Is it realistic to obtain a healthy new cultivar specimen using the following method?
For an ornamental plant or tree, obtain seeds and treat them with a chemical mutagens like Ethyl methanesulfonate. Plant the seeds and hope for an aesthetically pleasing mutation to exist on one of the adults.
Could that realistically work?
Questions:
- What are the chances of generating a healthy new cultivar at home with this method? For example, how many seeds of Picea abies would I need to statistically obtain a healthy weeping mutant tree?
Is it possible to promote mutations using adult specimens instead of seeds?
Are there better ways to mutate plants at home?
Any suggestions on trees or plants that could be fun to mutate? And why? (ideally surviving outside in Québec, Canada but also possible inside if small enough)
I am also looking for any references to relevant academic papers, books or blog posts that could be helpful. My background is not in biology at all but please share anything you have in mind that might be useful to this project.