I had my brother-in-law build me a shed. Well when I got home the hydrangeas next to the shed had broken sticks all over it. I believe I have the hydrangea that grows off of old wood. I'm not sure because these hydragea gets a lot of growth coming from the base of the the plant but some leaves off of the sticks. Now that I have broken sticks how will it grow?
What to do?
It should be fine--if it's one that blooms on old wood you likely lost your blooms for the year, but it should send up new shoots from the base and then bloom fine next year. If it's a well established plant and it's one that blooms on new wood maybe you could still see some blooms this year.
As far as growing is concerned, your hydrangeas will still produce shoots either from the base of the clump or whatever is left of the 'broken' old wood (stems).
I presume you have macrophyllas. So in that case, you may have less flowers or no flowers this year at all depending on how much of the old wood/stems were damaged. But as far as growing, you got nothing to worry about. What ever new shoots you will have, they flower next year.
Your BIL did not kill your hydrangeas. He just "pruned" them for you. LOL!
Ha! See - Ecrane is saying the same thing as I was typing.
Feel free to sprinkle some alfalfa meal around the shrub. Alfalfa contains triacontanol, a natural root stimulant that might help trigger new shoots.