Fact-Checking Policy

Accuracy is fundamental to gardening journalism. A wrong hardiness zone, an incorrect dilution rate, or a misidentified plant can mean a lost crop or, in the case of toxic plants, a real safety risk. This policy describes how we verify every article before it goes live.

Pre-publication review

• Source verification. Every factual claim is checked against at least one authoritative source — university extension publications, the Royal Horticultural Society, USDA, peer-reviewed research, or recognised plant societies.
• Plant identification. Botanical names are verified against the World Flora Online or Kew Plants of the World Online.
• Hardiness zones & dates. Frost dates and zone recommendations are cross-checked against the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and the equivalent national mapping for non-US content.
• Pesticide & treatment information. Any chemical or biological treatment recommendation is checked for current label compliance and regional legality.
• Product specifications. Where we list product details, we verify them against the manufacturer's current specifications.

Editor sign-off

No article is published without sign-off from a senior editor. Articles covering specialist topics (pest control, advanced soil chemistry, pruning of mature trees) are additionally reviewed by a subject-matter specialist.

Post-publication updates

Evergreen guides are reviewed at least annually. Articles with seasonal information are reviewed at the start of each relevant season. The "Last reviewed" date on each article reflects the most recent editorial check.

Corrections

If we discover or are alerted to an error, we correct it promptly. Material corrections are noted transparently at the bottom of the affected article with the correction date. Minor typographical fixes are made silently.

How to report an error

If you spot an inaccuracy, please email our editorial team via the contact page. We welcome and take seriously every correction request from our readers.