Trust policy
Who made this, how it was made, and why it exists.
Trust is easier when the production process is visible. This policy applies to calculators, crop references, field notes, and commercial relationships.
Who
Root & Ruler is independently published by Laurel. Laurel is not presented as a horticulturist. Named specialist reviewers are added only when a real person has reviewed a page, agreed to the credit, and can be described accurately.
How
Calculator formulas are implemented as reusable functions and checked with automated reference cases. Horticultural context favors universities, extension programs, public agencies, and the exact product or seed label. Commercial blogs may inspire questions but are not treated as the final authority for safety or local recommendations.
Software and AI assistance may be used for drafts, code, layout, and quality checks; it is not presented as personal field experience. Calculator behavior is checked with reference cases, and factual claims are checked against the sources displayed on each page. Readers can report errors through the contact page.
Why
The site exists to help a gardener complete a real planning task: estimate materials, test a layout, build a schedule, or preserve an observation. Pages are not created as thin keyword variations, and we do not change dates merely to make old content look new.
Sources and uncertainty
Sources appear at the end of field notes and beside tools. A citation does not mean a public institution endorses Root & Ruler. When recommendations vary by climate or product, we state that limit instead of averaging disagreement into one confident number.
Corrections
We aim to investigate clear, reproducible errors promptly. Material corrections update the page date and, where applicable, add a regression test. Send reproducible details through the contact page.
Advertising wall
Advertising may fund the site in the future, but advertisers will not select calculator results, sources, or editorial conclusions. Ads must be labeled “Advertisement,” separated from high-interaction controls, and kept out of unfinished or low-content pages. Affiliate relationships will be disclosed near affected links.