Re: Lighting?
If you have 72-85* temps, I hope you are giving it some humidity as the warm air can be drying.
Plants just seem to know when winter is here so their growth slows down. Some go in to a dormancy even in a heated room. Most plants will not grow in a cool/cold room. If you give your plants that much heat, they will need more light to grow. If they are kept 'cool', they require little light. Cold = slow growth = little light & little water.
EX. If your plants are semi dormant from cool temps & they get too much light, they can suffer WLD (winter leaf drop) & even die (esp citrus).
I have 2 big nanas. One is kept in a sunroom with little direct sun & temps in 50's to 60*. It requires very little water as it is not growing much - semi dormant. The other is kept in a south facing window (only few hours direct sun w/ rm temp 68*) & is putting out new leafs & requires more water because it is growing. That is the plant that gets 500 watt light from around 4 - 6:30. If you want to give "tropical" setting, then your plant will thrive & grow. That means heat, light, humidity. Don't forget, people who live in zones 7, 8 & 9 keep their plants out but protect them from frost by wrapping & even cutting them down.
For a lot of ppl, it doesn't pay to keep the heat & extra lights going all winter. I just let them sleep.
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 Got a lite?
Patty
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Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.
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