Ok I hope this helps anyone attempting citrus budding.

First select a budstick you want to use. Here I am using a variegated Centennial kumquat.

The buds are right next to the leaf bases which you will see as a small bump. (As Skeeter stated do not use the first 3 - 4 as they are usually blind buds and will not work.)



Next strip the leaves off making sure not to damage the buds. Tools I use for budding.

Next you are going to cut the bud off the budstick starting about a 1/8 of an inch above the bud.



Make sure you know which end is the top, inserting the bud upside down will cause the bud to fail.

This is the bud removed from the budstick. I stick the bud in my mouth to keep it moist while cutting the rootstock.

Make a inverted T cut in the rootstock and then peel each flap open as pictured with the tip of your knife. If the rootstock is slipping it will peel very easy.

I then take the bud and stick the tip of the knife blade in the leaf base just below the bud as pictured. This makes it easy to insert the bud into the inverted T.



Next gently slide the bud up into the inverted T. The bark will split as you slide the bud up. Once the bud is up just past the bottom of the cut you are good to go. The bark from the rootstock will hold the bud in place if you have done this correctly as shown.

Now start below the cut and start wrapping the tape up above the bud, and then back down, keeping some pressure on the tape.



Finished wrapped bud. After your done, leave the budded rootstock in a semi shaded spot for about three weeks.



After three weeks if you have done this correctly, the bud will still be green and taken to the rootstock. This is a variegated Valencia orange I budded three weeks ago. Once the bud has taken I cut the top of the rootstock off a couple inches above the bud. The bud should start pushing out new growth in a few weeks.

Nice pics Lazz. I have not tried sticking the bud with the knife. That might help if I don't have my jig. I am sure you do not need a jig, but I think it can really help a beginner, making it easier and safer, to cut buds

I cut the T first and with my bic pen top to hold the cut T open, Then I cut the bud with my jig (Joe did a pictorial on it) and slip it directly in --in just seconds.

Here is the link to the pictorial that Joe did on the Jig (aka Third hand device):

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I am surprised that you put it in your mouth to keep it moist. I thought bacteria are bad for the graft. The mouth has lots of bacteria in it; though maybe not the ones that like to live on/in citrus plants.

Do you shave slivers off to expose more cambium?

Ned and Stan were the ones that originally taught me to graft. Most all grafters will tell you they put the bud in their mouth to keep it moist.

No you do not shave anything off. When the bark is slipping and you make the T cut the bud will slip in make 100% contact with the cambium. When you wrap the bud it pulls the bark back down tight around the bud.

Thanks Skeeter. Never needed anything to hold the bark open. This method take a few seconds without any additional tools. I always hold the budstick in my had and cut the bud by pulling the knife toward me with a nice smooth stroke.

If you use rubber bands, can you ever wrap the rubber band too tight? Can you strangulate your bud? On one bud I wrapped with rubber band, it started to exude a sticky brown liquid after a few weeks. What could this signify?

OOOOOHHHH! You guys are the gurus I've been seeking! I've lived now seven years about 20 miles north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at 22 lat....
I have grapefruit, limon, lima, carambola, lychee, fig, jaka,papaya, mango.... and an eight foot volunteer citrus that's never borne. I suspect it's a start from cast-off grapefruit or lime peels and pulp.
Here's my question: I want to try grafting my other citrus onto this tree, especially my Texas Ruby Red, and soon my Ponderosa lemon and kaffir lime. Should I cut this rootstock plant back before grafting? Best time of year? Any other hints?
Thanks so much in advance! I'm thrilled to find this site!
Camille

If you are going to T-bud, there is no need to cut it back in advance--you can cut the limb off about 2 inches past the bud once you are ready to force the bud.

You should be able to tell by the large wings on the petiole, but your seedling is more likely a grapefruit than a key lime--grapefruits can take more than 12 to 15 yrs to fruit, key limes just 2-3. Both should grow true to type--so it should be like the tree it came from.