Gina, maybe you should keep seedlings indoors so you can keep an eye on them..is this possible?
I don't think your plants look terrible, and with care should make it.
But if the temps exceed 85F, they should be checked daily. I made the same mistake w/Ornamental Kale I started from seed..I had them indoors and they did fine..they were about 4" and I set them outside, in shade...because I've been doing other things, like talking online, (S) I forgot about the seedlings..the peat pellets were completely dried out..I doubt they'll make it..
Can't help on the grafting since I've yet to try it..I'm scared, and haven't the faitest idea how it's done..I'd like to watch someone do it, rather than read..I think it'd be easier..anyway, good luck w/your seedlings..they should do fine..Toni

Im still new at these things, but I dont think 2 weeks is enough to mess with a cutting- it looks great, but any damage can make it fail

Also, none of the seedlings look bad at all! I am wondering about top die-off too. I had one of my "calamondin?" seedlings get a crispy head. It has had the burnt top leaf (im afraid to cut it, lest it fork) and it has not branched of its own volition yet.

Yeah Garnet. I was just reading that other thread about cuttings and read 4 weeks.. so I'm gonna leave well enough alone for now..
I have noticed on one of the seedlings it has a "branch" shoot starting.. It is one of the ones that the top was burnt off.. All the others are still just leaves.. I'm glad they look healthy other wise.. but still don't want 6" trees. If this did "stunt" them I think I will think about them as grafting stock..
Hopeful, they are inside. they were just too close to a south window.. in terracotta pots and their mid week watering was late. The room they are in is rather out of the way. Good for less kid traffic but not so good if I get side tracked.. I hate it when I go to get a cup of coffee and do every thing but get coffee.. and the likes.. HD says oldhimers.. but I'm only 34 so I tell him. and when I get to 43 like you what will it be?? LOL
Gina *BabyBlue*

Gina, is there plastic covering the seedlings? If so, this was cause too much heat..
I'd like to add, though seedlings/cuttings need bright light, I don't believe they need to be directly in front of a south window..only when they're fully rooted should they be placed in direct sun.
When I rooted citrus cuttings, I kept near a west window, but not hittingit and they were placed behind other plants..so, they were semi-obstrcuted..checked daily and misted. I kept them on the moist but not wet side until they were fully established plants..Toni

I just added 3 pictures of the grafting I did to my picture page. It is now going on 3 weeks.. it still has green.. but the bottom half is brownish. looks dried out... my guess the tape.. or just plain technique... should I give up on it or still have hope for it? I took the tape off.. there is some new growth on the rest of the tree. I have been feeding the "parent tree" the same as always. is this correct thing to be doing? on all the web sites I saw on grafting none mention anything about if fert should be with held or not..
Should I go ahead force the bud or give it more time?
I also noticed some new baby leaves on the one I'm trying to root. is this a sign that it is rooting?
As for the rest... I've noticed one tree (a lemon) that has definitely "branched". I haven't noticed any others branching. the most of the rest seem to be just resetting the leaves and going on like nothing happened. few of them are kinda stalled a bit..
I will take more pictures and update my site in a few days.

Usually propagators never let any branching remain on a seedling until the seedling gets 2-3 feet tall (about 8-10 months). I always snip any early branching off my seedlings so that the tree will develop a strong, tall main trunk. If you allow the early branching to grow, the tree becomes more of a bush. When branching starts on a small seedling, it usually means that the seedling's growth was checked some how. You've really taken an interest in citrus. Good for you. I bet your children enjoy watching the tree grow. - Millet

Thanks. The kids do enjoy them.. and they were as helpful as teens can be expected to be while I was sick. I am rather proud that any of the trees made it at all. if it weren't for the kids trying I would have probably lost every thing. they absolutely love the smell of the flowers I have gotten on my kumquat tree... they take a step stool (except for my oldest he is 16 and 6'1" he needs no extra height) to smell the flowers.. I've had 12 flowers now.. still no fruit.. :o( but.. I'm just glad it is growing like a weed.. after I butchered it directly after getting it.. poor thing.. It has a bunch of new growth. I moved it to the window with the other trees. it seems lots happier there. We measure how tall the trees are about once a week. and I get help when I carry the trees to the bath tub for showers. If I had thought of it I should have made a chart or something else to keep track of each trees growth..
any way.. back to the seedling.. I just posted a pic of it. as you can see the top is not doing any thing. if I pinched off the branches (after closer examination I found two branches in one spot) would that encourage the top to start growing again? it is just at 5" tall. the tip is like it had been cut.. hate that it might have stunted it.. It was just too hot on them and not enough water. The rest look like they are putting on new leaves and the tip tops are growing again.. I am back to checking on them several times a day.
I'm glad that I have an open forum to discuss them. a place where I can talk about my particular problems and joys. I can learn from others problems and triumphs as I hope they can learn from mine..
thanks.
Gina *BabyBlue*

To answer your question, yes by keeping the side branching off it does encourage top growth. I would not worry much about the top growth starting and stopping in its growth pattern. Citrus have two growth patterns. First the roots grow, than when the root growth phase is finished, the foliage gowth begains. After the foliage spurt has finished its growth cycle, the roots again grow to match the growth that the tree's foliage just made. So at times you will, of course, not see any top growth, but know that the tree is still growing, but under the soil. They both can't keep gowing at the same time. - Take care. - Millet