Thanks, I'm quite pleased as well :) I actually found two, a second at a different store just labeled "succulent", but this one is even smaller and has lost a number of leaves. Never seen them there before, so the stores must have the same supplier. Took a look for some info about columnar Crassulas and it looks a lot like crassula perforata. I'm reading that I should wait until spring and their growth period before transplanting them into a gritty, well-draining mix, to make sure the roots heal. Here is a link that might be useful: Crassula Perforata

I'm of two minds about this - I've had rotting Aeoniums (I didn't know they had rotted until I dug them up) that put out a lot of aerial roots just below the heads of the plants. When I did dig them up I found no roots whatsoever, but the telltale sign of root trouble was the profusion of aerial roots (lots of them!) the plant sent out - I think it was trying to tell me it was in trouble. So I lopped off its head and rerooted it - problem solved. OTOH, it can be as lzddr, Karen and Norma say - the plant may be fine. I think it's an opportunistic way for the plant to reproduce, but I'm not convinced it's always a sign that the plant's not in trouble. I'd look at the overall health of the plant first, but generally, at least with many Crassulaceae, it's a method to be fruitful and multiply. I can almost guarantee you that if I plant a branch of most Crassulaceae near some soil, but not touching it, in a few weeks that branch will be putting out aerial roots.

ew Truncata cuttings look good! And it's only 2mo, I see some new leaves. I would do an experiment: take one of xBucklyi branches and divide into shorter cuttings. Pot them up and see what happens. I am not sure, but just looking at them I think they are long and maybe it's harder to 'support' long branch without roots - just speculating here! But may be worth trying... Edited to add: I don't struggle to find bark anymore. I use what I find easily available: grit (same as you), perlite (I usually buy largest bags I find-forget the size, but price is about $32 it is probably 20L or so) and turface (under $20/50lb)

I think it's disingenuous to suggest that a well-made 5:1:1 mix needs constant watering. It doesn't. Even the gritty mix, that holds even less water than the 5:1:1 mix doesn't need constant watering. Do you have to water more often than more water-retentive mixes? Yes. But there is a price to be paid in the form of lost potential for the convenience of soils that hold water for extended intervals. Denise: there is a monetary consideration that clearly delineates hobby growers from professional growers. Nursery/greenhouse ops wouldn't be willing to pay employees to water twice as often as a heavier mix because they've weighed the cost of limitations due to temporary periods of excess water retention against the cost of watering more frequently, and decided it's to the advantage of their bottom line to sacrifice some lost potential to save labor $. The hobby grower is in the hobby to scratch their nurturing gene. for the most part, They actually feel good about spending more time with their plants and offering them the best care they can afford, as opposed perhaps to the cheapest soil they can find. Think of it in terms of the difference in perspectives between a puppy mill and the owner of a new puppy - two completely different worlds. So, care given by a nursery and greenhouse of will always be in consideration of the bottom line, which means following their lead will not always be in the best interest of the plant. Your care and mine are far more likely to be about providing the best care we can. Holding up the practices of a greenhouse or nursery is a little like asking us to emulate a puppy mill. I know - tugging at your heart strings. I wasn't really trying to do that - just the first good comparison that popped into my mind. Chicken farmer/ pet chicken, beef grower/ pet cow is another. If a plant is properly handled during a repotting session, it would be extremely unusual to lose a plant. Look at the two following root reductions where well over 90% of the roots were removed:Here, I have just finished pruning the top. This is after the root work was completed: Here ^^^, about 1/2 of the roots have already been removed The plant with root work complete:Note the size of the roots I removed. Many were more than 1" in diameter. In subsequent repots, I have removed all the knobby roots from the bottom of the bole. This plant was grown in the gritty mix - note the remarkably (for a maple) fibrous root system. The entire soil mass, you can see, is densely packed with the fine roots that do the lion's share of the work. After the root work: If you look, you can see the wire that shows this tree was layered above a poorly formed (but not unhealthy) root system. Where each of the 7 main roots are now, those that emanate horizontally from the trunk, I bored 7 holes into the sapwood and treated each hole individually with IBA rooting gel. I ended up with 7 perfectly spaced roots that will look great when they are later exposed on top of the soil. One more series, just to illustrate how little trees care about having half or more of their root systems removed: Again - note how healthy the roots are. ^^^ I wouldn't suggest you approach root pruning this radically, but removing 1/3 to 1/2 of a young plant's roots (younger than say 25 years) should be no problem. Plants that grow extremely fibrous roots (boxwood, azalea .....) need a slightly different approach. Keep the roots always wet while you work. First remove all problem roots (crossing, encircling, girdling, j-hooked roots - roots that grow upward, straight down, and roots that grow back toward the center of the root mass. After the problems are corrected (makes future repots much easier - the first is always the hardest) concentrate on removing the largest roots with the fewest fine roots attached. We know that root congestion negatively impacts growth, vitality (health) and yields, and those limitation become increasingly severe as root congestion increases. Pruning a bit around the edges of the root/soil mass and potting up is a half measure that ensures limitations remain until someone physically gets into the root mass and corrects the congestion and problem roots. Even planting out (in the landscape) will not eliminate the effects of congestion in the soil mass that existed at plant-out time. Al