PlantedShack

How We Check a Guide

Plant advice online is full of claims that get copied from page to page until nobody remembers where they started. These are the steps every PlantedShack guide goes through so that ours do not work that way.

1. Start With the Question

Each guide begins with a question real people ask, such as how far to hang a grow light or whether a snake plant makes oxygen at night. We write down the answer a reader actually needs before any research starts, so the guide stays on that answer.

2. Climb the Source Ladder

We rank sources by how close they sit to the evidence and work from the top down.

Rung What it includes How we use it
Top Peer-reviewed research, university extension services, government agencies The basis for facts, figures and safety advice
Middle Product labels, manufacturer instructions, official plant registries For product use, dosing and naming
Lower News reports of sales, records and events For dated events only, with the date stated
Not used for facts Blogs, forums, social posts, AI summaries Sometimes a lead for a question, never a source

If a claim only appears on the lower rungs, it either gets a clear caveat or it stays out.

3. Write It Plainly

The guide is written in plain language, with the direct answer first. Every number, range and safety point in the draft is tied to a source in our private research notes, so it can be traced later.

4. A Second Person Checks Every Claim

Before publishing, someone who did not write the guide reads it against the sources line by line. They recalculate every figure, look for advice that could hurt a person, pet or plant if followed, and flag anything stated more strongly than the evidence allows. Nothing goes live until every point they raise is resolved.

5. Safety Comes Before Tidiness

Some topics carry real risk: toxic plants and pets, pesticides, electrical grow lights, digging near buried lines. In those sections we say what to do, what not to do and when to stop and get specialist help, even when it makes the guide longer.

6. Keep It Current

Each guide shows the date it was published. We revisit every guide at least once a year, and sooner when a source changes or a reader spots a problem. Changes that alter the advice are recorded in the corrections log.

What You Will Not Find Here