I think so, and I would leave it alone for awhile. It is really too young to prune. The more lower branches you leave on a young tree, the sturdier the trunks become, and the more able they are to withstand strong winds. If you are expecting a hurricane, you can prune off the top so it isn't so willowy, but I would leave it as long as possible. If you cut any more of it off, you can stick these parts in the ground and they will grow into new trees! Rapidly.

I was until last year pruning mine like a regular shrub. Then last Spring I decided to prune down to around 2 foot and I could tell the difference immediately that year in the quality of flowers. Plus the vigor of the new growth. I can not say enough how much better the quality of flowers I received last year after pruning down to 2 feet. I was just to scared to prune down to a foot or less last year. This year after seeing the difference of last I had the courage to prune down some to a foot or a little less and they are the same size as the ones that I cut down to only two feet again. So so far I am thinking if you cut down to a either 1 or 2 feet, seems like you will get a similiar result with a mature one. Pruning to the ground seems a little extreme, but wouldn't be surprised if it even works better. Because the really did respond well to the harder pruning. These types of hydrangeas (Paniculata) play with completely different rules than others! Very easy to grow and reliable. You can prune smooth hydrangeas like the Annabelle in the same manner, because they both flower on new wood. Although Oakleafs and Traditional Hydrangeas most people think of like Nikkos (Macrophylla) bloom on old wood and should not be pruned in this manner. Although now they have came out with recently Macrophylla Hydrangeas that bloom on new and old wood, like the Endless Summer series of Hydrangeas. Hope I was helpful and did not ramble on too long. Good Luck!

Carol, Well, I am glad you goofed because I'm so happy to hear that Ildi is performing as expected for you. In my head, I was blaming your weather for Ildi's low production, but was puzzled because she (doesn't Ildi sound like a girl's name?) produces well for me in every kind of weather. In the hot and dry summers, she needs more fertilizer than most in order to turn as many of those flowers into fruit as possible. The flavor is highly variable, too, and so much better in dry conditions than wet ones, but she's still one of my favorites, even when she's watered down. I do love the multiflora trusses. They're almost pretty enough to bring inside and put in a vase of water. Riesentraube is the only other tomato I grow that has the multiflora blossom trait, although there's a Tumbling Tom Yellow in Maddie's garden that has spread out about 4' in width and is covered in blooms. It seems slow to turn the blooms into flowers though. Now, I need to link an image of Ildi, so everyone can see what a pretty girl she is. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: A Truss of Tomatoes on

Yes, you goofed. But I've read posts from people that did the same and their tomatoes grew fine. If it is a problem, your tomatoes are going to grow extremely slowly and will ultimately probably only produce a tomato or two. You can take your chances with what you bought or get a bag of potting mix instead of the garden soil. To grow an Early Girl, you are probably going to want a 5-gallon bucket. Not much chance at success with a 12-17" pot except to get them started. You don't need to till to grow a tomato. Just dig a little hole and stick it in there and water it.