How do you varigate a plant?

[Bandit]

I have no clue where to put this, so I am putting it here. Is varigation something only special garden scientists can do or is this something a layman can do for themselves? If so, how? Thanks

[gizmo]

fussy, i thought your question was interesting so i did some research online. after wading thru a lot of big scientific words on several sites i came to the conclusion that variegation mainly results from a mutation.

[shamrox]

Fussy, I think gizmo is right. It's the same way in the animal kingdom. For example, a lot of new breeds of cat have been discovered do to a mutation, like the ones with the short legs, and the sphynx with no hair.

[donybee]

Many are mutations or Sports of an original plant. My Varigated October Daphne keeps trying to revert back so I have to remove the stems that revert to keep it true. I'm not sure this is true in all cases. You could try a paint brush.:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Rich]

I have a Japanese maple which is trying to revert to green. From a main branch offshoots are either variegated or green, there seems no rhyme or reason.

[yellow22]

It's a needle in a hay stack. A blessing and a curse. I have seen the results of spraying weed killer as an example, briefly. I don't like it but..maybe it's a rich and easy way out....it general happens naturally and that why tisure culure is so important today for breedling purposes to abtantain the unusal. I've yet to see vareigated salmon seal to revert..sometimes it's quite natural for all plants in question that look alike. What a sport one would think to have a brief let down with a battle of agepodium..being just green....all colors makes the world brighter...there's always going to be forced freaks for marketing. I'd try for other reasons.

[DandyLioness]

It really makes me wonder why variegated/mutations and the like, desperately keep trying to revert back to their normal forms. It's almost like they are prisoners and fighting to break free to find normalicy.

Should we be doing this to plants?

On the other hand... perhaps they have a plan of their own! :ph34r:

[Raincat]

there is a sugar maple not far from me that is strange looking the bottom half of it has verrigated leaves and the top half are just green . i think its pretty cool as i have never seen a mutation in a sugar maple like that

[Wingdesigner]

When most plants produce a variegation, the new plant is usually weaker than the parent, because of the genetic makeup--the variegation gene is recessive; thus, the dominant, solid gene keeps trying to take over and that's why you get the reverts. Another reason for variegation is a virus--think tulips and hostas.