Community Guidelines

Grow together. Share what you learn. Respect the people behind the posts.

Welcome to Citrus.Expert! Whether you are growing your first lemon tree or managing an established collection, you are welcome here. Curiosity, practical experience and thoughtful questions all contribute to the community.

1. Be welcoming and respectful

Everyone starts somewhere. Help beginners feel comfortable asking questions, even when the answer seems obvious to you.

Disagree with an idea without attacking the person sharing it. Harassment, threats, discrimination and personal insults have no place here.

Language differences, spelling mistakes and mixed-language posts are not reasons to ridicule someone. If something is unclear, ask what they mean.

2. Keep discussions relevant

Our focus is citrus, plants and gardening.

Related subjects are welcome when they support cultivation: soil chemistry, weather monitoring, irrigation, sensors, greenhouse equipment and practical tools.

Community and off-topic areas remain broadly gardening-related. They are not intended as general politics, football or entertainment boards.

3. Make your question easy to answer

Choose a descriptive title. “Meyer lemon: yellow leaves after repotting” is more useful than “Help!!!”

For plant-health questions, include what you know about:

• The plant and variety.

• Your climate or approximate region.

• Whether it grows indoors, outdoors, in a pot or in the ground.

• Light, watering, growing medium and fertiliser.

• When the symptoms started and what recently changed.

• Clear photographs of the whole plant and affected areas.

You do not need every detail to ask. Share what you can, and members can help you work out what else matters.

Use Plant Clinic for diagnosis and plant-health questions.

4. Share experience honestly

Explain whether your advice comes from personal experience, a published source or an idea you have not yet tested.

Growing conditions vary. A successful method in one climate or growing medium may need adjustment elsewhere.

When sharing an experiment, describe the conditions, changes and results—including failures. Use The Laboratory for trials, comparisons and observations over time.

Do not invent measurements, references, qualifications or results.

5. Use photographs and sources responsibly

Share your own photographs where possible. Only upload other people’s material when you have permission or another lawful basis to use it.

Credit sources and link to original articles rather than copying entire publications. Giving credit does not automatically grant permission to reproduce something.

Clearly label edited or AI-generated images when they could be mistaken for a real plant, symptom or experimental result.

6. Check AI-assisted contributions

AI-assisted writing is welcome when it helps you communicate something useful and accurate.

Check factual claims, references and recommendations before posting. Do not present generated material as your own first-hand experience or use it to flood discussions with repetitive answers.

You remain responsible for what you publish.

7. Put safety and plant health first

Take care when discussing pesticides, chemicals, electrical equipment and other potentially hazardous methods.

Follow applicable rules and product instructions. Avoid presenting improvised treatments as proven or universally safe.

When exchanging plants, seeds or cuttings, check relevant plant-health and shipping requirements. Disclose known pests, diseases or other concerns.

8. Protect privacy

Do not publish another person’s address, contact details, private messages or other personal information without permission or another lawful justification.

Check photographs for visible labels, documents or location details before uploading them.

Share only the location information needed for a useful discussion. An approximate region is usually enough.

9. Keep promotion transparent

Relevant product recommendations can be helpful. Explain any relationship you have with the seller or product, including sponsorships, free samples or affiliate links.

Use designated areas for permitted offers and exchanges, and follow their specific rules.

Do not send unsolicited promotional messages or repeatedly advertise across discussions.

10. Help keep the forum organised

Choose the most appropriate section and avoid posting the same question in several places.

Search for existing discussions when practical, but do not worry if you miss one. Moderators may move or merge topics to keep information easy to find.

Stay reasonably close to the topic. Start a new discussion when a different subject deserves its own space.

If advice helped, return with an update. What happened afterwards can be just as useful as the original question.

11. Report problems calmly

Use the report button for spam, abuse, privacy concerns or other rule violations.

Explain the issue and let moderators review it. Avoid escalating arguments or reposting harmful material.

A disagreement or an incorrect gardening answer is not automatically misconduct. Where appropriate, offer a respectful correction supported by evidence.

12. Work with moderators

Moderators help keep discussions useful, welcoming and organised. Depending on the situation, they may move content, request changes, remove posts or restrict participation.

If you believe a decision was mistaken, contact support@citrus.expert with a link and a brief explanation. You can ask for a review.

These Guidelines work alongside our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Ask freely. Share thoughtfully. Let others learn from what you grow.