Well, it's good to hear a more definite answer. I suppose it does depend somewhat on how close the fixtures are to one another, for example, 1 in away from each other vs 6 in away from each other. In that aspect, the tubes seem to have an advantage, because you can put the two of them right next to each other and make it more like one light source. That makes me happy, because I have two 15W T5 tubes on a lower shelf that are the only source of light for some extra leaves I have started, and I was worried that it might not be enough light, even though they seem to be doing well there. One thing I do to reflect some light is place mirrors along the back wall. It definitely seems to help. I get the cheap 4 pack square mirrors from Ikea. I don't even stick them up; I just prop them along the wall behind the plants. I mainly grow orchids in my terrariums, and the AVs are along for the ride. But they're doing pretty well in there, so I'm thinking of adding more. Most of my AVs are in a south window and not in a case, and I like having them there because space in the cases are at a premium : ) But I've been noticing that the AVs under fluorescent light have been growing these amazing colored variegated leaves, that they only rarely seem to get in the window. Anyone else notice this?

Linda and Irina, Once again, to the rescue! I so much appreciate the info! One of my variegates developed brown edges, so it must be due to the Eleanor fert I just started using, trying to persuade them to bloom. I will switch to Optimara until I can get Dyna Gro. I had another "sick day" today, so I curled up with the book, Growing to Show and read about fert. I also dusted and washed AV leaves and potted up some babies that were ready to be separated. It was a "spa day" for my AVs. I am wondering if it is ok to use chloramine laced city water in pebble trays for humidity now that the heater is on and the air is more dry. Or should even the pebble trays have spring water. Also, probably an Irina Question--on a neck that has two suckers on either side (the crown had broken off), when the suckers are big enough, should I pluck them both off, even though they won't have roots, and pot them? Or, should I cut the larger sucker with a portion of the neck attached and repot the neck with the sucker, burying the neck? If I do that, should I scrape the neck, dust with cinnamon, and bury it to form roots? I couldn't find info on that in the book I was reading. The two suckers have a few more weeks before they will be ready to remove. I have a leaf started from this plant, so it won't be a total loss if the suckers don't survive. (The crown did not make it, I did not remove enough leaves when I put it down.) Once it stopped raining here, I slipped outside for a little while and helped the gardener bury the daffodil and narcissus bulbs! It is so rare to have soft, muddy soil to work with! They are both for beauty and gopher deterrent. Joanne

So sorry about the text in the OP. ;-( It was indeed a copy/paste job from one of my older posts, with a few changes. I hope you find (found?) it worth trying to figure out. Anything we add to our soils that isn't needed and finds it's way into the soil solution has the potential to limit growth/vitality. Many growers cling to the idea that a little more of this or that nutrient is better - for instance that since a little extra Fe or Mg will green up a plant, it must be good for it - true only if the plant is deficient in one or the other of those nutrients. Greener does not mean healthier when it comes at the expense of an excess of one or more nutrients. Since aquarium water contains a number of nutrients, is it necessarily a good idea to use it? So what's actually IN aquarium water - anyone know? Not with any certainty, so it's a very good bet that A) if you use aquarium water as your sole nutrition source, there are bound to be deficiencies, and B) if you combine using aquarium water with a sound nutrition program - 'because a little more of this and that is better' - you end up duplicating nutrients you don't need, which we know from Liebig's Law of the Minimum has the same potential to limit as a deficiency. If you rely on a sound nutrition program with no extra little treats, you're much more apt to end up with a lean mean growing machine. Whenever I consider anything as a supplement that my plant might need, I ask two questions. A) What will it supply that I know my plant needs? and B) What impact will it have on the soil's structure? In the case of worm castings and seaweed (other than emulsion), they supply nothing a plant needs that can't already be found in a fertilizer like Foliage-Pro, and they have only the potential to reduce aeration and increase water retention in container soils; though to an insignificant degree in the case of fish emulsion. So on two counts I would avoid them in my soils. Actually, there is a third consideration. I also tend to avoid the addition of soil amendments added for their nutritive value if I think they will promote significant growth of soil biota. I love it in the garden, but we can grow just fine in containers without courting the micro-herd. If we are going to use practices that support large populations of soil biota that break down soils quickly, why bother building all that wonderful aeration and drainage into our soils, only to have them stolen as our soils collapse in a feeding frenzy of micro-organisms? Growing in containers is well removed from gardening, and much closer to hydroponics. On a scale of 1-10, with growing in the garden being a 1 and hydroponics a 10, container culture is probably a 7 or 8, which is why a good part of what works so well in gardens (compost and organic amendments, worm castings, bone/blood/feather meals, feed the soil instead of the plant, .....) doesn't work well in containers. There's just no substitute for a healthy root system and a sound nutritional supplementation program that the grower assumes responsibility for and control over. Al

yep, tally is right... it all depends on so many factors. Directly on the sill with no curtain works for me, but I'm way up north in central NY. Right up against the window can be too cold in the middle of winter however! Some of my AVs are interior and at least a few feet away from a window, but I usually won't leave them with so little light for more than a few months and then I'll rearrange things. You have to judge based on the appearance of the AV and how it changes with locations. For example, - if the petioles (leaf stems) seem too long, the plant probably needs stronger light - if the crown (central) leaves are too small, the plant could be too cold, getting too much light, or could have mites or other problem - if the leaves look pale, the plant could need nutrients or more light - if the leaves are limp, the plant could need water or it could be over-watered and rotting. :p Nice purples!!! This is probably my best purple bloomer... I think I originally got this in the 80s and it was marked Optimara Sequoia. This plant is less than 6 months old... they all bloom with perfect high clusters of flowers: This isn't a great pic, but how about this nice pink baby of 'Sheer Romance' from Lyndon Lyons... I just love the green ruffled edge. :)