The base option is great in both cases, BUT in both cases the further options are, at best, barely useful. Even if players don’t invest into them until the last knowledge points, it feels like a waste. Super limited applications, overly complicated mechanisms (mulching), questionable results if any.
Either fold the base features into other branches or widen and buff the existing ones. Seams??? Really??? Mulching??? For Real???
Sometimes I just want to knock some heads together over there…