a large potted tree even.
Obviously it can be done and people do it but I think they need to be informed of the odds and the risks of doing it. It would be ashame all that work and find out that in a few years a band would be the same size! I would be a little miffed as I am still stewing about the trees!LOL

If it were my roses I'd wait until early spring before they break dormancy. I moved two large roses early this spring and I'm sure they didn't even realize they'd been moved.

Kristin Flower, "dormant." That's key. Don't do it when the ground is frozen, another key(Hole), perhaps. But what do I know?

I am just a stupid southerner, whose opinion most here largely ignore since it is a widely held conensus that we hillbillies cannot read and write, and as such, cannot read the directions from the farmer's manual.

With your hardiness issues, I wouldn't risk moving in the fall. I myself wouldn't move a rose in the fall unless I had to. Then I wouldn't be surprised if the rose didn't make it through the winter. The roots don't have enough time to establish before the ground gets too cold/freezes.

I have moved lots of roses in the spring, sometimes when they're dormant, but most the time after they have leafed out and I can see what size bush I have with cane that survied the winter. Being moved in spring, they don't seem to skip a beat. I have never had one wilt. Just water well and let the spring rains be on your side.

Jim--I think that when a root ball is created over time by cutting and recutting the roots, the roots become contained within the root ball. What this means is that when you move it, you will not be tearing up any roots as they are all contained within the 'ball.' It is like creating a potted plant, so that when you transplant it, you are not cutting off any important roots. In essence, you are 'potting up' the rose and letting it become established in its pot before transplanting. This is why the plant suffers few, if any, ill effects from the move. And, yes, I think it would be less likely that the roots would break off as the roots are nicely contained in a 1X1 mass. Sometimes, I shake off the extra soil with no problems. I believe it is the immediate cutting of the roots that is a shock to plants when transplanting all in one session; creating a root ball prevents that from happening. This is the way professionals move well established and valuable plants and has been full proof for me.

I also tie up the canes to contain them as it is very difficult to move a bush with flopping canes.

Of course, a simpler way to move a rose is to cut the top to approximately the same size as the root ball and do it all in one day. However, I have had mixed results doing it this way as roots break off and such (as you mentioned).

If you are able to plant roses in pots in fall, then you should be able to move a rose in this manner in fall provided it has been properly prepared.

Joanne

Roses do not produce a nice fibrous root ball like some other plants. So unless they are small enough to pick up the entire root system with a shovel, moving them will end up with a bareroot plant. That's just the way it is. Hardy roses (by that I mean tip hardy, not crown hardy) can be moved in late fall after they go dormant, or in spring. Anything else, the usual local recommendation ends up being to wait until you see what is alive or not in the spring before moving it.