I always chuckle watching my neighbors pay to have their systems turned on each spring. It's pretty much just turn on the water then monitor each zone and head to make sure they're working correctly. Then go out for dinner and spend the money you just saved. Sprinkler systems are very low tech - if you're handy you can learn how to adjust or replace a head, or fix a valve pretty easily. If you're not comfortable then call in a pro if you need maintenance or repairs.

Well, Mantis, it's like this. I live in fairly rural Alabama, although we actually live in a small town. (one policeman, no traffic lights) Two deer have appeared up the street, one time only. We are vegetarian except for fish, but I suspect, deer would morph into venison around here pretty quickly. There are several hunters who live within a block of me. And there are quite a few dogs in the area too. Yes, there is a deer season, but I am not certain it would keep some people from taking a deer. I just consider it exceptionally good luck, that they aren't around, and hope it continues forever. the voles have given me plenty of trouble. Thanks, Dean, Alabama Jubilee is a bright one. What a nice thing to say, Avedon. I have three or four more covered with scapes and many with re-blooms, but it will be a here and there thing kay kay

It's also a measure of the color of light, though it doesn't take into account the overall spectrum per se. "3000K" is the color of light emitted by a (theoretical) dark body heated to a temperature of 3000K. (As a measure of heat, it is indeed quite hot, a bit more than 2700 degrees Celsius.) You can think of it as a numerical quantification of terms like "red hot" and "white hot." It's a little counterintuitive since red is considered "warmer" than blue but is achieved at a lower physical temperature, but what can you do? I have to disagree that mixing 3000K and 4100K is terribly useful, they're both on the "warm" end of the spectrum. Also, since seedlings should be grown as close to the lamps as possible, you lose the benefit of any mixing of the different colors of light anyway because the lamps have to be at some distance for the light to "mix." If you use two different lamps an inch or two from the seedlings, one set of seedlings will basically get 3000K light, the other 4100K light. For starting seeds, warm light is probably a better bet anyway - you want to keep the seedlings stocky. Bluer light tends to encourage taller, thinner growth, redder, shorter, squatter growth. Finally, don't start your seedlings too early. If they get rootbound in their pots, they'll be slower to establish in the ground, even if they have more foliage.

Thanks, meg -- I'd consider starting another plant if I could give it away to a friend, as I'm not sure how many more I can take care of. Any harm if I just leave it alone? shavedmonkey -- Let the plant complete the blooming which may last a long time: oh, golly, let's hope so! :) If my goal, however, is to control height and not continue to have keikis form (which is what your hand-pinching method promotes, correct?), but perhaps to promote growth from below, how might I proceed? Thanks for the input.