It's not a free-draining soil. It's frustrating that these mixes are sold specifically for our C&S but they are not appropriate. They have ingredients like peat that become hydrophobic, which means they actually repel the water instead of absorbing it. I was completely baffled the first time I used a C&S mix and had the same problem as you!

Do a few searches in this cacti & succulent forum for 'gritty mix' to get an idea of what folks are using. You don't have to rush out and buy ingredients for gritty mix right away lol but as an immediate measure, you'll want to mix your cacti&succulent soil with perlite (50/50 is a good basic ratio).

this will allow your soil to completely drain. You might be kind of shocked at how fast it drains through, but this is what you want - very free draining and quick-drying mix. I'm dabbling in gritty mix; but I find that with my limited experience with these plants that I'm having more success keeping it simple with perlite/C&S soil :)

Kd

thank you bunkfree for this info... the mix already has perlite and I did buy a bag of separate perlite so I might mix it in with it... I was thinking also maybe i packed the soil densely and tightly i really push it in so maybe that also made it difficult for the water to go through?

That may be, you definitely don't want to pack it down. I'd still bet on the soil being the majority of the problem. Yes, the mixes come with 'some' perlite in them... but you want a LOT of perlite - 50/50 meaning for every cup of C&S soil you add an equal cup of perlite. It seems quite odd at first to add this much perlite - but it works very well :)

Add some soil/perlite mix, tap the pot gently on the counter to settle mix around roots; then repeat and repeat :) Don't pack it. If your plant needs support, place rocks around it to support it until the roots take hold and it can support itself.

There is a photo from Crenda a ways down this thread linked below that shows what a 50/50 mix looks like :)

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4203750/unsure-of-my-succulent?n=33

great, Thanks so much, I will repot and do that... yes I was having problem with plant being stable and supported, it was moving a lot so i decided to really pack the soil :)

I sift and rinse the perlite first, then add to the soil and stir. This makes for nice evenly wet but not soggy mix to plant into. Like gardengal above, I like my mix pre-moistened :)

thank you garden al and bunkfree I will experiment a bit and hopefully it will work this time... as one of my succulents just died cuz of the water retention in the soil :(

But don't water the mix first OR water after newly potting, it will rot the roots. Pls. wait a couple of days before watering.

I would NOT pot up new succulents in moistened mix, it's a bad practice & conducive to ROT.

When my pots get too dry I use the kitchen sink sprayer to water-it breaks the surface tension and allows the water to penetrate.

Here in NV overdrying is a constant.

Did you put anything over the drainage hole?

Why Socks, are you suggesting they should do so?

@socks no I didn't, just the soil mix in the pot... but when ever I water, the water accumulates and just becomes like a pool on top of the soil...

That means it's not draining or penetrating the root ball. That's what tells us you really need to mix in that perlite.

After thoroughly mixing w/ perlite & repotting, DON'T pack it down like that, just bang the pot against the table a time or two, that will settle the mix w/out packing it too much.

thank you karen, yes I will repot in a few days I packed it down before cuz the succulent wasn't stable at all, it was moving around..

Sara, use rocks to stabilize it if necessary.

Better still mix in one third volume of aquarium gravel with one third perlite and the other third cactus mix. The gravel element will give more stability to the plant and weight to the pot IMHO.

I do moisten all my mixes before potting on, whether they're rooted plants or cuttings and I've never had a problem with rot. There is a difference between moistening a mix and saturating it.

Gill

I do moisten too, with a spray bottle, just to make the soil damp. Unless of course the plant is being reported due to potential rot. Then I'll leave it dry.

i don't like sitting them in just dry mix.

Of course I'm not suggesting to put something over the hole!! But I have read that people put a.....well, never mind, I don't want to give anyone ideas!! LOL....

I just happen to have pictures on the iPad of some options for supporting wobbly plants; credit for the pics goes to tapla (Al) and tropicofcancer. Maybe you one will help keep the plant still.