Writing Guide: https://article.picturethisai.com/writing-guide/
Request for Proposal – Pruning Tips
Vr. 1.0, May 18th, 2022
- Detailed requirement of the “Why” in “Recommended Structure for Pruning” added;
- “Main techniques for pruning” now is not compulsory;
- “Reliable” part in “General Requirements” amended;
- Problems Should be Avoided added;
Vr. 0.4, May 9th, 2022
- Samples, writing requirements and special requirements added;
- RFP structure adjusted;
Vr. 0.2, Apr. 28th, 2022
- Requirements of pruning techniques and cautions added;
Vr. 0.1, Apr. 27th, 2022
What is this content for?
You are selected to create a brief PRUNING recommendation for a series of specific plants.
We hope the recommendations can help readers to quickly understand how to take care of the plant. Focus on the most important things the readers need to do when they prune their plants to keep them growing in a better way.
General Requirements
1. Writing: please use correct grammar and spelling when you’re writing this content. Add “grammarly” or “microsoft editor” extensions to your browser, and they can help you to find and correct minor writing problems.
Please try your best to make your writings varied in sentence structure and expressions while writing for different plants. Colloquial and conversational style is suggested.
2. Reliable: Please use reliable resources or references from at least one website in order to make the language concise and accurate. Websites with suffixes of .org (except wikipedia.org), .gov or .edu are considered to be more trustful. (this requirement is abiding by part 2 in Writing Guide)
3. Word Count: each description should be around 50 words. If there’s any specific pruning recommendations that the readers need to pay more attention to, you can write a little longer, 60 words at most.
4. Focus on the Topic: do not mention anything other than pruning in this section, as other information will be presented in other sections.
5. Operational: focus on the practices that common users can control or are easy to execute.
Recommended Structure for Pruning
1. Why: tell the readers the reason(s) to prune this plant, e.g. for a better shape, more blooms/fruits or just regular cleaning. There might be different reasons for different plants.
Please make sure the main reason is mentioned. For instance, the main reason for pruning Rosa is to get more flowers, so “pruning Rosa properly if you want to see more flowers” must be covered, then mention other reasons like “to keep it clean by cutting off dead leaves”.
Also, you can tell the readers what might happen if they don’t prune this plant.
2. When: tell the readers an approximate time to prune this plant, e.g. before/after blossom, in spring/winter or other seasons, or during any growth phase/stage, etc., and that’s enough. Don’t write things like “3 days before blossom”, or “on 15th Jan.”.
3. What: tell the readers what/which part of the plant needs to be pruned, e.g. the dead/withered leaves, flowers, fruits, or the part that grows too high, or the secondary stems, etc.
Tell readers the main techniques for pruning it, such as the length, angle you cut, and the section of the plant you need to prune. (Not compulsory)
Please present the cautions of pruning, e.g., to leave a clean and smooth cut to prevent infection.
4. Note: it’ll also be great to tell the readers the tools that are common or easy to find for them to prune this plant.
Special Attention:
- Do not use specific pruning time or date. For example, “to prune it before blooming or in early Spring” is enough, but “to prune it 3 days before blooming or on15th Feb.” is not okay.
- Please use the Latin name to search for information online. If you cannot find useful information with the Latin name, you can use the common name, but please paste the link to prove that the Latin name and common name refer to the same plant.
- Please use common names instead of Latin names.
- Italicize any Latin words that appear
- You’ll see short references in the CMS for each plant, so please use information that is relevant to them. If you cannot find any relevant information, please use what you found and leave a comment to indicate this.
Samples:
Lagerstroemia indica (Crepe myrtle) [55 words]
Crepe myrtle is pruned in order to maintain its attractive shape. This should take place in mid-Spring to avoid damage from colder temperatures common in winter. Cut away the lower limbs that are thin in diameter using clean pruners, and cut slightly above where the two branches meet. Avoid pruning top limbs on an established tree.
Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato) [60 words]
Pruning the Tomato plant helps to produce more fruit, and to keep pests away. Cut off the suckers (stems between main stem and the stems branching off of it) while still small with clean sharp scissors, leaving only the main branch and a few side branches. Prune during any stage of growth, but don’t over-prune your plant all at once.
Malus pumila (Paradise apple) [55 words]
To promote Paradise apple productivity, increase the quality of the fruit, and prevent diseases, you should prune it in late winter or early spring. Using clean pruners to cut off dead or diseased branches, or branches that are growing off to the opposite side near where the two branches intersect.
Problems should be avoided:
1. Reference and species do not match:
2. Unclear, contradictory or redundant information:
a. Unclear: “Ivy can be pruned year-round, beginning in spring.”, “year-round” includes “beginning in spring” so “year-round” is enough;
b. Redundant: “Also use clippers to cut away unhealthy leaf sections and also trim roots when repotting”. Repotting information is redundant here in the tips of pruning.
3. Information absence:
a. Main information absence: The tips for Aphrodite’s phalaenopsis should focus on encouraging new blooms, but the tips below missed it completely:
“Only prune the stem of Aphrodite’s phalaenopsis after it has reached at least a foot in height, to encourage a new stem to grow. Then carefully use sharp clippers or a knife to prune the stem top back to an inch or so above the triangular growth node.”
b. Required information absence: the right referential links should not be absent.
More:
If there’s anything you find unclear or need to discuss while writing using this RFP, please leave messages to Steven – Project Manager on Lark.