NE Ohio Zone 6 ish.
We have bought a new house and will be moving within a week or 2. I am
taking 5 of my roses with me. The problem is, the ground is still frozen
here.
I need some advice on how to do the least amount of damage to the roses.
What I am digging up.
1 tea rose - Camelot - about 3' tall
1 shrub rose - fairy - about 2' tall 2' wide
3 mini roses - one is going to be a problem, I know from experience that it
doesn't have a root ball. Instead it has 3 long main roots that branch out
in different directions. Can't leave it behind though it is way beautiful,
about 3' tall, about 2' wide and full of purple blooms all summer.

Here is my problem. If it was earlier in the year then I would just dig them
up clean off the roots and treat them as bare-root. But we are starting to
hit the freeze / thaw / freeze / thaw part of our winter. (supposed to be in
the 50's this weekend, then back down below 20 by next weekend).
So this is when my roses start to wake up. No real growth yet, but they
aren't quite dormant either (been growing roses here for around 10 years now
so I can sort of feel when it is that time of the year)
If I dig them, then pot them up, I am worried about the roots freezing
during one of our cold spells. The new house doesn't have a garage. The best
I could do for shelter would be the front porch which is covered but open.
Planting right away really isn't a great option either. If the ground is
thawed enough to dig, then it will be way too wet from all the thawing.
Digging in soaking wet ground reeks havoc on the soil structure. Also, I am
not quite sure where I am going to put them yet.
I'm leaning towards potting them, and crossing my fingers, but wanted to get
some input and maybe a new perspective from the experts.

--
Trevor Ylisaari