One thing you could try is to girdle the branch right above the bud, cut off a ring of bark most of the way around. That could convince the pear to sprout the bud; if you have a "dud bud" then the branch will eventually heal. I have many times taken the tape off too early. But if its been 2-3 weeks you would probably be OK to gently take it off (cut the wrap all the way through with a knife on the opposite side), and re-wrap after inspecting it. Scott

Like you, I recently bought a potted,grafted Shenandoah 'tiny' plant and transpotted it into a bigger pot, where it has grown OK with 2 small branches developing full-sized healthy leaves. An identicle-looking tiny grafted KSU Atwood from the same seller that was packaged the same, growing in the same kind of nursery pot, repotted by me the same into the same kind of tall pot on the same day in the same soil mix with the same fertilizing and the same watering and the same Sunlight....never had one bud on the tiny scion grow out. It's rootstock sent out a couple shoots, but even these declined and died. I have used Miracle Grow, Super Thrive, and some granular fertilizer to nourish both. My conclusion is that the tiny root system is not reliable to support the tiny grafted scion. I have more confidence in clipping off the scion and regrafting it to a mature paw paw with a developed root system. I do not know what the patent restrictions dictate, but if I am going to invest $$ on a valued scion that is only being kept alive by an immature, very vulnerable rootstock, that is not a safe bet to make again. It would be a whole lot better taken care of if it was grafted onto a "Mango paw paw that has been in the ground for several years and is 8 or 9 feet tall". I wish that paw paw roots on tiny plants were as eager to grow and hardy as,.. say,...mulberries. Maybe that would be the best focus of additional paw paw research. Vigorous hardy rootstocks.

lucyb00ts, in my experience more fruits fall off when the tree is undernourished. Citrus like a lot of nitrogen, so a food with an NPK ratio of 3-1-1 or 5-1-3 is the usual recommendation. I prefer a timed-release formula, but any method will do as long as the tree gets what it needs on a consistent basis. Meyers will flower and fruit all year so they need feeding all year. Unfortunately the fruit you get is a result of the feeding of 6 months ago (or more) so it's a bit frustrating. I assume you're planning to move it out in the sun again when the weather cools a bit. Sun is also helpful for fruiting. As far as your 2 branches go, it isn't obvious to me from the photo whether one is a sucker. Do you know the tree was grafted? Sometimes Meyers are grown on their own roots. If the growth on both sides looks the same (same leaves, bark, flowers, etc.) it may actually be the same. You will know more when you finally get some fruit. Sorry I can't help more!

With about 35 tries at T-budding I am running very close to a success rate of just under 1%. I graft by cutting diagonal slices from my root and scion and tape them together. I have about a 5% success rate and I quit grafting 10 years ago and grow from seed, with great success. John Its good that when you grafted your guru to your company that the scion took so well. There are many of us that only get to dream of grafting as well as you did. You have out done Houdini. I have a very high respect for you and your accomplishments even if you don't believe in G.D.G.W. -- -- -- LOL. Mean while I am going to see my "2 PT 1 meiwa, 2 nagami, and 1 hardy chicago fig" trees change ownership to a much more skilled tropical plant grower than my self. Axier I agree with you. T-Budding is very hard to impossible to do for people like me. I am glad to see this post. Steve This post was edited by poncirusguy on Sat, Nov 8, 14 at 9:38