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variegated plants from scratch?

17 years ago

is there maybe a way to force a plant cutting to grow into a variegated form? I ask because i am a MAJOR fan of variegated houseplants. and i was hoping i could make my own besides taking a cutting from a variegated plant i already have, so i was wondering if what im talking about is impossible or not.

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geoforce
17 years ago
The variegation in most plants is a condition carried by non-nuclear genetic material. You can breed for variegation, by using variegated plants as the seed bearing side of the cross, but I know of no assured way to create variegation from non-variegated parents. Genetic damage from some chemicals and radiation can cause variegation, and some chimerial varieties carry variegation, but this is a random thing, and not a guaranteed result.

George
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