My failure from last year's scion exchange was bud grafted later that year. At some point most of the new bud fell off - something that supposedly should not frighten me. After that, I could no longer tell where the rootstock had been budded. How will I know, when buds start popping, which, if any, is the grafted bud? The only thing that looks like a knife scar was not where the graft was.

Get a magnifying glass and look very closely. If the bud had died you would be able to see the divit you cut out for the bud. When you find it cut the stock off about a half inch above it. When the little tree begins to grow, rub off anything that's not your bud.

Thank you. No magnifying glass necessary when I finally realized that I should inspect the plastic label. The grafted bud was shyly hiding under it.