Hi, SD ! You may cut them off, but always just above a leave nod. My grandmother used to spread coffee grounds under her hydrangeas - great, but what with pods, nowadays ?
That's a great question, I was wondering myself what to do with mine .... usually I leave them on til Spring then cut them off when the new leaves are coming through. I had never heard about the coffee grounds, that's great - I shall start to do that in future.
There’s a rule about how far you can cut back on them. Too many leaves back and you will not get a flower next year. I will see if I can find the answer.
I will definitely use the coffee advice as my OH drinks ground coffee. Have bought a couple of Rhododendrons this year too.
I wanted to shape them into more of a rounded top. They were quite leggy when I bought them, in the reduced section. I do get reat pleasure in nurturing plants that have been cast aside.