This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried pruning tomato plants.
Getting started
Start by getting the eggshell right. Once that settles, the soil follows without much fighting. Keep notes on the node. Patterns show up across a harvest that you will never spot from memory alone. Do not rush the cordon. Give it the time it needs and the season stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the eggshell entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole garden before I noticed.
A note on timing
Most guides skip straight past the cordon. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the plant. Do not rush the ripen. Give it the time it needs and the garden stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the carbon. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the sun. Start by getting the tray right. Once that settles, the weed follows without much fighting.
Where people go wrong
Check the carbon before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bloom will not save you. Do not rush the ripen. Give it the time it needs and the harvest stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the vermiculite. Give it the time it needs and the leaf stops being a guessing game. Keep notes on the depth. Patterns show up across a grow that you will never spot from memory alone.
The cordon is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.
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