How to Prune Mop Head and Lace Cap Hydrangeas.

by Somewhat Quirky

Do you need to prune your hydrangeas this year? Here's what to do.
Lace cap and mop head hydrangeas should be pruned according to Method 1.

An early summer bloom of Glowing Embers

As with almost all hydrangeas, they should only be pruned before August. August is when the buds set for the next year's growth.

Prior to this time blooms can be cut with any length of stem. After the buds are set you should only cut at just above the first large set of leaves.

Forever and Ever Hydrangea

All dead wood should be removed at the base.

After the plant is 5 years old approximately 1/3 of the oldest living stems can be removed at the ground each summer. This revitalizes the plant.

Forever and Ever Hydrangea

Prior to age 5 most plants don't require any pruning except for the removal of dead stems.

Note: a group of mop-heads called 'remontant' will regenerate the buds if they are killed off by frost or cut at the wrong time. Endless Summer is included in this group.

how to prune mop head and lace cap hydrangeas, flowers, gardening, how to, hydrangea

Lady In Red Hydrangea

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1 question

John Cooke on Jun 19, 2016
I have always left the final dead heads of my plant until after the winter frosts to protect the new buds having pruned a third of the old wood to ground level in the autumn.I offer this as advice and ask your opinion?

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4 of 5 comments

Jeanette S on Jul 27, 2014
None of my Hydrangeas bloomed this year. I think the cold had something to do with it!

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- Somewhat Quirky on Jul 27, 2014
  @Jeanette S The only one I had fully bloom was the Quickfire which is a hardy hydrangea. My mop heads and lace caps were all pruned heavily this spring after sitting in snow all winter. Any buds I did have were damaged in a late spring frost. If you read the blog post you see that my other bushes have beautiful leaves but the pictures here in the post are practically the only blooms I have. My Blushing Bride has lots of buds that have developed, but none have bloomed yet. It's a sad hydrangea year! Hopefully we will have a milder winter this year...
  
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Sheryl on Aug 31, 2014
I only has a few blooms and the were at the top .I think mine is the endless bloom. I also have a new lace cap ,but read that it would bloom next year. I'm glad I read this post because I thought my beautiful Hydrangea was sick.

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- Somewhat Quirky on Aug 31, 2014
  @Sheryl , it is really hard to say for sure what will happen in all the different regions. The majority of my mopheads are rebloomers but very few blooms if any. Even though they should have bloomed even on new wood. I'm going to shield mine with burlap fences this year to help protect the wood and buds. We'll see if that helps a little. I hear that the "polar vortex" is coming back in September!
  
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