METHOD AND TIMING OF TUBER DE-EYEING AFFECTS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CALADIUM

Before being forced as potted plants, tubers of two Caladium x hortula num Birdsey cultivars were subjected to different methods of de-eyeing (terminal bud removal), either before or after 6 weeks of curing and storage. The cultivar Frieda Hemple ('FH'), a type with numerous buds that does not require de-eyeing, was less affected by de-eyeing than ' Fannie Munson' ('FM'), which has a single dominant bud and requires de -eyeing. De-eyeing had little effect on 'FH' development. For 'FM', re gardless of the time of de-eyeing, all treatments reduced height, incr eased the number of leaves, increased total leaf area, and reduced mea n leaf area when compared to intact tubers. However, as the size of th e tuber piece removed during de-eyeing increased, the variability with in each treatment increased. Based on the results of this research, th e best method of de-eyeing would be to destroy or remove the dominant terminal bud while removing as little of the surrounding tissue as pos sible. The time of de-eyeing can depend on producer preference, since the time of de-eyeing did not affect development significantly.