>> I will continue to challenge unproven claims and exaggerations about herbs or supplements that are based on testimonials or research in rats and cows. Sorry if that irks you. Are you irked by the fact that the National Institutes of Health (via the ADAM encyclopedia on their web page) says that there is good scientific evidence that elderberries may reduce the intensity or duration of influenza?? How did such an authoritative source come to that conclusion, which was very different from yours?? Answer: you are not just looking for scientific evidence, you demand an iron-clad body of evidence, a complete lack of any ambiguity, and your decision making is based on this binary 0-1 level of thinking. For you, either it is 100% sure and we call it proven, or it is unproven and cannot be spoken of positively. Other, less retentive types might say "there is some decent evidence elderberries might help with flu, there is no evidence it is any more dangerous than blueberries, so I can make a decision based on that 75% level of certainty that it might be helpful and worth trying." For me, the idea of a convergence of evidence is useful when there is incomplete information - and given the funding for herbal research, that is most areas of herbalism. You would rather stick to your binary theory of certainty, 100% proven, or unproven. Great if that works for you. Appropriate in some conditions where risks are high. But quite unnecessary or impossible in other cases. What is irksome is that you want to define the terms of discussion in this forum by your standards, which few of us share. Most herbalists place some value on the tradition of herbalism, the historical/clinical uses of herbs, and our personal experiences. And in my case, yes, lab and animal studies, or studies that may not have 10,000 subjects in them and therefore could be described as 'small.' I am quite aware that such evidence has limitations. But it is evidence, and it can often tell us something quite useful. Zum beispiel, when the traditional use of an herb like kudzu is for headache, and we combine that fact with lab studies showing that compounds unique to kudzu affect serotonin metabolism in a particular way known to be beneficial to some types of headahce, and then one (and then many) cluster headache patients I know who suffered with daily headaches for years suddenly became pain-free within a day or two after they start taking kudzu, I see a strong convergence of evidence that kudzu can help some with cluster headaches. And when my remission for cluster headaches ended recently, I used kudzu and experienced the mildest cycle I have ever had, which I see as more evidence that it is effective. In a previous discussion on this topic, you simply dismissed this type of understanding as a delusion or placebo effect. To me, your way of thinking might be appropriate science in the context of a regulatory committee that decides on applications for new drugs, less applicable for a committee that makes decisions on orphan drugs, and quite irrelevant to individuals interested in herbalism.

Zitro, fluorescent/aquarium lights are designed to produce blue, violet, and UV light. They are not good for plants. Spataro51, your four shoplights actually use the same electricity as five 65W bulbs so you probably aren't going to save a lot of money on your utility bills. The good news is that they produce around five times as much light as those bulbs. I'm sure you can see the difference in the light. I looked up your three palms and it seems that they all prefer quite bright light and are not ideal indoor plants. The Washingtonia particularly likes lots of sun although it will tolerate lower light levels. They should all appreciate your new lights and you are unlikely to ever give them too much light. Just make sure the lights are timed to go off for 10-12 hours each night. For the future, you should look at HID lighting. A 250W lamp would produce a little more light and use about 2/3 as much electricity. A 400W lamp would use a little more electricity but produce twice as much light. The drawback is the high initial cost, several hundred dollars, but you would make the money back in utility bill savings in a couple of years. Definitely use this approach if you decide your palms need more light or you need to cover more plants.

If by non-palm topics, you mean--Dracaenas, Yuccas, Banana plants and Monkey Puzzle trees then I would assert that there is a vast difference between these non-palm related topics and diverting a posting into a revival meeting. If the Muslims on this forum started to post messages to the effect that only the followers of Allah would be saved and everyone else was bound for h/ll, I assume you'd be offended. Where else on this forum is anyone proselytizing?--In Jesus, or anyone's behalf? Look, I am a Christian, but I choose NOT to live in a religious theocracy, and as Independence Day approaches, we should all be grateful that the founding fathers were wise enough to explicitly reject merging secular and religious values and beliefs. This is secular, HORTICULTURAL forum, not the 700 Club. To suggest that those of us who have a problem with proselytizing on this forum are guilty of being anti-Christian is an insult to our intelligence. Happy Independence Day!

gatraffic,I meant to tell you all your palms look very healthy and happy.There was an old post where I took a picture looking out my front door.You asked me if I lived across the street from 78 or Bankhead Hwy.I meant to offer you a invitation to stop by next time your down this way.I've been out in the yard planting every since I got off work today.My mother tells me I've gone palm crazy,LOL. I thought about it and I didn't plant any palms in there pots.I got thinking about it an figured like Greg said,you would play heck digging the palm up if you ever had to move it.Plus I just don't think it would be good for the long term health for the palm. When I found the article I didn't know what to think at first,I had never heard of planting anything in the ground in its pot if its going to stay in the ground from now on.My second thought was I didn't like the look of the top of the pot showing above the ground,there were pictures with the article.I just wanted to see if any of you had heard of planting in this manner,or is planting in this manner and what results you were getting.Anyhow it was interesting and totally different from what I've been taught. I know one thing,I'm dieing to go back to HD tomorrow,even though I've already spent nearly 100 dollars already.I guess I have gone palm crazy.LOL :)