Looking for advice re Kirengeshoma

I am looking for a bit of advice please.
I bought the above some maybe 8 years ago. The new growth often gets frosted and has to start again but having said that the clump had become quite large. I have never dug it up before but did today. Well apart from nearly having a heart attack with the effort I am now not sure what to do. The roots of this plant went down forever and it is incredibly woody. Bits I thought were dead are not. There are small underground shoots all over the place. It is way way tougher to split up that say an established Hosta. The 2 forks back to back did not touch it so was reduced to sawing up sections ie I had to be brutal. Unlike so many herbaceous perennials it does not seem to have really any surface roots, just huge long anchoring ones. Do I have to try and replant with the big roots attached? Will the sections with growing points but no root as they got broken when heaving the plant out of the ground regrow? It is quite a nice plant and had an idea of planting some in different parts of the garden which as less affected by frost so be a pity to kill it.
Any advice would be very helpful. I looked on the net and there was not much useful information. There was a video but was not very clear if no root then the sections won’t grow again.Thanks

 

You can really go off some people, you know I've been trying to get it established for ten years and I think I can safely say that the 6" diameter 'clump' doesn't have huge woody roots . Anyway, I'd keep as much root on the divisions as is practical to re-plant....you could even try some root cuttings with the bits you need to amputate? I don't think the bits without root will survive, tbh, but you could tuck them in an un-noticeable corner on nice, fluffy, acid soil and see what happens. The biggest bugbear here are molluscs, but as it's near a Hosta, it gets protected

 

Many thanks @noisette47. I had not realised it was a bit tricky. I am beginning to regret lifting the plant tbh. I have pretty well slaughtered it getting it to cooperate to move from where it has been happily doing it’s own thing. I will replant the biggest chunk and treat it to some nice leaf mould so it might forgive me. The other load of odds bods and sods which broke off I will stick in a pot and hope for the best. The plant reminds me of Dicentra Spectabilis which looks quite delicate but has muckle great roots.

 

It was a surprise to discover that K. is related to Hydrangeas....I moved one of those two autumns ago and it promptly died Fingers crossed for your transplant

 

Looking it up, that is very attractive.

 

I had to look it up as well, it's very pretty indeed.

Fingers crossed it you're quick to replant the biggest clump all will be OK.
That's exactly what I do..stick all the odds and sods in a pot with a dip of rooting compound for good luck..it's amazing what does put on a fight for survival!!
Good luck @hailbopp .

 

Oh thanks a bunch @noisette47 . I have spent a good 2 hours potting up the sections into enormous 20ltr pots. I have given them loads of leaf mould so will just have to hope for the best. Many thanks @Upsydaisy, like you it is always worth potting up plants in the hope they will be forgiving.

 

Well me or little faith. I was extremely dubious about replanting some very unpromising chunks of Kirengesoma which came up with a struggle and was a mass of grotty looking roots. However, , success. Just goes to show if you replant even the most sorry looking plant it does have a huge desire to live. Sorry @noisette47 , if you lived a bit closer I would send you a chunk.

 

Oh that's wonderful, hailbopp! You inspired me to dig mine up and move it a couple of feet into fresh, fluffy, improved soil and it's looking much happier It seems to have confused the slugs and snails, too, at least for the moment

 

Glad you too @noisette47 have been successful with moving the plant. I would have thought it would struggle with your hot summers but maybe now you have given it nice “ accommodation” it will thrive. Noted re slugs and snails, mine has also been on their menu here too