Quick followup question: Do you usually cut the whip/tongue part by slicing both of those cuts higher up (toward the tip). I think when they slide together, it seemed to be better grafts when the cut on both is 1/3rd from top. Also do you just have this lil' cut going straight downwards on both sides. (or cut it at an angle)? I wasnt sure cutting straight down into bark (towards the bottom of the branch) seems to be an easier cut. vs cutting at an angle (maybe an angel on both peices 'hooks' the peices better, i dunno, just thought Id ask. The straight cut is easier).

Fixed it!!!! I had a good case out of nowhere, geographic tongue for 5 years, starting at age 53. I am 60-1/2 now I fixed mine, and it was by accident. I had a cold, and drank Delsym cough syrup. I have always taken cough syrup, no biggie, no issues, but likely pre-geographic tongue. This time, it burned my mouth badly. The geographic spots themselves, most of the top of my tongue, the roof of my mouth, and several spots in my throat. Just one or two sips of the syrup did this as I felt some pain within a day, and I took probably 4 more over a couple of days before I associated the cough syrup with this and stopped taking it. I hated this cough syrup, and thought something was wrong with it. It felt like very severe pizza burns. The pain increased, peaked, and took 2-3 weeks for the pain to subside, but eventually it did. What's crazy is that the geographic spots were gone. A year later they started to come back, and I did the same with Delsym because I still had it in my desk at work, and had the same result. It was during a cold, so I wasn't doing it just for GT, but for the cold mainly, but curious if it would help the GT. As the cough syrup before had such a painful result, I wasn't pumped up about doing this. The associated upper pallette and throat pain were there, but less, on this second time. Since then, I have done this with other cough syrup brands, so there is nothing about that brand, but I haven't compared and isolated the ingredient to know exactly what is doing this. I had a cold last week, and have Equate Cough DM on my desk, and took some sips a few days ago. Some pain on my tongue, and the roof of my mouth, minor, but I wasn't showing any geographic tongue spots. Likely this is nipping it in the bud before it really starts up is my guess. What's kind of key to me, and what everyone in the medical establishment appears to be missing, is that it apparently isn't isolated to the exact geographic spots. When I took the cough syrup "that served as medicine to treat" the GT, it created distinct patches or areas of pain on the roof of my mouth, in my throat and my tongue in general that weren't showing GT. Cough syrup in prior years never caused this pain. Only after the GT, and the pain was on the GT spots, and other spots I mentioned. So they HAVE to be associated, even though they weren't showing spots. That tells me whatever mechanism is present on the spots, is also present elsewhere in the mouth and throat, but not showing as spots. This might not work for anyone else, but I'm darned curious to know if it might. Please let me know if anyone has tried this. This is one heck of a nuisance disorder to have, and the medical communities inability to tell us anything about it is hard to believe in this day and age. I lucked out. Since other people have done other things with positive results, and nothing seems to be universal, probably the same here. But there has to be a link.

A bit about me: I have suffered with this condition for 7 or so years with it getting progressively worse until it has plateaued over the last 3 years, with almost constant geographic tongue - the painful type. I have had extensive patch testing it only showed significant elevation / reaction to house dust. - I have also had bloods taken on numerous (I think 3) occasions, but no signs of apparent deficiency. - I have spent hundreds of hours researching these condition in order obtain some modicum of relief. Trying amongst other things: - amitrypoline - diphenhydramine (swish) - hydrogen peroxide (swish) - bicarbonate of soda - SLS free toothpastes - gluten free diet - dairy free diets - anti candida treatments (medicine and also natural treatments such as Apple cider vinegar etc) - vitamin and mineral supplements, majoring on B12 and folic acid etc - alpha lipoic acid - xylitol - in numerous forms - accupuncture - difflam - steroids either through inhaler (becotide) or paste (trinolone). betamethasone and buccal pellets (hydrocortisone). Steroids had proved to be the most efficacious, in particular hydrocortisone and betamethasone. However, I was having to take them constantly to maintain remission and it exacerbated my dry mouth - caused I think by the geographic tongue. Clearly taking steroids constantly is not a good idea. But... This is where I have finally (I think) made my breakthrough. I have happened on a treatment that seems to have drastically improved my geographic tongue condition (in conjunction with sticking to a largely bensoate free diet). The treatment is called fucoidan, in particular it is the chewable tablets referred to in this piece of research: http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajmcr/3/8/8/ I was able to get samples manufactured by Daiichi Sankyo which have had miraculous results, far more effective than the steroid treatment with no side effects as yet - other than some staining of my teeth. However, I was literally devastated to hear yesterday that this product has been discontinued and I am yet to locate a substitute I chewable tablet form. I was advised to perhaps try the power fucoidan in cream form as it has proved efficacious for RAS which seems to have a similar etiology- ref research by the same author: http://www.craniomaxillary.com/article.asp?issn=2278-9588;year=2012;volume=1;issue=2;spage=105;epage=108;aulast=Tsubura 

This sounds great thanks guys. It sounds like similar to whip and tongue, you can chip bud (or T-bud?) up high on matching pencil thick wood if you like, preserving the rest of the tree. In most of the diagrams I've seen of T-budding, they bud down low on the main trunk, and whack off the rest of the tree/rootstock above. I think those diagrams are for mainly geared at making trees from rootstock... not making 4n1 and 7n1 etc. cocktail trees which is my goal for testing different varieties in limited space. So it sounds like you can bud up high and keep rest of the tree in tact. Can you also bud down low on the trunk and not whack off the top? I guess only apical dominance sending energy to the new variety is the limiting factor here, so budding high would be best if trying to keep the rest of the tree OK. And budding low--without whacking off the top--would be a gamble.