Hello again,
I really appreciate your effort and explanations. I will answer now for the sequence break only.
I still need to understand something. In fact, your last image is indeed the first sequence break I designed that I described in my previous comment. What you did there is intended by my design. At that point, you are skipping Pollinate to get Tether earlier.
The thing is that you are supposed to need both Fertilize and Vine Crook to get to that room. You don't need Fertilize in that room to perform the sequence break, but you need it before to get to that room. So your sequence break is not that one.
I have just tried all the previous rooms in the map and the only way I see for you to get there without Fertilize is by making the Jump I described. Do you remember your path to arrive to that room in your early game with only Vine Crook?
Best,
Joseph
PS: in our previous game, Meteora, indeed I wait longer before giving the player real possibility of non-linear progression, so I totally get your point.
Edit: and congratulations for finding a designed sequence break! You really try the gameplay and it looks like you play games deeply and get to find their mechanics and tricks