So many websites to choose from. How can a homeowner know what is proper gardening advice, and what is less than reliable? Do Manti Te’o’s recent travails with the internet ring any bells?
Here’s an easy way to judge the good from the bad as it relates to accurate gardening information. Look for the .edu at the end of the address, or from research cited in a particular publication. Reserved for college and universities, this .edu designation means the information comes from a trusted educational source, and usually has substantial research backing the posted information. Every state has a land-grant university, and most of them produce lots of horticulture information available to consumers. Your county extension office is a great starting point to locate good research-based information.
For non-.edu sites, check the geographical location of the website. Information posted by a gardener in the tidewater region of Virginia may not be suitable for the high plains of Colorado. Weather and environmental conditions differ, soils differ, and plants suitable for the region differ. Many sites offer zone information, so if you enjoy a site that isn’t specific to your region, try to match the USDA hardiness zone of the writer with your area. Zone information is based on the average annual extreme minimum temperature. My neighborhood is zone 5. Click here for your zone.
Gardening magazines, such as Horticulture, and Fine Gardening, have their own blogs and sites. This information is also reliable, assuming you have previously confirmed compatible zone, and environmental conditions for the particular article you are reading.
Take your time and get to know one or more websites before you plunge ahead with their directions. Does the information seem practical, reasonable, and reliable? In the end, gardening is a process, and part of the process is trying new things, taking risks, and making mistakes. That’s how we learn to become better gardeners. Enjoy your surfing!