How reviews are done
We evaluate products hands-on where possible. Where we can't, we work from documented sources: manufacturer specifications, published documentation, list prices as of the time of writing, and the public record — and we say which is which. Claims we can't verify are attributed ("the company says", "the maker claims") rather than repeated as fact, and we never invent quotes, test results, statistics, or dates.
How we assess this niche
For seed banks, the review is the paperwork as much as the catalogue: the breadth and stability of the strain list, the published germination-guarantee terms and their conditions, regional storefront differences, shipping and reshipment policies, and how the marketing copy compares with what a buyer can actually verify. Stated germination rates, flowering times, and yield figures are treated as the vendor's published claims, never as tested results. For grow gear, we read the spec sheet the way a patient grower would: actual power draw rather than model-name wattage, published efficacy figures, realistic coverage footprints, warranty terms, and repairability. We make no medical claims, give no legal advice, and don't advise readers on cultivation where it isn't lawful — every review assumes an adult reader acting within their local law.
What our scores mean
Scores run 0–10 and are judgments, not averages of sub-scores. A 7 is a good product with real trade-offs. An 8 is an easy recommendation for the right buyer. A 9 is rare and means we struggled to find a meaningful fault. Every review lists genuine cons — if we can't find any, we haven't looked hard enough.
Disclosure
Seed Patrol is a commercially supported publication. Posts that contain affiliate links, and posts that are sponsored, carry a disclosure with the post. Sponsored and affiliate links are marked as such in the page's code. Sponsors never see, edit, or approve editorial copy, and no score can be bought — see our advertising page for what is and isn't for sale.
Bylines
Seed Patrol publishes under house bylines maintained by the editorial team. Reviews run under the byline June Alvarado — a disclosed house pen name that serves as the site's accountable editorial identity — and news posts run under Staff, Seed Patrol. We do not publish fabricated author biographies or invented credentials.
Corrections
If we've published an error — a price, a spec, a date, anything — we want to know. Reach the editorial desk via the contact page. We correct promptly and note material corrections in the post.