Q: I’ve always been confused about when I should prune my lacecap hydrangea for guaranteed bloom the following summer. Please advise me. — Jill Chamberlain, Cambridge, Mass.
A: The pruning needs of hydrangeas vary from species to species. Your lacecap is a variety of Hydrangea macrophylla, which blooms from buds formed on the previous season’s wood. Right after flowering, cut only the oldest, weakest stems to the ground.
