I have several different types of Hydrangeas; this year they have no buds on the stems but are putting up a lot of green leaves from the base of the plants. Is it too early for the stems to start putting out or should I just remove the stems and leave the new growth. The picture is a lace cap from a previous year. Thank you, flowerlady Lace Cap Hydrangea ( photo / image / picture from flower1lady2000's Garden )
If you are talking about a Lace Cap hydrangea, do not cut back the stems. Lace caps flower on second year growth. I once gave away a small French Lace Cap to a friend and a couple of years later she lamented that there were no lovely flowers like mine. I looked at her plant. Her daughter had been cutting back the stems each year and allowing only first year growth to flourish. A nice green bush was all she would ever get. Allow the plant to grow on all the existing growth and be patient, the flowers will appear. Jerry
Just Lace Caps. Lace Caps are the only kind I have had. I did however, buy a snowball last year. It has not flowered yet. My mother had a snowball that she trim it each year, the bush was 75 years old when it last bloomed. Jerry
A relative of mine has a snowball that bloomed the first year and has never bloomed again, just a big bush of green leaves :/
Hydrangea paniculata types flower on new wood, so they are pruned (if need be)as low as you want in February. All the other types of Hydrangea flower on wood produced the previous year so they are generally not pruned, except to removed the old flower heads in Spring.
We had a very cold unusual winter; a master gardener told me the stems probably froze down to the ground level. The plants have put up beautiful greenery so I am hoping for blooms next year. Thank you so much for your help.
