The 13th Annual Air Potato Round-Up!

Alachua County is known for the University of Florida, cultural diversity, a great local music scene… and air potatoes? Unfortunately, it’s true: we’re just one of the counties in Florida affected by this heavily invasive species of plant that can really get in the way of our beautiful, native breeds. So, like any good citizens of nature’s habitat, we have sought for ways to correct this intruding wrong, and one of those ways is coming up very soon.

13th Annual Air Potato Round-Up, Gainesville, FL

This year's Air Potato Roundup poster courtesy of Merald Clark!

 

That’s right! It’s time again for the Annual Air Potato Roundup! 

 

While this might sound silly to some, this event that takes place at the end of January is a huge deal. With live music, food, and raffles, people of all walks of life come out to help Mother Nature by picking up the air tubers and discarding them, preventing them from spreading elsewhere. While registration for this year’s event is over (the event is always a huge success!), we thought it might be a good idea to take a look at the air potato, as well as a couple other invasive plants, so that we know exactly what in our area is there, that shouldn’t be!

 

Air Potato- Dioscorea bulbifera

The air potato is a vine that multiplies through the falling and distribution of aerial tubers (thus, the name “air potato”). While this is part of the yam family, it is poisonous and should not be eaten. The plan can grow extremely fast, which often pushes out native plants and takes over full patches of land. Land that has been disrupted, such as from fires or construction, is often the most susceptible to being hit by the plant.

 

Water Hyacinth- Eichhornia crassipes
This water based plant came from Brazil, and was said to be brought to the U.S. during an exposition in 1884 in New Orleans. Since its introduction, it has covered over 100,000 acres of waterways in Florida, and is extremely damaging to native habitats. It covers waterways like a mat, clogs the waterways, makes it very difficult to do anything in the water (in terms of activities like sports), and forces out other life by limiting the amount of oxygen in the water.

 

Brazilian Pepper-tree- Schinus terebinthifolius
The pepper tree is an incredibly aggressive and widespread plant in Florida. It originally was brought over as an ornamental plant (it’s often used in Christmas decorations because of the red and green colorations), but has since infested over 700,000 acres of Florida lands. Its dense canopy shades out all other plants and strongly limits their reproductive and growth abilities.

 

If you want to find out more about how to get rid of these plants, what plants to use instead, or even how you can help with the Air Potato Roundup in your own yard, visit the Florida Invasive Plant Education Initiative in Parks and see how you can stop these plants from pestering our native breeds! 

Cluttered Yards: The Compulsion to Keep

It’s not uncommon: that one house in the neighborhood that has all sorts of things strewn across the lawn, from flamingos to Toyotas. The neighbors hate the eyesore, the owners are oblivious that they’re causing a commotion and visitors to the area use it as a landmark for getting around unfamiliar streets.

Cluttered Backyard in Fort Lauderdale, FL

This happens in our own backyard. Check out the Fort Lauderdale backyard that had to be cleaned by the city in early 2010.

But where does this need to turn our yards into a landfill come from? There are many different opinions, but one thing most people agree upon is that our ancestral necessity as hunter-gatherers has left us coded to keep whatever is available, and in a world where hundreds of CDs and DVDs can be bought with a single click of a mouse, it’s not surprising that now more than ever people are having trouble with clutter. In some cases, collecting can actually be a healthy way to manage stress and can serve as a fun hobby. However, it can quickly go sour if that hobby becomes an obsession or even a compulsion.

Yards are an interesting case when it comes to untidiness because it’s not just a personal environment that is being affected, but the neighbors’ and all other members’ of the community that regularly witness the yard. This being said, not all yards that are viewed as cluttered are ruled by the same mindset of owners or even have the same sort of stuff lingering in the lawn.

A common mistake many people make is landscaping with good intention but failing to execute a clean lawn. Whether it is nick-knacks like statues and gnomes, or the kids’ bikes and toys, too many things in a yard can make it appear busy. A good rule of thumb to remember is that lawns should be more green than anything else, so if you’re starting to notice stone overwhelming the landscape, it might be time to put a few things in the shed. Take a Saturday to organize the lawn and the garage, and you’ll be amazed by the result.

Not everyone has such good intentions with their lawns, however. In many cases, trash and used goods will litter a person’s territory because, for them, it’s both easier and cheaper than trying to get large garbage to the dump. This is more common in an environment with low community standards; if the surrounding area has low visual expectations, it is unlikely anyone will be enforcing clean lawn regulations. In situations like this, it is up to the individual to maintain pride in their habitation and make their home a place they love to live in, which starts with respecting the property.

Sometimes, however, the mess on the lawn was not intentional, but result of an actual disorder called hoarding, which happens when people are unable to discard things of little to no value. This can be caused from an array of different triggers, from a feeling of isolation to financial stress. Some cases can get so extravagant that the clutter can affect the health and livelihood of the hoarder. To the outsider, it looks like a sea of rubble, but to the sufferer, it’s all things they can’t imagine living without.

So, with so many reasons causing messy and unsightly yards, what can the innocent bystander do when they feel their neighborhood appeal is being hindered? In many neighborhoods, including Emmer Communities, the Home Owner’s Association does regular observations of curb appeal and will make requests to those breaking standard HOA guidelines. If you feel like your HOA hasn’t done enough to change the view from your window, they’re a good place to start the ball rolling. In some cases, it may take your local city council’s involvement to get a good conversation going about an issue like this.

The best thing you can do, though, is talk to your neighbors. Be kind and reach out to find out what’s really going on; you may be surprised what the actual culprit is causing all the clutter. A concerned hand can do wonders for a community problem and, really, isn’t it the beauty of the neighborhood that’s at stake in the end?

Do you have a story about an overwhelming yard or property? Tell us about it in the comments below!