I talked the hubby today into going to the local water garden show. I thought that the nursery I go to was expensive...forget it now. lol One water lettuce cost me $5.24!!! The koi was gorgeous, ranging from $30-395. Didn't bother asking the price for the full grown ones. lol A few had heads the size of softballs (biggest we've ever seen!). At least seeing those guys hubby now realizes our 600 gal. is too small for koi...whew, finally the end of an ongoing 'quiet' arguement. :)

Many of us have read that koi get to 2 or 3 feet long but until I saw a 100,000 gallon pond 10 feet deep with 3 foot long koi (about five years ago?), I couldn't imagine how huge they really are. Needlesstosay, those people were filthy rich!

Isn't it terrible, Sadiemay, how bad they get us on floaters. You know the game, supply and demand; and out here in the mid west when you can't keep them over winter, they got you! I paid $3.95 each, not as high as you, but for 20 of them (10 hyacinth, 10 lettuce) was $80 big ones. They multiply fast, maybe 20 was too many, but I wanted fast cover. I'm guessing another week or two I'll be tossing them out with the compost.

I'm hoping for a flower, Rob!!!! I've put them in my bio-fall; hoping they'll overcrowd themselves and push a flower! They've grown and multiplied into such a tight pack I had to rearrange them, by placing a stick across about 4" from the weir just so water can get out the right place. They were packed so tight across the weir, water was bubbling up through them trickling over the side.

That's why I haven't put floaters in my biofilter at the top of the waterfall. They would block the exit and divert the water. I only buy three water hyacinth and three water lettuce in the spring for my pond. Some years, one or both will totally cover the entire pond by the fall. Other years, only one does well or sometimes neither. My water celery in the waterfall is starting to die back (past its peak and the deer have attacked it) so now the water hyacinth and water lettuce are starting to multiply. They're weren't getting enough nutrients since the water celery filtered the water so well. I couldn't read any nitrate on the test kit when I tested a few weeks back.

But I'm trying to get you a flower, Robyn!!!

I find it interesting (lettuce versus hyacinth); how some years one or the other over take the other. Two years ago hyacinth took the lead in my pond, with very little lettuce reproduction. Last year lettuce took the lead, with no hyacinth reproduction. This year it's a tie so far. Both are doing really well, and are covering my pond surface faster than ever.

Dagnabit; I got to remember celery, I got to remember celery, I got to remember celery...... I've never had celery before.

I bought 3 hyacinth 2 months ago, and now I have about 15!!!! The warmer it gets the faster they multiply.
I also purchased Gamecock Iris (black), Colocasia (purple) hornwort, water ferns and some wierd stuff that looks like a million tiny pieces of green stuff. I do not know the name of it. :o ? It free floats on top of the water.

Oh no, I lied! :huh:

My Hyacinth and Lettuce are not reproducing equal like I said. Closer look yesterday revealed lettuce is winning. Although hyacinth getting big, reproducing, and looks great, just not as much/fast. Started out 50/50 now it's prolly 65% lettuce and 35% hyacinth.

Karen, the million tiny green floating particles might be duckweed or one of the similar plants.

Yes, duckweed! That rings a bell! Thanks Robyn.