transplanting oregon grape

I transplanted 2 oregon grape plants (mahonia aquifolium) about a month ago. They were about 3 feet tall and had been getting too large for the location I had them in. I watered them really well and didn't let them dry out, but they are both looking pretty bad...browning and reddish leaves. Was I supposed to prune them way back? Do they take after being moved? Is this a futile effort and I should just take them out and put something else in? Any information apreciated. thanks.

I don't know anything about them except that the one a neighbor gave me and planted for me last fall didn't make it over winter. I wasn't particularly fond of it anyway but didn't want to offend him.

If you really like it, I'd give it a year. sometimes they never really look that great the first season and it takes until the following year for them to recover.

Gwen

I collect them here in montana and place them in my natural woodland. I use a long spade shovel that I have flattened and cut a 3 to 4' circle, 4" deep under the group of small plants (8-10" tall). Then I lay them in the new area with soaked peat moss 2 parts and 1 part native soil. Then I keep soakers on them for the dry time the first year then they do pretty good. Ours here don't get as big as they do over in the rain forest.