Sagely Sprout
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How we cite
Sage tells you what's proven and what's garden lore — here's exactly how the labels work.
Why we label claims
A coach you can trust doesn't just tell you what to do — it tells you how sure it is. Every load-bearing horticultural claim in Sage's Academy is tagged with one of two badges, so you always know whether advice rests on published research or on tradition.
✔ Research-supported
The claim is backed by university-extension publications or peer-reviewed literature, and the institution is named right on the badge. When you see this badge, the advice reflects the best evidence we could find.
◇ Traditional practice — evidence limited
Common garden lore with limited or mixed evidence. Some of it likely works; some of it is folklore. We still teach it where it's harmless and useful — companion-planting folklore, moon-phase timing, and the like — but we say plainly that the evidence is thin, so you can decide for yourself.
Our verified-link policy
We hyperlink a cited institution only when we've confirmed the link resolves. A citation that leads to a 404 is worse than no link at all, so institutions whose pages we couldn't verify stay named but unlinked. Links go to the institution's extension hub rather than a deep page; pinning each claim to its exact source document is an ongoing review by a human Master Gardener.
The numbers
Across 40 lessons, we've tagged 101 claims: 92 research-supported and 9 as traditional practice. 62 of those research citations carry a link we have verified resolves.