April 2020 - 14

DIRTY SECRETS
BAD ADVICE
Battling
While apps, websites, podcasts and videos give customers
instant advice, it's up to us to make sure they're getting the
right information.
Whether the things gardeners are passing along as
By Christina Salwitz
W
e don't just sell plants; we sell advice, expertise,
experience, years and years of trial and error,
and dreams. However, let's get real, we all know
there is a TON of really bad gardening advice available on
the " interwebs. " I found this saying and it seems to fit this
problem well:
" Don't base your decisions on the advice of those who
don't have to deal with the results. " (I'm envisioning the
advice I read once: " Of course you can prune your Japanese
maple to the ground every year; I've done it and it's always
been fine for me! " )
From Pinstagram to Facebook groups, social media
has allowed all manner of people to feel that they could,
and worse yet, should pass along something they read
in passing with no background in its success or failure.
But, like so many things on the internet, if it's posted of
course, it MUST be true, right?
14 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | APRIL 2020
positive ideas are scientifically tested, or they're just
a notion they learned via a friend who has a friend
whose uncle swears by it, we can spend a lot of time in
conversation, over email or on our websites trying to find
the most diplomatic way to say " That's just BUNK! " Or
" Noooooooo, don't do that, it'll kill your plants! " Or " Well,
you CAN do that, but it doesn't exactly solve your issue, so
I wouldn't. "
Skepticism Works
A few years back, I used to work for a phone app that
would allow me to ID plants from a phone photo. Not to
toot my own horn, but I was VERY good at it for a few
reasons that my coworkers didn't often employ:
* I didn't take anything the photo-provider wrote about
their photo at face value. As every detective TV show
tells you, witnesses often have their own set of " facts "
that aren't real.
* I would not give an answer unless the photo also
provided the basics, zone, sun and shade conditions
etc. to the best of their ability.

April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2020

April 2020 - 1
April 2020 - 2
April 2020 - 3
April 2020 - 4
April 2020 - 5
April 2020 - 6
April 2020 - 7
April 2020 - 8
April 2020 - 9
April 2020 - 10
April 2020 - 11
April 2020 - 12
April 2020 - 13
April 2020 - 14
April 2020 - 15
April 2020 - 16
April 2020 - 17
April 2020 - 18
April 2020 - 19
April 2020 - 20
April 2020 - 21
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April 2020 - 24
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/september-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/thrive-guide-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/lgr-november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/lgr-july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/may-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/thriveguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/november-december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/september-october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/thriveguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/november-december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/september-october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/november-december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/september-october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/LGR/january-2019
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