Ed, It is just apples and oranges. Your plants wake up in May in zone 5? So you have May through September of good growth. Here the plants wake up in mid February and grow through December so we double your growing days so our pruning just does not work for you. I have grown them in NW PA and here in Florida so know both worlds. Here things just grow quicker, is like we get two years in one. Just prune when dormant. If you want to pinch when the plants are growing do so but it will cost you fruit that next year so do some each year or just worry about growth for the first few years...that is really the best thing to do, though I know it is hard. Just take your satisfaction from the growth. Do everything you can during that growing season to maximize growth. Fertilize on schedule and I would apply foliar fertilizer as well, weak once a week during your season and don't miss the underside of the leaves. Here if we screw up or get lazy it does not matter nearly as much as it does up north. It took me 10 years up north to get big head high bushes....here 3 years and just as tall as 10 years up north though not quite as wide by 3 years.

Hydrangeas require some sunlight (morning or late afternoon, often referred to as "soft" sunlight), to bloom well. The macrophyllas (yours) also require an even applicaton of moisture during their active growing season. It is generally agreed, that the requirement is about 25mm (1 inch) per week. Those grown in containers will require more, due to the small soil mass and more rapid evaporation. With higher ambient temperatures, more evaporation will occur through the foliage (to keep it cool) and moisture requirements will escalate. Fertilization and frequency varies with location. In your area, addition of a slow release, balanced fertilizer can be applied twice each year, early spring and late summer. Rooted cuttings can benefit from a formula with extra phosphorus. I use a water soluble, 15-30-15, type during the first year of growth and after that, only an annual application of compost and/or leaf mold on the root zone. Don't know about prices of chemical fertilizer in AU, but the worldwide demand, especially in China & Africa, with limited supply sources, has driven up the price in the US to a point that it is almost unaffordable. Thus, my attempts at organic gardening, both ornamental and vegetable! Rb

Drooping leaves is usually associated with overcrowding. How long ago did you plant them? Iris need to be divided every 3 to 5 years. As far as trimming, I usually just trim leaves that are unhealthy or simply pull them off, provided the leaf is next on the base of the rhizome. Carlos

Hi! Thanks for the reply. I waited about 2 weeks to replant it (the leaves were already having more brown tips and all so I thought it might help). The soil I used was 50% peat moss, 25% vermiculite, 25% Perlite. I've had the plant for a month. I don't see any bugs. I have it in a "greenhouse" type setting (or as close as I could think up)- with a clear plastic shower curtain enclosing it in a box (with my seeds that need to grow) and a warm mist vaporizer (that I turn off and on to keep humidity up) and a full spectrum floresant grow light. Should it be over the shipping stress and get better by now? Again, thanks for the reply!!! Here is a link that might be useful: picture