How to Care for Lace Cap Hydrangea

Lace cap hydrangeas bloom in midsummer.

Lace cap hydrangeas, botanical name H. macrophylla var. normalis, is a hydrangea variety that produces more delicate, lacy flowers than its mop-head counterparts. Lace cap hydrangeas are an old-wood blooming variety, meaning the blooms appear on woody stems developed during the previous season of growth. Select a planting site for your lace cap hydrangea in part shade that receives either morning or late afternoon sun. This hydrangea is hardy to USDA zone 6.

Things You'll Need

• Spade shovel
• Compost
• Garden hose
• Mulch
• Pruning shears
• Chicken wire
• Time-release granular fertilizer
• Twine

Instructions

1. Dig a hole to the depth of the hydrangea root ball and twice as wide using a spade shovel. Mix the removed soil with 1 part compost to 3 parts soil, using the shovel to incorporate. Place the lace cap hydrangea in the planting hole and backfill with the soil mixture. Water deeply after planting and place a 3-inch layer of mulch around the base of the plant. Supplement rainfall with watering when the top 2 inches of soil feels dry.

2. Pull dead stems from the plant in late July. If pruning is required to maintain a smaller size, prune stems back in late July using sharp pruning shears to snip the stems at a 45-degree angle.

3. Bend chicken wire into a cylindrical cage 1 foot in diameter wider than the hydrangea. Secure the two ends of the chicken wire together with twine and place over the hydrangea in late fall. Fill with leaves to protect the plant during cold winters. Remove the cage and leaves in early spring.

4. Apply a time-release granular fertilizer around the base of the plant in spring. Follow the directions on the fertilizer package for application. Apply a 2-inch layer of mulch around the base of the plant after fertilizing and water deeply.

References

• Pruning Hydrangeas: Pruning Made Easy
• The Master Gardeners: How to Care for Hydrangea