Absolute zero for foliage is different for different varieties. Anywhere from 32 to 15 degrees.Consider absolute zero for foliage to be when the leaves freeze to death. Absolute zero or 55.4F pertains to citrus roots. At 55.4F citrus roots cease to function. You are correct WLD is not a serious problem for trees grown outside. However for trees grown indoors in an artificial situation WLD can be a problem as many, many hobbiest can attest. You seem to generally have a good understanding of the problem. When a citrus tree is placed in a cool room and the foliage is directly in front of a southern exposure a problem can occur. Direct sunlight can easily raise the leaf surface 18+ degrees above the ambient air temperature, depending on the duration of time the tree is subjected to these conditions. If the tree's roots are at 55.4F degrees or lower the citrus roots cannot and do not function. They cannot sent the required water up to the foliage for evaporation to cool the leaves. Even at temperatures closely above 55.4F the root's ability is many times insufficient to properly cool the tree. Many times WLD happens after a very sunny day. WLD rarely happens after cloudy days. Stressbaby, your correct in your thinking. The value of the lights for a tree in the situation that I described above is to keep the growing medium's temperature high enough so that the roots can operate. If your greenhouse conditions are such that the temperatures can keep the roots approximately at 64 degrees then you should not need the extra protection that lights can afford. Unless you are only trying to obtain the maxium growth out of your trees all year around. An example an orange tree in Florida might take 10 years from seed to produce fruit, but the same tree in the tropics might only take half the time. BTW nice home and greenhouse. Your an interesting person, I'm glad you joined the citrus forum. Take care. - Millet

I am also one who has enjoyed reading this thread. I have gotten rid of a lot of my Christmas decorations...and I was one the used to put a tree in every room (including the bathrooms), but have cut waaaayyy back....mostly because of health problems and a DH who does not "decorate"....so the outside lights are not put out anymore....because in this cold Kansas weather, it was me out there in January taking them down. I put wreaths with red bows in the windows, along with battery operated candles and a big wreath on the front door. I only put up a smaller tree in the LR and one in the basement family room where we all gather on Christmas to exchange gifts.....and of course, do decorate the fireplace mantle and I use a lot of bright red poinsettias scattered around. I always put out my grouping of singing carolers...they are so ugly that they are cute...and of course, never leave out the two nativity scenes that mean so much to me. When I looked through all of my boxes of decorations, I just kept telling myself.....what you take up from the basement has to come back down....and with my bad knees, it didn't take me long to just leave them there. I do believe that less is more...too many decorations doesn't give the eye a place to rest and gives the "cluttered" look. However you chose to decorate, I hope that each of you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and I hope that 2009 will be a better year for all of us.

I am loving everything I am seeing!! Love all the blue and silver being used. I had the urge to put up 2 trees this year....one full out decorated with big fat ribbon and one with our family ornaments but I was LAZY and just did one. Just a mish/mash of ornaments but oh, well I love seeing the lights. Besides my DS's tree with his ornaments - he did it and I have the hardest time not fussing with it!! I will get some pics up soon. These cats are hilarious!! Cattknap - I understand where you are coming from!! Everything is just so damned "political" now. I always say "Merry Christmas." I also resent the marketing that goes on around the holidays. If I were crafty I wouldn't buy one thing from department stores!! Well, except Toys R Us!! But, for the first time in a few years I am feeling the Spirit of Christmas!! We lost my father, and he had been very sick before. It is weird how traditions change after losing one of your parents but new traditions will be made!! I am smiling this year!! So, please keep sharing your beautiful decorations. SMiles:)

When I saw the kitchen, I had an immediate different thought than I see here. Is that formica? If so, I would replace it with new formica in a different color... This is not a major job, evidently. It comes with the backsplash and everything. You just order the length you need. Grey (as in one of the photos upthread)? Navy? Black? With the teal blue chairs, one or more of these colors on a countertop would be striking.