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.

Well, apparently we're supposed to use Raid on it (highlighted "quickly").

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

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.

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)

Susie, I like the way you think!!! :o)

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!

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!!!

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.

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.

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.