Hydrangea, dig out and start again?

[user1494670108]

I have three hydrangeas, they're all sad and woody, a few blooms but they're no showpiece, I'm trying to nurture the garden a bit more but is here anything I can do about these or should I give up and start again?
The last couple of years I've left the flower heads on and pruned to the first buds in the spring but I really want them green from the ground not at the end of a bare twig.

You can do renovation pruning on them. I just googled hydrangea prunung and a page from the RHS website came up. Dunno how to do a link, sorry! It says you can cut them down low and they will grow again, but probably won't flower this year though.

As hydrangeas get older, they do tend to flower only at the very ends of branches, becoming quite leggy. You could try to revitalise yours if it bothers you - let them flower this year and do a radical autumn prune and cut back further next spring if necessary. You won't get flowers for at least next year if you do that, and possibly for a year or two on top also. Alternatively, plant other things in to fill the gaps, and let your hydrangeas alone, to flower through them- kind of a "living wall" effect.

The soil looks poor, give them a good dose of garden compost/`well-rotted manure'. Most hydrangeas appreciate a moist, rich soil.

As PP have said I would hard prune later in the year, down to the ground on at least half the stems and then the rest next year. Mulching and feeding will also help as pp suggested.

The soil is poor and dry for two out of the three, I have home made compost - what do I do with it though? Just spread it around like a mulch?
I've just looked at the third that's not in poor soil it's sprouting much more readily after a hard prune last year even though it's in a crowded spot and gets less light