Correlation is a statistical relationship between two variables that describes how they change in relation to one another. A positive correlation means both variables tend to increase or decrease together, while a negative correlation means one tends to increase as the other decreases. A correlation does not, by itself, establish that one variable causes the other.
In gardening, many observations are based on correlation rather than causation. For example, healthier plants may be associated with higher light levels, but other factors such as watering, temperature, or nutrient availability may also contribute. Determining whether one factor actually causes an observed effect requires controlled experiments that isolate individual variables.
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