elnan

I cannot answer the question about cutting back, but can offer a tip on moving plants. Dig the hole or future home of the bush before you dig it up. Fill the hole to the top with water and let it all drain into the surrounding soil. Fill the hole again with water and let drain away, then transplant the hydrangea bushes. I've used this method to transplant shrubs, grapevines, etc. for over 30 years, and they benefited. I bought some beautiful lacecap hydrangeas in pots and set them out 3 years ago. Immediately the leaves began to look like eyelet, still don't know if the attackers were slugs or whatever. A friend from the Extension service told me to feed them on a regular basis with epsom salts dissolved in water, and to spread coffee grounds and crushed eggshells around them. So, for three years I've been baking eggshells and coffee grounds in the oven, then crushing and scattering around the plants in a strip about 3' X 15'. Every plant in that strip is healthy now even though I did slack off on the epsom salts.