When ever you transplant you should prune the top growth back to match the size of the root ball. The roots cannot readily supply moisture to growth bigger than the rootball.
Unless you lose no soil from the roots when transplanting, the tiny feeder roots will fall off with any soil lost. Until these regrow the top will suffer by wilting and dropping leaves. It takes a lot of energy to make leaves and anytime a plant is required to do so, it depletes any moisture and food reserves in the roots and canes. Unless these can be readily replaced the plant will suffer. Bloom production will be nil until the roots can catch up.
Severe pruning, lots of water, and TLC can tip the balance in your favor.
As you experienced, once a bush is severely stressed, it goes into a funk and takes a long time to recover.
The next time you purchase a potted jaw dropping blooming rosebush get it in the ground ASAP along with lots of water. At least the roots have access to moisture that may seep into the planting hole from the surrounding soil. In the pot there is no other possible source. If necessary to leave town before it recovers, ask someone to water it.
If the area you have to plant it in is too sunny or too hot, provide a method of temporary shade such as shade cloth or an umbrella.
Otherwise you are committing rose homicide or rosacide.
The pots those newly purchased bushes are in are unually way to small. Only because they are grown in controlled conditions do they do so well. They suffer when they come out of that ideal environment.

Karl:

I found your post tremendously helpful and informative. You not only answered the questions that were asked but a couple that weren't. Like why that rose looked SO good in the pot but turned cranky on me in the blink of any eye.

The good news is that while I was out prepping the garden for winter today I see that the rose had some nice new growth at the end of summer/early fall. So I have great faith this rose can be gorgeous again.

So based on your great advice next spring when I move it I will give it that major trimming and it will be put in a kinder place than it was this summer. I'm excited to see what it can do now that I have some good information on how to handle it.

If it doesn't make it I'm going to plant Burgundy Iceberg in its place.

Thank you again Karl.

Kate

why not leave it where you planted it? seems to me that would be the less stressful. roses don't grow for me in the summer at all, but this fall they more than made up for it.plant the burgundy iceberg in the place you were going to transplant it to! no sense in letting it settle in and then relocating it again.

Reason being that since the purchase was such an impulse buy I really had no where that made sense to plant it. So I just planted it where I had room. Someplace I don't really want it. Next year when I redo the rose bed I will have room and it will be in a kinder, more logical location.

Kate

Kate,]
I've planted roses in temporary spots but when I do I leave it in the pot so when I move it I disturb the roots less. Digging up a potted rose is easier and doesn't stress the rose so much. It would still be necessary to water it a lot as the roots will be confined to the pot but In many cases the roots will begin to grow out of the drainage holes. Should that happen just trim them off where they exit the hole

Thanks Karl.

That is just fascinating. You know I am moving several of my roses (planted in the ground) next spring. So I might try to bend your ear again at that time. You are a great resource I must say.

Kate

I've learned from mistakes I made and hope others can benefit from what I've learned. If you have questions next spring or anytime you may want to e-mail me directly so as not to clutter this site.

Thanks Karl. I just discovered your Rosenut page about five minutes ago. Trying to read it now and pretend to work in tandem.

Thank you for the offer to email you directly. I will certainly take you up on that. However as far as cluttering up the site with our exchanges I suspect others benefit from our back and forth in messages. But whatever you prefer.

Take care.

Kate

Don't cut the top back. Nutrients stored in stems supports growth of new roots. Minimize/avoid wilting by transplanting carefully, in winter.

I'm afraid I don't understand. How can I cut back the rose without cutting off the top?

Also I am having trouble imagining a scenario in which moving the rose during winter could do anything but kill it. It seems like spring is the hot tip for moving Night Owl. I could have moved NO a couple of months ago if my new bed had been ready. But since it won't be until next year I plan to wait until then.

Maybe I'm just not following you bboy. Help me see what you're saying?

Kate

Just a comment on cluttering up this site. I hope you will continue to do that, Karl. I may not post much, but I read here every day and certainly get a lot out of others' posts and your replies, and would hate to miss out on any words of wisdom you're passing on to katefisher.

Kate, I strongly second Karl's advice about moving your Night Owl climber. I would make sure the bush is well-hydrated before you start the moving operation by watering it well beforehand. The loss of the feeder roots is just the way it is; expect that Night Owl may sit there for awhile in its new home. Once it has re-established a good root system to support them, the new canes will appear. Night Owl is such a vigorous rose, if you have to move something good thing it's this, and not some fragile, fussy cultivar. Good luck!

Thank you barbarag:

I will be sure and do that. Give it lots of water before we do the deed. I really failed to describe the rose in its current state right now. It has a couple of really tall canes and a few shorter ones that are kind of flopping. I think after all that has been said here that I can hydrate, trim back, move and then wait to see what kind of structure it seems to need while the rose recovers and shows me what it can do.

Appreciate your time.

Kate

Kate, don't be afraid to move your rose. If you do it in the spring when you normally would prune the roses anyway, it will do fine and grow like crazy. I agree that you should prune it pretty severely when you move it. Try to get a big rootball with it. Usually I do fine getting a rootball, and then when I move it, the dirt falls off and I'm left with essentially a bareroot rose. Mound some dirt or mulch over the bare canes after you plant and water it. That helps the canes by protecting them from drying out. When you see new growth, you can wash off the mulch. Good luck!
Kathy

Thank you Kathy.

I'm feeling ever more emboldened by the minute. I should tell you about where we did end up planting it last year. This last year we rested the ground in a corner of the yard used for pumpkins. We call the area (if you will excuse my french) 'the corner from hell' as it gets all day sun and reflective heat from the fence. Anyway because we did not grow pumpkins we had space there and practically only there for a homeless rose:)

On top of what Karl said it was in my opinion far too hot and unkind there for NO. Plus I really under watered. I just dropped the ball period.

I think next year in its new spot it will be much happier. If it comes to resemble its appearance from when I purchased the rose I will be thrilled. All tall with tons of long, bud heavy canes. I'm excited.

Kate