Plant Print Supply

PPS Explorer: Read the Source, Keep the Uncertainty

A BETTER QUESTION STARTS WITH THE SOURCE

A plant label can start a conversation. It cannot settle every part of the story. Use this guide to keep exact statements, reported names and unanswered questions separate.

Available now: this guide and a blank worksheet to copy below. Explorer’s account and community tools are still in development. This page is not a registry, verified breeding record or live community.

01 / KEEP THE WORDS INTACT

What was actually said?

Start with the statement before interpreting it. Keep its limits attached to it.

  1. Record the exact wording.

    Preserve qualifiers, question marks and unknowns. If you transcribe a tag, distinguish the original words from your own additions. Do not quietly rewrite an uncertain statement into a definite one.

  2. Separate attribution from authentication.

    Record who the statement is attributed to and where you found it. A seller’s attribution to a breeder is still an attribution, not independent proof of authorship or parentage.

  3. Give the source a location.

    Keep the document, tag or message reference and the reported date when available. Mark missing details as “not recorded.” A newer date or repeated claim does not automatically make it stronger evidence.

02 / DO NOT MIX THE ROLES

Three questions.
Separate answers.

Seed parent

What does this source say about the plant that bore the seed? Keep an unknown seed-parent role unknown.

Pollen parent

What does this source say about the pollen source? A seed-parent name does not fill this separate gap.

Propagation source

What does this source say the plant was propagated from? A propagation-source note does not by itself name seed or pollen parents.

A reported name is not yet a linked individual. Matching labels do not establish shared identity or genetics. Appearance alone does not settle a missing relationship.

03 / COMPARE WITHOUT CHOOSING A WINNER

Two sources can stay two sources.

Use one worksheet for each statement. Keep both citations visible while comparing them.

Different roles?
Do not turn a propagation-source statement and a seed-parent statement into a direct contradiction. First check what each one claims.
The same name?
Keep the name as reported. Matching text alone does not identify the same individual or establish independent confirmation.
Different names for one role?
Record the disagreement. Do not merge the names, select a winner by popularity, or remove the uncertainty.
No source for a role?
Write “not recorded in this source.” Missing information is not proof that a relationship does not exist.

04 / ASK FOR THE MISSING PIECE

A question, not a verdict.

Make it easy for someone to see which statement you mean and what would help you understand it.

QUESTION TEMPLATE · PLACEHOLDERS, NOT A PLANT CLAIM

In [source reference], the wording attributed to [name as recorded] is “[exact statement].” It describes [relationship role] as [unknown or name exactly as reported]. Could you clarify [specific missing detail]?

Keep your own interpretation outside the quotation. For two sources, repeat the reference and exact statement for each rather than blending them into one claim.

This is a writing aid. This question template does not send a message. If you share a question elsewhere, omit private details and use source material you have permission to share.

TAKE IT WITH YOU

A small record.
A clearer conversation.

Copy the blank worksheet below into your own notes. Keep one source per record and leave unknown fields unknown.

Copy this blank worksheet

Exact source statement
________________________
Claimed attribution and citation
________________________
Reported date, if recorded
________________________
Seed / pollen / propagation role
________________________
Name as reported, or unknown
________________________
My interpretation, kept separate
________________________
What I still need to ask
________________________

About this guide: It is a source-reading aid, not an identity or genetics verification service. Explorer accounts, source imports and community posting are not connected here. Existing PPS shopping and account services are separate.