When is the best time to uproot and replant a rose?

We are moving from Alabama, zone 8, to NC zone 6. I have a few rose bushes that will be going with us. When would be the best time to dig them up? We are moving in September. Should I plant them in pots for awhile? New Dawn and Knock Out, and a couple of unknowns...
Any advice on how to handle this is appreciated. Thank you, Ira

Transplanting roses (or any shrub or tree) in the middle of the summer in the South puts a lot of stress on the plant, even if it's moved from the ground into a container. It's impossible to get all the roots, and the plant needs all the roots to take up water in the heat. I'd take them up as late as possible and plant them as soon as possible when you get to NC. Fall is the best time to plant shrubs and trees. In preparation for digging them, you might now take a sharpshooter (shovel) and drive it into the ground about 1 1/2 to 2 feet out from the plant in a circular pattern completely around each rose. Going down 9 inches or so is deep enough. What you are doing is severing the roots that are farthest from the plant. That will encourage the plant to put out new roots from the root ball, so when Sept. comes and time to dig, there will be a good-sized mass of roots all closer in to the plant so you can dig and put it in a reasonable sized pot.

Thank you dp72 for the great advice. I will do as you say and drive shovel around bushes. Most likely, given the stress, I will only take the two that are near and dear (the unknowns handed down from family members) and leave the others here. Since we will still be keeping our AL place, I can delay the transplanting until well into the fall. Thank you again for your time and sharing.
Ira:)

Just to be on the safe side, you might try rooting some cutting off your roses before digging them up. Backups never hurt.

Great idea! Just make sure they're growing on their own root stock and not grafted.

NatureLover1950 and dp72, thank you for your sound advice. Shame on me for having been so long even looking at this site. We have moved and fortunately I managed to save the roses that were special to me. Cuttings and rooting as well as digging up the one that was still fairly young in the ground (one year). They are doing well.

Again thank you and hopefully I will be much more active with this site and enjoy the sharing with all of our gardening neighbors that are here. Life is settling since the move, whew! :)

Good of you to check back in, and hope you love your new place.

James