Q. When is it time to prune our lacecap hydrandeas? It’s hard to find information on the proper pruning techniques. Thank You Jan Cook – Lakewood, WA
A. I just had the same question about hydrangeas this past week from my friend Rosel at the Lakewood YMCA so it looks like the sun this past week has worked its magic and has people out in their gardens again. Lacecap / Mophead Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophyllus) and Oakleaf Hydrangeas bloom on old wood and therefore should not be pruned after late summer if you want to keep all the flower buds. Wait until after it blooms. On the other hand the PeeGee Hydrangeas (H. paniculata) and the Smooth Hydrangeas (H. arborescens) form flower buds on new wood and can be pruned in the fall winter or early spring without the removal of pre-existing flower buds. Knowing which type of hydrangea you have is critical to determining when to prune them. Hopefully you remember or kept the tags of your hydrangeas so you can choose the proper time for pruning.