1. Acquisition and Purchasing Integrity
We do not accept hand-delivered review units, cherry-picked seed samples, or direct corporate sponsorships. All subscription deliveries and equipment are purchased using mystery consumer identities using standard retail billing addresses and personal credit cards.
Subscriptions are maintained across a minimum of three complete delivery cycles (or 12 weeks for monthly dispatches) before an initial report is published. If a supplier alters packet dimensions or seed suppliers during our test window, the cycle restarts.
2. Seed Viability & Germination Protocols
Germination rates are measured following modified International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) rules adapted for realistic amateur glasshouse conditions:
- Sample Sizes: From each delivered packet, three randomized replicates of 30 seeds each (90 seeds total per variety) are extracted.
- Substrate: Standardized commercial peat-free Klasmann Bio-Traysubstrat, kept at 65% water capacity by weight.
- Temperature Control: Maintained at 20°C ± 1.5°C using calibrated heating mats during the first 10 days, followed by ambient unheated glasshouse conditions (night minimum 8°C, day peak 22°C).
- Scoring Criteria: Germination is recorded only when the radicle extends beyond the seed coat and normal cotyledon expansion occurs. Malformed or stunted seedlings are excluded from positive tallies.
3. Electrical and Mechanical Hardware Benchmarking
For propagators, heat mats, and LED lighting rigs:
- Power Monitoring: Plug-in true RMS energy data loggers record active power (Watts), total consumption (kWh), and power factor over a continuous 14-day cycle.
- Thermal Uniformity: An array of 9 K-type thermocouple sensors is distributed across the base surface in a 3x3 grid to locate heating element cold spots.
- Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR): Grow lights are evaluated using an Apogee Instruments SQ-520 full-spectrum quantum sensor placed in a light-isolated bench chamber at 15cm, 30cm, and 45cm distances.
4. Cost Per Season Economic Workings
We do not quote monthly subscription rates in isolation because they disguise true seasonal outlay. Our annual cost formula is standardized as:
Total Annual Cost = (Monthly Rate × Active Months) + Mandatory Carriage Fees + Ancillary Mediums Required
Where ancillary mediums include seed compost, vermiculite, and seedling plugs if excluded by the vendor.
5. Corrections, Retesting and Dispute Policy
Manufacturers and seed purveyors who observe factual discrepancies in packet batch codes or cultivar naming may submit lot numbers to our Somerset desk. If a vendor demonstrates that a verified batch failure occurred due to distributor transport logistics, we will purchase a new commercial batch and publish a comparative re-test footnote. We do not delete past historical batch logs.