Looking for rooting cubes

I know this is probably a very silly question, but what advantage does putting the cuttings into the wet foam have over putting them directley into water? And is the wet foam good to use for seeds, or just cuttings? I already have some of the wet foam and would like to try it but I am unsure of what to do. Another silly question is, can I use the wet foam on something like a pencil cactus, maybe by putting it down into some sand, or is this not a good thing to do for this type of plant? I know this sounds really crazy, but I am still learning.

JesseK

Rooting cacti in just plain water will get you roots very fast, but be VERY careful when you switch over to soil b/c they tend to dry up and wither easily. Cacti would seem best rooted in soil.

I don't have roots yet with any of my foam cuttings but they all look VERY good.

I think one advantage is that they stay constanty moist but not wet and rot out less. I've never tried to root cacti in water and probably would not due to their tendency to rot from overwatering. They are too easily rooted just sticking in the dirt. I have a piece of pencil cactus that I cut while trimming a larger one and set it up against something and forgot about it. Well, if it didn't root right on top of the soil. I did pull it up and pot it as it didn't have enough support to stay up on it's own. With most cacti,
just remove the piece you want to root and let the cut heal for a few days to a week and plant in the soil fairly shallow.