After you create a blend shape, you can delete the target objects to free up memory and improve the performance of Maya. When you delete a target, the blend shape node keeps the target deformations in memory and the target slider deforms the base as if the target remained. The object is removed.
You save the most memory when you have complex targets that have only a few components that have moved slightly from the base. For complex targets that have many components moved from the base, you save the least memory.
You can delete the object manually from your scene, or you can have Maya delete the targets as you create the blend shape.
To delete the target object after creating blend shape
To delete target objects while creating a blend shape