skip to main content

Florida Gardening

Wow! Invasives Invading Invasives!

10 years ago

Here's a pic of a vacant lot in my neighborhood. I found it shocking how quickly Air Potatoes overwhelmed the Brazilian Peppers. I'd say it took less than a year.
Geez, I wonder what's going to come along and cover the Air Potatoes?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

mistiaggie
10 years ago
Kudzu! ;)

I fought air potato for a long time in my yard in Florida, just when I thought I got rid of it I'd find a long lost potato.
0
Irma_StPete
10 years ago
Well, apparently we're supposed to use Raid on it (highlighted "quickly").
0
Related Discussions
Preventing grass invasion
Q
Comments (1)
The grass will continue to creep into the bed unless there is a physical barrier like the edging, and it may creep in even then. Crabgrass is an annual weed, and is killed by the first hard frost in cold areas. It grows from seed dropped in previous years. You can prevent the crabgrass with a pre-emergent control. If you want to plant flowers in this narrow strip, it might be easier to edge the grass behind the fence, instead of in front of it, and mulch the area under the fence and in the planting area. You'll still have to pull weeds that pop up, there's no getting away from them. One thing that might help is to plant densely to shade out weeds, and/or use plants that form a fairly solid groundcover and out-compete the weeds. Tulips won't do it. Something like daylilies might.
...See More
Invasive vs. Invasive?
Q
Comments (4)
OMG a Japanese honeysuckle post. It was past time for one to pop up. The property I had before I moved here had a small army of it moving in stealth, I swear in the dead of moonless nights, toward my house.............it consumed a small orchard of fruit trees and was starting to invade the horse corral. That was when I pulled out the old WWII machete and learned how to use it. It was an on-going battle just to get it down enough I could address eradication. I sold the property twenty six years ago, and drive by it once every few years to see if the house is consumed in it yet. Disappointed Hortser didn't mention crownvetch, multi-flora rose, escaped grape vines, Japanese polygonum, Russian olive and/or passiflora incarnata and campsis radicans. I did see a small cottage devoured by that one.
...See More
Hostas invasion
Q
Comments (20)
Either a colocasia or an alocasia, i.e. "elephant ears" come in many sizes. I had some in our front flower bed when we moved here 8 years ago. I thought I'd pulled it all out but no way, they keep coming back. After you have a nice rain (I know you don't get much rain there)......dig down and open a nice enough hole that you can pull out the piece of corm and as much root as possible. Around here they mostly go dormant in the winter, so you must get them while they are visible. Some varieties get huge. And, the root/corm is edible in some parts of the world but they process it to make a flour and in the process it removes any plant toxins. I'm not an expert and recommend that you read up on it on a site like Center For Disease Control if your primary concern is the safety of your toddler who might put it in the mouth. I sympathize with your problem. Some plants are harmful if the sap causes an allergic reaction. If it were a hosta, it would be safe to consume the leaves from what I read. Of course, I would not kill my favorite plant to make a salad. :) Good luck.
...See More
Lily of the Valley invasion defense strategy needed
Q
Comments (4)
I just responded to another post about Bishops Weed and how to get rid of it. I planted Pachysandra aka japanese Spurge, and it eventually choked out Bishops Weed - Pachy spreads by underground runners, but the roots are so dense it's difficult for anything to grow through them once they're established. My neighbor has Lily of the Valley that is working its way over to my property, and since I had success with the Pachy and the Bishops Weed, I'm going to plant Pachy along my property line to keep the Lily of the Valley from spreading my way. Pachy is not invasive, does well for me in both full sun and full shade with ample watering and a yearly dose of fertilizer, it's an attractive evergreen groundcover with shallow roots and easily removed if you decide to replace it later on or if they grow outside of a designated area. Low maintenance. It is one of the very few plants that grow successfully under evergreens. You can plant them closer together if you want full coverage sooner than later. Web says not good in full sun, but I had mine in blazing sun and they did fine as long as you give ample weekly waterings. Within 3 years you should have a full attractive bed of evergreen pachy. Good luck!
...See More
Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
10 years ago
They are testing a bug at Leu Gardens that's 'sole purpose on earth is to eat air potato'. But as near as I can tell, these would not really do much in helping to get rid of the plant. Plants and insects eventually form a balance. Even if they managed to breed thousands of the bugs and dump them on an area, the bugs only seem to eat the foliage, so eventually the plants will come back and the number of bugs to keep them in check will have dwindled due to starvation. They would have to find a way to create and maintain an 'infestation' of the bugs to really make a difference.

Here is a link that might be useful: Air Potato Bugs
0
zzackey
10 years ago
The best way to get rid of them is to dig them up. If you spray the tops another piece will sprout from the tuber.
0
SusieQsie_Fla
10 years ago
How I wish the Cuban treefrogs loved to eat this stuff!

And then it would be great if this stuff was poisonous to them!

Susie (who is not usually such a meanie, but I'm battling both nuisances right now)
0
katkin_gw
10 years ago
Susie, I like the way you think!!! :o)
0
morningloree
10 years ago
Right now all my invasives seem to be standing their ground. I can basically swing from the trees like Tarzan with all the Virginia creeper that is growing. If only Lubbers would eat Virginia Creeper and then quietly explode or something...much like the Cuban Frog scenario. Maybe it's better that we can't custom design our own ecosystems!
0
kayjones
10 years ago
I'm going through the eliminating process now - digging, digging and more digging the invasive plants from my yard. It's hard work (I'm 63) and it's a daunting task, but it's got to be done, so I continue to dig every day.

I see it as good 'work out' exercise and I also enjoy standing back and looking at the cleared areas. I just took out a bunch of Loquat trees and three big stands of Pampas grass - there's some hard work!!!
0
Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
10 years ago
I'm lucky enough not to have too many invasive plants in my yard. Though that could be changing. My neighbor has the 'Sky Rocket' Clerodendrom indicum and it has been readily reseeding itself all over their yard. And they let it. So now it's starting to reseed itself into my yard. I also acquired a Porterweed this past weekend from the Lake County MG sale, but I'm waiting on clarification on its exact species because I'm thinking it might be the Class II invasive from China. The leaves look like it could be the native, but it has an upright habit that is supposed to be indicative of the exotic.
0
KaraLynn
10 years ago
Our worst invasive is the swamp vine! My parents got some seeds in a load of mulch from the landfill years ago and we've been battling the stuff ever since! Needless to say that was the one and only time they've gotten mulch from there. Someone else I know ended up with air potatos from the same source. Not only does the swamp vine grow rapidly it also produces seeds that birds seem to love which just spreads it faster. It also really stinks when the leaves are bruised.
0
greenie1_gw
10 years ago
We have what I believe is balsam pear vine (orange seed pods about the size of a walnut) in my neighborhood in Broward and it will quickly overcome an entire tree if not killed.
0

Related Stories

TREES Native Plant Alternatives to Invasive Common Buckthorn

By Pollination Press LLC

Learn how to identify and control this aggressive plant, and what to grow in its place

GARDENING GUIDES Do You Have This Invasive Plant in Your Yard?

By Pollination Press LLC

Garlic mustard is spreading across the U.S. Here’s how to spot it and what to do

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Plants That Beat Butterfly Bush for the Wildlife Draw

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It's invasive, a nonnative and a poor insect magnet. Check out these better alternatives to butterfly bush in the garden

MATERIALS Woodipedia: Walnut Wows in Traditional and Modern Settings

By Marci Crestani

With its rich color and lustrous polished finish, walnut is a favorite wood for all kinds of millwork

GARDENING GUIDES 7 Tropical Bulbs for a Summer Garden That Wows

By Steve Asbell

Try these stunners in summer's powerful heat for garden thrills with an exotic flair

GARDENING GUIDES How to Use Pachysandra Responsibly in the Landscape

By Becky Harris

It's tops at covering lots of ground quickly, but be sure this low evergreen plant doesn't spread where it shouldn't

GRASSES 10 Ways to Use Ornamental Grasses in the Landscape

By Laura Gaskill

These low-maintenance plants can add beauty, texture and privacy to any size garden

GARDENING GUIDES Packera Aurea Puts On a Springtime Show in Sun or Shade

By Curtis Adams

This vigorous native ground cover welcomes bees with its early-blooming flowers and makes an attractive lawn alternative

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Periwinkle

By Becky Harris

This lush and highly tolerant ground cover grows quickly and offers pretty blue blooms in spring

INSPIRING GARDENS Living Sculptures Delight at the Montreal Botanical Garden

By Vanessa Brunner

Go see it: clownfish, lemurs, frogs, loyal dogs and more — designers have turned plants into art for a fantastic summer installation

Sponsored

Klaus Roofing of Ohio

Central Ohio's Source for Reliable, Top-Quality Roofing Solutions

More Discussions

Diagnosing problems with firespike in Sarasota

5

2024 January : upload your photos of first blooms of season

19

Garden plans for 2024?

6

Greening Satsuma

2

Leaving my final garden

5