Start off long story short, my wife's father and grandmother passed away the same week, and we are clearing out the estate to turn over the house to the bank. Found out from the neighbor the rose bushes were planted there over 50 years ago by my wife's grandmother when she moved in. I had to get them out really quick, and save them for the family. I dug around them big, but they didn't seem to have any small roots (in picture), only large ones. I put them in buckets with potting/raised be soil for now and watered them (damp, not over saturated). A very green, short stem with leaves and a few flowers broke off from somewhere that I currently have in a few inches of water like you would do with a cut rose. I might try to grow a cutting from it.

What I have gathered from info I have gleamed from websites is that this is the wrong time of year to do any of this. Our weather (Cincinnati area) is going to be below freezing starting tomorrow night and continue on for the following 36 hours or so. What would be my best hope for overwintering them? My garage stays above freezing all winter, and my basement stay above 50F. I cannot keep them in the main house do to space restraints. I have a oil filled radiator heater and plant grow light florescent bulbs and fixture available. Can I use any of those options to over winter them? Or should I make cuttings from the green stem growth off of the root system?

Any and all advise will be greatly appreciated. I can take more photos if need be also. Thank you

Just off the top of my head I would use the garage and also try cuttings just in case the main plants don't know make it.
I think still check for moisture weekly.
I hope I am not giving wrong advice. It sounds like you did the best that you could given the timing.
Good luck. I sure hope they live on for many more years

Thinking you could trench them:

https://minnesotarosesociety.o...

@zuzu

Trenching is an effective method for rose bushes in the ground, but you've already dug yours up. Cut away all of the dead wood, repot them in pots with drainage holes (or poke holes in the bottom of the buckets), and move them into the garage. Your basement and house would not be good places to overwinter the roses.

My weather's vastly different from yours, so you're going to get better advice on watering schedules from people in colder zones. @Canadian_Rose has a lot of experience overwintering potted roses, so she'll give you some good advice, I'm sure.

What zuzu said. Keep the pots up off the garage floor on blocks or something. Water them at least once a month through the winter. In the early spring, as soon as you can dig the ground, plant them outside. They should wake up from dormancy and start growing.

Ok, an update if you will for anyone who might care.

The main plants in the buckets I have seen no change in whatsoever. The small root cluster, however is growing, and crazy fast. Dec 25 is when I noticed the little sprouts in the purple bucket. The taller version in the picture is now. It is literally one foot from the garage door, and I have only re-watered it twice this whole time. The door is insulated, and only gets any real light when I open the garage door to come in and out. It also has around 20 little gnat like insects flying or crawling around it. They are nowhere else in the house. Should I leave this one be, and just ensure the soil stays moist? Should I go ahead and put a fertilizer spike in with it? Should I put under the grow light?

The cutting (not really a cutting, just a broken off small green branch), on the other hand, sprouted new leaves as it had only been sitting in water since November 10. Last weekend I transferred it into a pot with soil with rooting hormone, which I have been watering every other day. The leaves have wilted, but are not dry (yet). Should I put back in water or leave it be? Or should I "greenhouse" it with clear plastic or a large vase?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated once again!