Budwood is generally collected from the shoot behind the current flush, or from the current growth after it has begun to harden or mature, The sticks should be 8 to 10 inches long and the leaves should be removed, leaving about 0.8 inch of petiole to protect the bud. The budwood should be washed with running water, dipped for 60 seconds in 10% bleach solution and shaken to remove the excess. Air dry the budwood on a rack for no more than 15 minutes at 64-F. Precool the budwood at 40-F, then seal it in a plastic bag and store at the same temperature. Inspect the bag for condensation within 2 days, if there is more than a fine mist, dry the inside of the bag with clean paper towels. Desiccation is the major problem in stored budwood . If storage is longer, repeat the sanitation and surface drying again at 2 months.