hydrangeas-cut off all diseased leaves now?

Question

HARD freezes last fews winter so there was no growth on old wood.Now the new plants grew back from base plus I bought a few more. Most have yucky looking leaves.Oddly the 2 largest and healthiest looking plants had almost no blooms. Should I cut off and bag up the spotted leaves or let them die back naturally and rake them up?
The covering them up with blankets during sub freezing cold snaps didnt work.
Likewise roses had dead stems to the base.I have nursed them back to at least a handful of blooms or more each. Should I just go ahead and put burlap over hydrangeas and roses by December?

Answer 1

The roses shouldn’t need it, but depending on the type of hydrangea, it may.

What I am concerned with is what seems to be a fungal infection. To be sure, add dolomitic lime and wettable sulfur to the soil around each affected plant. This will kill off the infection while reconditioning the soil as well.

Now, when to prune the hydrangea is a different story. This article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/prune-hydrangea-bushes-hydrangea-pruning-instructions.htm