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Florida Gardening

Where has all the potato vine gone?

9 years ago

This time last year I was fighting a loosing battle against potato vine. I was pulling it up like crazy but I'm sure I wasn't getting even 10% of it. It actually got so heavy it broke a 3" oak tree in half. Later in the year I noticed something was eating the leaves but I still expected an onslaught once cold weather was gone. Now it appears to be gone--even from my neighbor's yard--who was doing nothing to combat it. I wouldn't wish it back but am wondering what happened to it?

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Comments (5)

carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
9 years ago
Just wait...
tcgardener Zone 10a SE Florida
9 years ago
The U of Fla released a bug that attacks the air potato. Maybe it was released in your area. To kick the project off they were only releasing them in areas of heavy infestation.

Maybe you got lucky ...
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Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
9 years ago
Too funny, as I was reading this, I was thinking ornamental potato vine (or as Al Gore would say, potatoe vine). Of course, you are talking about the horrible, Category I invasive, air potato. It has such pretty heart-shaped leaves but what a menace. It can grow up to eight inches a day! I'm so glad that you haven't seen it in your yard this year. How nice!

Air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera)

Carol in Jacksonville
TampaBull
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
"love_the_yard": Sorry to nitpick, but that was Dan Quayle, not Gore, with the infamous "potatoe" gaffe.

I read about the UF Leaf Beetles release project and was hoping they would be released in my area... the next house to me is vacant and my back yard butts up against an open field both of which have tons of vines (I've sometimes crossed a bit to try to take care of them.)

Then late last year I noticed tons of holes in the leaves of the vines which match the pictures in IFAS's website, and the vines have started to decline! So I think my hopes have been realized.
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
9 years ago
Tampa, you are right! Thanks for fixing my attribution. Wow, that's great if you both have the beetles and this process is actually working. (What do the beetles eat once the air potato is consumed?)

Carol

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