You also need to ensure that your succulent soil is free draining so that the cutting isn't waterlogged. While you wait for the cutting to root, keep it out of direct sunlight. To speed up the rooting process, you can apply some rootinghormone to the cut. After that, place the cutting in a medium which is suitable for its growth. The pH of the soil does not matter. The plant will thrive in both basic or acidic soils. Cacti are able to spread their roots out in the soil so that when rain falls, they can gather water from large areas and absorb as much of it as they can.