Hi everyone,

I've browsed many posts about hydrangeas, Limelight ones specifically, loved seeing the posts about a limelight hydrangea hedge, as that's what I was thinking about planting, so really enjoyed seeing some awesome pics in the posts of actual ones done. After some hunting around greenhouses, I was starting to get desperate (I waited until September to look around, as was hoping for sales, and cooler planting temps). I finally found some at 2 very nice greenhouses. Had to buy from both to get enough (needed 12 limelights). So I picked them up, and the 2 batches look fairly different, though they're both from Proven Winners growers. One batch is very long and lean, with some flowers, this greenhouse is very close to the ocean. The second batch comes from a greenhouse that is in a warmer part of our province (I'm in Nova Scotia, Canada), and they are not as tall with piles of blooms/flowers pretty much on the ground. Both batches are a bit root bound but I took them anyway as had no other options, other than wait til the spring (have planted them alternating - to eventually, hopefully blend together).

So my question is this, about needing to prune now. I know these are the type where you prune late winter/early spring. However, I can tell that the tall leggy ones will not survive at their height now, the branches aren't strong enough, and will get blown/broken with winds and blizzards. The short ones with tons of blooms almost seem as if they had a bloom hormone used, but the branches are all twisted around each other and low/touching the ground. Piles of blooms are on the ground, some rotting a bit. That said, they are still nice overall. So, I think I need to prune some branches/blooms asap, I'm scared the tall ones will break off shortly as it is. My question is, should I

A: Prune just the very bare minimum, leaving some twisty branches/blooms still touching the ground, and the somewhat stronger, taller branches intact also - then do the proper pruning in late winter as I normally would. Or -

B: Prune all over as is really needed to get through winter, everywhere, meaning pretty much 80% of the blooms may also be removed. And then do the late winter/spring pruning to prepare for spring new growth?

Sorry this is so long winded. I'm in Nova Scotia, Canada (zone 5b) as I mentioned (nearest US state is Maine), so you can imagine that we get some harsh, ocean winters.

Thanks for reading :)