Hi Kitkat & Welcome, I'm going to assume you don't know about these plants, so if I say something which sounds obvious or that you already know, I ask in advance that you pls. excuse me. Xmas cacti are jungle cacti, not desert cacti (as some folks mistake them), so they want & need water. They naturally grow in the branches of trees in the tropics, so in these branches or crotches of trees as they're called, they don't really have soil, just leaves, debris & animal droppings that collect there. Key is that any water runs right through this debris & doesn't stay in the roots long at all. The roots of these plants can look surprisingly small & indignificant. What do you mean by the soil looks like cinder? I don't know that word, does that mean like burnt ashes of firewood as example, like burnt cinders? I agree with statement above that woody growth can be normal, just a sign of older growth, so pls. disregard that. I suggest you take cuttings & start new ones; then repot the old, original plant as well. The leaves are referred to as segments or stems. It's recommended that a cutting should have 3-5 segments on each one cutting. I'd use small plastic pots, & place a number of cuttings around the outer edge of the pot & one or 2 in the center. I just checked my reference book & confirmed that largish plants can be kept in smallish pots, say a plant 12" wide & maybe 8-10" high, could easily remain in a pot only 4-5" in diameter. The mix should be something like African violet soil readily available at nurseries, box stores, etc. w/ added perlite, say 1/3 perlite to 2/3 AV soil. This will make for light & airy mix, fast draining which is what these plants need. Only water the new cuttings lightly as without roots, they can't really take up the water. Give them bright, indirect light or place them at the edge of a window. Either water lightly every few days or spray the top of the mix w/ a plant mister. Pls. don't tug on the cuttings to check for rooting, just wait to see new growth; when you do that means the cuttings have rooted; then you can you can water more. If the original rootball & its mix are hardened, soak them first, in a basin of warm water & crumble off the old mix w/ your fingers as much as you can & repot in a fresh mix. Hope I've covered everything, you should see new growth in 4 weeks I'm guessing, if not before then. Good for you for wanting to rescue & do right by this plant. May it reward you w/ lots of blooms next year. Are the edges of the stems jagged or rounded? Jagged indicates Thanksgiving cactus, rounded indicates Christmas cactus. Good luck!

I don't know your night temps, so can't so speak to putting it outside 'til Fall. But these are tropical cacti (grow in forest w/ LOTS of humidity) so Summer Rains should be OK, BUT, I'd hang them in the trees, not leave them out open & unprotected from rain or direct sunlight. These plants DO NOT WANT direct sun & can burn from it. Even tho' you used C&S soil, you;'ll still need to add a lot of perlite to it, like 30-50%. Next time I'd use African Voilet (AV) soil, it's lighter & fluffier & still needs perlite added too. C&S mix is too heavy & lean for these plants, I learned that the hard way & switched to using AV mix w/ perlite & some park thrown in. Works well indoors in NYC where I am, w/ all Western exposures.

Chances are it is more likely to be a compacting peat based soil and is more than half. Then to imagine how much more profit the" pros " at the garden center would make with holiday cacti cuttings that they'll also try to root and still have the audacity to charge you to re-pot it.

Or improperly watered. I've seen more jade plants suffer from too little water than too much. Adding rocks to the bottom does not improve drainage, but only serves to take up space....the rocks reduce the growing area. Your rapid drainage should come from the potting medium itself. Jades and other succulents (all plants, really) do best if watered infrequently but thoroughly. The soil volume should be allowed to dry out, but needs to be completely resaturated on watering day. Little sips encourage permanent dry pockets to form, where roots will die. A coarse textured potting medium ensures that drenching our succulents never causes the problems associated with 'overwatering'. Test for moisture levels by using your fingers to dig down and feel. You can also use a dry, wooden dowel to insert to the bottom to feel for moisture. With experience, you will be able to judge the moisture content of a container by its weight. The roots of jades are shallow. Best scenario is to plant them in a broad, shallow container, then insert the whole pot into a larger, deeper pot for stability. You are the only person who can be the judge of whether your plant has been under or over watered. You may have to unpot to check the condition. I'd evaluate your potting medium, too. I can't tell much from your image.