D, I know that bark is organic, and that's why I said the mix was "primarily inorganic" - meaning that it is mostly a mix of Perlite, Turface, and Marble chips. While a mix like this is certainly capable of holding a good amount of moisture, it is also very durable and won't hold as much *saturated* water as an organic rich mix. I don't use mixes high in organics - the opposite in fact. When it comes to succulents, my mix is 1/3 bark or less. That's a ratio that many of us use: 1/3 organic (bark), 2/3 grit (turface, pumice, granite, quartz). Ron, the reason we add bark is because it doesn't hold an exceptional amount of water, but rather equalizes the moisture between the ingredients. Further, bark is very durable compared to something like peat or coco coir, and in general it lasts longer than one should go between re-pottings. The incidence of nitrogen immobilization is overstated, in my opinion and experience, particularly if one fertilizes. Remember, this is the *bark* we are using, not sapwood and not the bark from deciduous trees. In the proper ratio, bark is an exceptional material for any container mix. Josh

I'm about to cut the cuttings again (new cuttings and have some other better one on the way). I'm going to be using Al's gritty mix (assuming that's the best for this?), so should I let the turface in the bin that appears wet, sit out to dry? Also, what size pots are you folks using for these gigantic cuttings? I have some 6.7" shallow azalea pots and thought that might be a good fit for the depth and stability as well. Any thought are greatly appreciated. Thanks for all the input you always give, it's highly appreciated!!!

To echo Rina, needing less water doesn't mean to water in sips, though I can see how people could take it that way. When soil is moist, the plant drinks up all it can. When soil dries out, the roots grow in search of moisture(a good thing). When soil is dry and you water it, at first the soil resists water. Thus, to 1. water it until it runs out the bottom then 2. wait a few minutes, then repeat that cycle two more times, you ensure that all the soil in the root ball actually gets wet. The wait time depends on how long the soil holds on to water. There are several factors that go into how fast the water left in the soil evaporates, so you have to evaluate dryness each time before you water. If it were mine, I would prune it back significantly and try to find a better lighting situation. By significantly I mean in this case about 6 inches off each branch. This allows for increased branching, and gives the main branches time to harden off and be more resistant to flopping in the future. I assume that by saying the leaves are mushy, you mean they are dehydrated, floppy, flattened. Is that true? I have never seen rot in the leaves and not in the trunk, so rot seems unlikely in this case. Keep in mind that it is MUCH harder to kill a jade with dry conditions than with wet. Which brings us full circle back to Rina's question about well-draining mix... ez

I have not seen that kind of mold before on any plant either. Callusing for a while, longer if thicker trunk, is better. But even 2 weeks you did should have been quite enough. Maybe there was some leftover rot in there. How much cinnamon did you put on? I always say 'dust lightly'. Maybe it was thick coating that trapped any moisture in? Just guessing... The branches all seem to have rot, are you going to keep slicing them? What was the 'expensive mix' you used - from BonsaiJack or repotme? I never bought either of them, prefer to make my own (and for much less $); I belive they contain some bark and? I would definitely pot that kind of cutting into just grit or mix of grit+perlite. I would think that anything organic could possibly help mold - JMO opinion again, and since I started using mix of just inorganic particles, I do not seem to have problems (I can water without worrying about mix staying wet for too long). Do you know what was circumference of the thickest trunk? I believe you could sterilize the mix, there are few different methods: baking in oven - use thermometer meter to bake until it shows 180*F (layer about 4"thick) for about 30min. Do not bake at higher temps. baking in microwave - heat on full power about 90sec for each lb of soil steaming - supposedly the best; put 1-2" of water in pot, soil over it covered except for a small vent; temp should reach again about 180*F for approx. 30min. I never tried any sterilizing - but hope this will help. (I think I would try steam if I was doing I).