Few of us (succulent growers) use mix of grit, perlite (or pumice if available) and turface; some ppl use mix of C&S soil mixed 50/50 (or 40/60) with perlite; some use bark (I gave up since it is hard to find - as you experienced...). If $ is no object, you could buy some ready made mixes (personally I would only buy LechuzaPon...but there are other mixes available, most will have bark in it).

I have many jades, and all are in grit+perlite+some turface (also Portulacaria afra - I am assuming that's what you are referring to as small leaf jade - it is not a jade but sold as such; - but could be different jade too...). I keep them outdoors, in full sun, as long as weather permits. Hens & chicks are hardy plants, and should be grown outdoors (in ground or containers) whole year round. Maybe you can post photos?

Thank you for your response! What are your proportions for the grit, turface, and perlite?

I use equal amounts of grit & sifted perlite, and smaller amount of turface - 10-25%. Turface holds some water internally, and slowly release it to plants (all good). Depending on your climate - I don't know how hot it is in PNW :(, you could adjust how much water retention you need. Another reason for using less of turface is exactly what you found out - turface (or Floor Dry) is relatively small.

If you use big pot (is it really necessary to move your jade to bigger pot? How big is the plant - I have many about 20" tall in 5.5" plastic pots), make it more gritty. Big pot = lots of mix; if more water retaining, it could stay too wet for too long.

If you only have succulents, you may want to visit Cacti & Succulents forum...:)

Hi, I'm in the Pacific Northwest, near Seattle, WA. Maritime climate, so rarely too hot.

My jade is about 20" tall as well with 4 distinctly different stalks, each one splitting multiple times as it rises. She was a gift from my cousin in a pot this size over 2 years ago. The truth is a number of other plants, not just my succulents, are in need of a new home so a mass game of musical containers it is! The jade is only going an inch up to 11. It might be her (almost) forever home so I wanted to give her the best soil...

As for the perlite, did you sift and catch between 1/4 and an 1/8? Oh and did you end with the insect screen, thus using everything between 1/4 and a 1/16?

You are probably right about the "small leaf jade" being Portulacaria afra. That same cousin gave me a clipping of it when she gifted me the large jade. I just assumed it was the same only smaller.

She has done really well in the tiny bonsai planter on my window sill. But it now seems time to move on up. Here is a picture of said small leaf jade next to large jade. Also pictured is what I believe is known as hen and chicks. We bought her in Maine while on a road trip. I thought it would be nice to have a plant on the dashboard while we drove across the country. Almost died but now she seems unstoppable, despite her non-draining planter. (One of her chicks has already been replanted and has had a chick of her own...). Needless to say, both are part of the aforementioned group needing new planters.

Tropicofcancer: we are hopefully moving soon so this is not their permanent home but currently yes. It is a southfacing window so it may only need me to open the curtains more often, so it is less diffused. I looked up etoliation but I'm not sure what exactly you see to say that.

The "small leaf jade" or the p. Afra is actually in a different location typically, I just moved it by the large jade for the picture. But it is currently in a northfacing window so I imagine it needs to be in more light as well.

I am well aware that the hen and chicks (is that not what it actually is?) is in need of a transplant, hence the GM project. And apparently more light, too. As I asked elsewhere, I'm curious what will be the best way to help it at this point (with the transplant) so as not to lose all those chicks...

And here is a close up of my "small leaf jade" (open to correct identification!)

my " small leaf jade" · More Info

P. afra (small leaf jade) looks pretty good. I must have been thinking that the smaller pot next to your big jade is the plant in question. But the other one (hens and chicks) looks it
badly needs light. Etoliation is stretching of branches when light is
not enough. Hens and chicks should be permanently outdoors in gritty mix. They will grow much better and a lot tighter. When mature they have spectacular flowers.

Usually the chicks detach themselves when they have a bit of a footing in the soil. So you may want to have a wide and shallow pot so the chicks can rest on the surface to root. An inch or two of soil is enough for these plants. I will post a pic later to illustrate this.

tc

Are you referring to above plant (small leaf jade) being Portulacaria afra? If so, I don't think it is...PA has different growth pattern, leaves and color, and reddish stems. I don't have green PA, here is borrowed photo of leaves, from net:

(This same post is also on C&S forum, just with different title -click me- )

rina you are right - it is a compact jade of some sort. I had P. afra stuck in my head.