This is the Best Hydrangea Variety for the South

Hydrangeas are one of our favorite Southern plants. Colorful, long blooming, easy to prune, and suitable to root in a wide range of plant zones, hydrangeas are ideal to use throughout your garden in beds, privacy hedges, and even in large containers on your porch. One of our favorite aspects of the hydrangea is that home gardeners have the ability to adjust the vibrant color of their plants by simply adjusting the acidity of the soil. They're also suitable for trimming and drying, as well. The Grumpy Gardener loves planting hydrangeas, but he doesn't like having to buy new plants to populate his garden. Here, Grumpy Gardener Steve Bender shows us that hydrangeas are surprisingly easy to divide and enjoy throughout your garden. Learn how to multiply your beautiful, Southern hydrangeas with this simple rooting technique from the Grumpy Gardener.

In this easy gardening tutorial, Grumpy Gardener shows you how to turn one hydrangea into five separate plants. First, he suggests choosing a low, bendable branch and placing it above a full pot of planting soil; make sure that you position your pot of soil underneath a node (the point at which the leaves attach to the stem), remove the leaves at this node, and plant the node firmly in the soil below. He also suggests placing a rock on top of the node in this spot in order to keep the node in place. Leave it there for about two months, keeping it watered regularly. Check on it, and if you have roots, you have yourself a new plant! Carefully separate it from the original plant with pruning sheers. Learn how to multiply your hydrangeas with this simple rooting technique—without spending a lot of money during the process.

For more information on this southern favorite, check out our SL Hydrangea Guide.