In summer you may need to defoliate them completely or they will lose water faster than they take it in. You can leave the canes because they don't lose much water. And they have stored energy. Plants may begin to refoliate after 2-3 weeks.

I moved a fully budded Mlle Franziska Kruger on an especially hot May day. After sulking for a few days, it lost all it's leaves and buds. After another 2 weeks, it started to re-leaf and now has some buds. It's a bit smaller than it was, but will survive.

It was own root, I think that helped. Keep watering, wait, and hope.

Other than watering and mulching, another idea would be to construct a sun break, i.e. put some kind of barrier between the roses and especially the afternoon sun. My husband constructed one of two poles sunk in the ground behind the rose with a piece of groundcloth stapled around the poles.

Good luck; I hope it all works out for you. I have Teasing Georgia and would hate to lose her.

Ingrid

Water, water, water.

Well, let them dry out a bit in-between waterings, but don't be afraid the water a lot. That's what they need now.

Kate

I do this all the time...break every "rule" and find roses are sooooooo forgiving! I have literally never lost a rose doing this, and have moved them in 100 degree weather. Not that it's the best time to transplant...it isn't obviously, but just water them, water them, and water them. Mine almost always lose most of their leaves, but their little green shoots remain strong.
Good luck! I'm cheering you on!

We moved a Felicia last month that was 5' AFTER we cut her back. (thanks, Olga.) We took as many roots as we could, but there was really no root ball, only large roots. The morning afterward, she was wilting pretty dramatically. I remembered the defoliating advice, and I stood there and carefully picked off all of her leaves. I watered her every day, along with the rest of the pot garden, after two weeks, her little buds started to show signs of life. Today, the shoots are growing well, and two of them have buds.

Your roses should be fine, they're just pouting and pitiful right now.

Connie

I've been moving roses all summer. I've probably moved 50-75. I think I may have lost 2-3, but, what everyone else has said holds true.

Robert

Thanks for the suggestions. I can hardly stand the thought of defoliating these roses, but if that will help the ultimate outcome I am on my way out to the garden!

Karen

Karen...most of my roses didn't have many leaves to start with..that's why I moved them...also, they defoliated themselves for the most part.. I wasn't very gentle in the move.
R