Rhododendron and azaleas vary in size. The amount of bloom is determined by variety, but also by exposure to sun and general health and fertility of the soil. More light means more blooms, and more shade means fewer blooms. Poor soil means fewer blooms, while adequate phosphates and to some extent potassium means more blooms. The plant also needs to be hardy for the area. Cold winters can kill flower buds before they bloom. Also, pruning after the beginning of summer will remove the next years flowers. They form the buds for next years flowers about a month after they bloom. If you prune in mid summer or later you are removing the next years flower buds. They also vary in height according to variety. The information included with a plant normally tells its height after 10 years. For Ohio, Ohio State University has an excellent publication on line: Here is a link that might be useful: Rhododendrons and Azaleas in Ohio

Sam (GaWd), I never did get around to elaborating on my initial remarks on the Deluxe versions of fluorescents. I know I mentioned the reduced lumens, but I did not comment on the benefits that could be considered. For decades the output of the traditional halophosphate phosphor was sorely lacking in red, resulting in reds being darkened, not allowing them to contrast with other colors. At the time, all of the standard lamps on the market got their basic colors (cool white, warm white, daylight) from minor variations using the exact same phosphor for each color style. Now to get a bit technical, and I apologize for not including any graphs. The old calcium halophosphor (Sb3+,Mn2+-activated Ca5 (PO4 )3 (Cl,F)) had two major complementary emission bands basically blue and orange-red. The blue band was due to the activator Sb3+ ions, which absorb the 254nm UV radiation from the mercury discharge, and emit a part of this energy in a band peaking near 480nm. The excitation energy is also transferred from Sb3+ to Mn2+ resulting in the orange-red Mn2+ emission peaking at about 580nm. To get the different cool white/warm white/daylight versions, the ratio of the blue to orange emission were adjusted. Increasing Mn2+ content, for example, suppresses the blue emission and enhances the orange emission. Further, by adjusting the Cl:F ratio, the peak position of the Mn2+(the blue one) could be shifted toward the orange. If you look at a generic SPD of one of these lamps, you can see that, although it may be difficult to ignore the mercury peaks which are insignificant, but are always drawn way too hefty. (405,436,546,578nm mercury spikes) This halophosphate composition was used in the few types of lamps commonly available at the time. The spectrum of each was quite broad, peaking at the two derived wavelengths, and unfortunately dropping off as it approached red. The efficacy of a cool-white lamp was 76 lm/W. An F40T12/CW, consuming 40 watts, put out about 3050 lumens. All of the manufacturers used the same composition method to produce their version of CW, WW, and Daylight lamps. The CRI of the lamps was in the upper 50Âs to low 60Âs. Then it was discovered that with the addition of a red phosphor, strontium orthophosphate, the CRI could be increased to 85. Unfortunately, the efficacy dropped to 50 lm/W, because the new phosphor used some of the same mercury emission for itÂs stimulation. This added strontium orthophosphate was the basis for ALL of the Deluxe versions of these lamps - CW, WW, and Daylight Deluxes. The GOOD news here is that strontium orthophosphate has a peak emission of RED at 626nm, with a very broad spectral peak (120 nm wide at 50% emission). This does a good job of covering the peak red absorption spectrum of both Chlorophyll A and B in that region. For those interested in a broadened spectrum, without gaps, the Deluxe lamps will do that well. And, if you are using the 2x overdrive modified ballasts you will re-boost the lumens to the pre-deluxe levels. The multitude of newer phosphor blends are too large to comment on, but many of the current Cool Whites with a CRI in the 70Âs actually have an initial coating of the old halophosphor, followed by an application of the tri-color phosphors. The halophosphor layer is applied first because it is more susceptible to deterioration by the mercury emissions. Hence, better overall lumen maintenance. Shrubs_n_Bulbs, Using a single 2-lamp ballast to drive a single lamp (32w) results in 70% more current being used by the lamp, and about 50% more light being emitted. The ballast is sharing its two current driving circuits, resulting in 30% less current draw than if it were trying to drive 2 lamps in normal mode. If you have 2 OD ballasts in a shoplight with 2 lamps, you are getting the same light as 3 lamps while using the current of 3.4 lamps. That is NO LESS efficient than the old magnetic ballasts are in driving a fluorescent lamp. Since many indoor plant growers will discard their lamps early due to diminishing lumens anyhow, it is very much worth it to a lot of people. Just ask those who have tried it how much they like it. That is why I began experimenting in the first place  very excited, happy people who swore by it. Check out the forums for aquariums. That is where I first learned about the concept. Since I have experience designing my own power supplies for electronic projects, I knew what they were talking about, and did tests and compared current consumption for myself. One thing I should note. I took some 40w lamps, which NO LONGER would light in a magnetic ballast, and put them in an overdriven fixture. VOILA! They lit brighter than when they were new. So much for quick depreciation. I got light out of otherwise dead bulbs! The reason that the Home Depot ballast is popular in this forum is because I experimented for months with a whole slew of different electronic ballasts, both shoplight types and much heftier HO e-ballasts. I discovered that the Sunpark SL15 ballst that was inside the el-cheapo Home Depot shoplight was extremely versitile. I took current readings on all of my experiments to compare ballasts. That SL15 ballast, in 2xOD mode, will drive an exceptional number of lamp types, from the 40,50,55w TwinTube Biaxs, to the 54wT5Âs to the 2D- 55w bulb. That ballast drives the 54wT5 with the exact current specified by the manufacturers. By the way, I always consider ballast losses with lm/W calculations: Magnetic ballast with 40wT12 bulb - 6 watts (0.05mA) Electronic ballast, Rapid Start, single, non-overdriven 32wT8 bulb - 3.48 watts(0.029mA) Electronic ballast, Instant Start, single, non-overdriven 32wT8 bulb - 2.52 watts(0.021mA) I have had many variations of ballast and tubes burning now for over a year without any lamp going out OR ballasts going bad. Lastly, I thought that was brave to list 10 myths of Growing Under Lights at one time. I never saw anyone dispute the HID/Fluorescent light penetration myth before. You are correct, but I would have to remember my calculus to even try to explain it to anyone. And that heat myth is a good one to dispel. Any two different lighting systems, with the same lm/W, drawing the same wattage, will lose the same excess as heat somewhere, as you basically said. I could comment further, but itÂs late, and I wrote too much. Zink

When I was growing mine in hydroponics, I used 20 on and 4 off with MH lamps until they started to bloom. Then I cut them down to 10 on, 2 off and switched to HPS. I never experimented to see if the lighting spectrum or length of day made any difference but they certainly grew much faster than when they were just outdoors or in dirt. There's nothing like having fresh peppers at Christmas time when there is 3 feet of snow on the ground :) --->Rob

There was certainly nothing stupid about that question! Welcome, Maryl. You have to go over to the Gallery section and look at some of the awesome collections folks have posted there. A few internet sellers have great Sansevierias, but for the most part, there is no combined, concerted effort to market or appreciate these plants. You sorta fall into love with them the more you see the different varieties. Then you seek out sources for your 'addiction'. I found a great source in my local Cactus & Succulent Society. Which is where I buy most of mine. I started with a pup off of my grandmothers plant, and now I have sixteen different varieties. Nearly all of them are easy growers, the hahnii varieties being a bit trickier. You can see a great photo of a S. hahnii in the upper corner of the start page. These are also known as 'birdnest' types. They are smaller in stature and more sensitive to water than many other varieties. You can go to your local library and request they bring in a copy of B. Juan Chahanian's "The Sansevieria Trifasciata Varieties". Great color pictures. There is another wonderful book by Hermoine Stover, can't remember the name, nor do I own it. Its been out of print for awhile. Found a copy in my local C&S library and enjoyed checking it out for a month. I'm not sure if libraries do that anymore, but when I was a young girl in a small town, I could request that our local library bring in from bigger libraries, copies of books I wished to read. As long as I had the author and title, pretty soon a copy would be there for me to check out. Our discussion pages go back for 10 pages, with 30 posts per page. You can read all about questions, issues, and progress reports as well as see all the photos we've taken in the last year on the Gallery pages. This forum runs a little slow compared to other GW forums, but there are some awesomely knowlegeable people who stop in here. Welcome, make yourself at home, pull up a chair an pour a cuppa.