You can put it in a covered glass/plastic container and microwave it.

Do you have access to any full-grown plants of the varieties you're looking for? Its a whole lot easier to just dig up a few shoots with roots and use those for starts.

Thank you david52 for the advice, but I already know that I could dig suckers. The access I do have to the full grown plants for the cuttings is from strangers and I don't think they would appreciate me digging up their yards. But they don't mind a snip or two or five of their plants. Cause I take long ones and maybe get three cuttings per snip. I'm looking for a larger quantity than what I could get from suckers. How long of time do I heat the medium, for what amount of med or what is the temp to get it up to? and I suppose on high heat?

I always assume my mix is not sterile and do not worry about it. If you have fungus growth in your cuttings, chances are you are keeping it too wet and not ventilating enough. The same is true if it is new mix or old. Al

Thank you calistoga for your answer. But how does one get the right amount of moisture and venting to keep the cuttings from drying out or just being too wet?

What method are you using to maintain the humidity of your cuttings until they root? I would also cut the percentage of peat in your cutting mix to no more than 2o%. Al

Hi calistoga, I have them in separate small plastic drinking glasses with a couple of hole in the bottom and they are in plastic totes with the lid on. I watch for condensation on the inside sides. If none I spray them lightly with a hand held spray bottle. As far as cutting the percentage of peat Yes!!, definitely. I done some examining on a few of the ones I lost and find that I can squeeze water out of the peat like a sponge.. I have lost a total of 270 cutting. Lesson learned the hard way again. Gone back to using sand. Had better luck with that even if it was only 1 to 3 percent . I see even now the ones with new growth starting that is in the peat/ perlite is starting to wilt and die too. Oh ##!!#** Have you had good luck propagating lilacs? An what is your methods?