tomforester, how I wish it were so simple. When you take a cutting, a sequence reactions take place dependent upon how the cutting is treated. Leave it lying around and the cut surface seals over to protect against loss of moisture. That is why we stick the cutting in the propagation medium asap; or if time passes, we make a fresh cut to (re)stimulate the rooting processes. All regenerative activity arises from the cambium layer - the "green sap" which we see when we scratch the bark. At first, cell division occurs - one cell becomes many. Next, cell differentiation takes place ("division of labor"). The "daughter cells" (I am not sexist; my text books may have been) begin to acquire different characteristics. In this case, the influences of temperature, lack of light and optimum moisture content produce root tissue and these differentiate into cortex and stele (the two I remember) and that's how Mother Nature makes our cuttings root. There is a separate process called "osmosis". This determines if water will flow into or out of a cell. If the solution (water with stuff dissolved in it) outside of the cell is stronger than the solution inside the cell, then water only will run out of the cell and the cell solution will become toxic. This happens when we over-apply fertilizer or we do not irrigate on time. In either case water only runs out of the cells and cell solution becomes toxic. And you might induce this when you place the cutting in a liquid with " special liquid fertilizer for citruses" dissolved in it. Do you see that "a lot of longitudinal grooves with exacto-knife at the bottom of the shoot to maximize the contact surface area" will aggravate the 'reverse osmosis' reaction?

Pecan grafts on stump sprouts grow rapidly, 8 to 12 feet in one growing season is not uncommon. The graft union is not strong enough to support all of the new growth. You will need to stake the new graft & probably pinch off the top (repeatedly) to keep the graft from blowing out.

2 things here: First not what you asked: You need to prune the main trees. Rule of thumb is that on each branch cut off 1/3 of each years new growth. You do this before the next years buds open. (find out when is best in your areas I'm in Iowa) you can see where each year starts by what looks likes a junction, or some might compare it to how the skin looks on your knuckles. I won't go into the the why's and ect of pruning in this thread. You have some time to read up on that. But read here not the web in general. Here is what you 'can' do on the suckers. Wait until pruning time, then take your time in getting those removed, dig around them with your fingers and see how much root you can get with it without scratching the main trunk or a large root . cut those off 4" above the ground line and replant them in a pot or in the ground. It will need very damp soil to start, but don't let it be waterlogged, that will drown it. So if you get one or more to retake you can bud graft in the fall from your trees or other apple tree in your area. None of this is complicated and you have time to get your mind around it.

I bought some T&M seeds just for the fun of it, and followed the instructions: Pluck off the orange fluff, put in moist sand, and put in absolute darkness in warmth. I had six out of eight seeds germinate, starting about a month afterwards, and going on to about three months. Plumeria gets quite large, up to about ten metres (30ft) or so, if I remember correctly, but can be kept smaller in pots. They take at about four years or so to start flowering, from what I've read. They are easy to germinate, though. I just stuffed the seeds upright, half-buried (just the seed part, not including the wing), into the soil, wing-side up, and they germinated in a few weeks. Be very careful, though, the stems of the seedlings are extremely fragile, I've found. A bit of shear pressure on them, and they snap easily. Pecans, I have no experience with. Palms, I haven't germinated, but I had some seeds someone gave me, and he said you just put it in some moist soil and wait for a couple of weeks, and they'll germinate. Good luck!