I moved mine during the cold weather of December. I'm not sure what kind they are - I grew them from No I.D. cuttings people had given me.
I dug them up and left them til I knew where to put them. Three went in the ground and four are crammed into window boxes that are too small for them. BUT they are getting new growth and buds all over.
I am so new at growing roses and I probably broke several transplanting rules, but it worked for me. They were 2 - 4 year old plants and fairly good sized, with lots of long flesh-eating branches.
And mine had only been in the ground since June, when we moved from Chokoloskee to Lake Placid.

I hope someone gives you good advice on the "how" to do it, but I say you really "should" do it!

Let us know, okay?

Susie

Are these roses in Florida or MA? Do you want to move them from FL to MA? Or are you in FL now and want to move them a few miles or across the state?

Just 6 miles within central fla from one place to another.

Not in FL now but will be soon, God willing.....

I moved 12 roses in the bitter cold of January.
Some lost every leaf but have flushed with new growth and buds.
Lots of water, plenty of mulch and lots of water and they are now blooming
and very happy.
These are all Old Garden Roses on their own rootstock.
If you are willing to take the risk, go for it!

my luck is bad when it comes to ME moving them. It is getting quite warm now but it could worse...will get worse.
Give them plenty to drink in the days (day) before the move. If they aren't too big I'd try putting them in a pot and growing them there until they get established. Put them in the shade. If they have to go right into the ground give them so temporary shade if possible.
Prune before u move them. It makes them easier to handle plus they seem to transplant better that way.

good luck

I move my roses more than my furniture lol. One poor rose has been moved 3 times in 18 months and he ain't small.

IMO Old Garden roses survive moving better than hybrid teas, they have more and finer roots and are hardier. The question is are you going to try digging them up and re-planting the same day?

In cold weather you'll have no problem except fatigue on your end. Dig, burlap the top and bottom, re-plant.

In warmer weather I prefer to dig up, put in large pot and keep in shade for days or weeks, watering well. Helps stabilize the plant and I rarely even lose leaves. Then when I have the new spot dug I'll replant. If the weather is too sunny and hot I'll put a beach umbrella over it for a week, and again watering well.

I moved some roses (and 12' bamboo) from Naples to Englewood, 2 days on the movers truck, they're still with me and still getting re-located in the yard.

Denise

P.S. I don't prune before transplanting, just remove flower buds.

We have the luxury of waiting til cool weather, sounds like that would be better.

Thanks for the anecdotes....

Denise and Laura gave you great advice.

I have moved them with pretty good luck in the heat. The main thing is to never let them get dry. Also, I'm with Laura, I prune hard before moving them.

Are you on the GWQ Antique Rose Forum? It's great!

Veronica

Veronica, I'm not really a rose affecionado. I like roses, and other ornamentals, but my obsession is food plants.

It's just that if these particular roses are going to get moved, it's me that will be pegged to do it, so I wanted to be fore-knowledged about it. I think most of them are that new kind that are popular in the box-stores, forget the name? Supposed to be better adapted for florida climate. They have done very well. So they are not antique.

What I do get a little excited about is climbing roses. Not many things more gorgeous than a thriving climbing rose. Which, by definition, are "antique", I think? Here in coastal MA they are kind of the defining ornamental, though I have never managed to grow a nice one myself.

Knockouts.

Since you are a food grower you are in for a BIG change when you get here. Seasons are very different here. Keep reading, especially Bamboo Rabbit and Silvia's posts. They are the food growing savants around here. IMO.

Veronica

Yes, Silvia's garden is really impressive. My goal is to ultimately create a fairly large (9 acres or so) very low-input permaculture system.

I've been on this forum off and on for years, because I'm not new to fla (I was raised in fla, not that that taught me anything about food-production - it didn't). The place we have now I've been working for five years. I have a good-sized plot somewhat built up with OM, and I have a scheme where I'm letting hairy indigo and other weeds help build the soil. Trying to get well-adapted fruit trees established. Like all places, what wants to grow doesn't need much help and everything else is a struggle.

One thing that is a concern is mineral deficiency - florida sand is very spare on traces as I'm sure you know. I plan to eventually be eating virtually all local food for large parts of the year. Produce can look good and yet a body can get demineralized - that is in fact what is going on in our grocery stores everywhere. The settlers avoided severe problems by eating uncleaned sea-salt I suspect, as well as shellfish for those with access. I know they used to make long treks from the interior to the gulf just to make salt. I will be Brix-testing my produce to estimate the mineral content, after making some mineral amendments to the gardens.