Definitely need a picture in order to say for sure.

I agree a pic would really help. An overwatered plant can mimic dehydration.

It depends on what kind of wrinkled, and what other symptoms it is having. How are the roots? Are they mushy at all? Are the leafs yellowing too?

Thanks in advance!

Could you take one big pic if the plant in its pot:)? Hard to say with just the leaf:).

Yes, here is picture of one of them. It seems to have the most wrinkled leaves, though still not many. Thanks again!

From the single leaf it looks underwatered to me too. I heard they do better when they are not watered on a schedule but when the top soil is dry. Which is what I do. You can try adding more soil or organic matter to help the soil retain more water but I don't think it's necessary they like rocky, sandy soils. I would just water when the top of the mix is dry.

A big sign of being overwatered is roots blackening or softening, the base blackening or softening. But it looks like it's doing pretty well overall from the photo. If you want to be safe, I would take the plant out and check the roots to confirm it's not overwatered.

I used a skewer but pushed it all the way to the bottom. It came out damp, but only on the bottom. I thought it needed to be completely dry before watering so no doubt underwatering is the problem. I'll water them tomorrow and keep an eye on them.

Thank you so much!

When was the last time you watered? I wouldn't water if the skewer came up damp anywhere on it. You were right if the skewer comes up damp anywhere, there's no need to water. I've had plants get issues with just the bottom staying damp. A quick little story:). One of my fav Agavoides had stayed dry overwinter. So in the spring I watered once. Then 2-3 weeks later watered it again. A couple weeks after that the plant started looking droopy and getting yellow leaves. I dug that thing up faster then the two shakes of a lamb's tail;). The plant was starting to rot. It was mainly because the pot was not draining right. The bottom third of the soil was slightly damp. Wasn't dripping wet, but just barely moist.

So I'm gonna bet if that skewer came up slightly damp at the bottom, your plant isnt underwatered. Takes a lot and a long time for these guys to get dehydrated. If it has been over 3-4 days since you've watered. Than your pot may not be draining right because your mix sounds gritty. Be very careful because like I said an overewatered plant can mimic dehydration. It may not have been you've overwatered, but just the moisture is not draining/evaporating.

How much light do you give your plant?

I had the same issue with other succulents. I wouldn't water for weeks but the bottom soil would still be wet. I just needed to change the soil to an appropriate one. But yours sounds like it's very gritty so I'm surprised it's retaining like that. I would personally take out the plant and examine the roots for rot or softening to be sure. When you water I would throw out any remaining water that's in the saucer if there is any. What I've been told is during summer the top inch of the soil or so should be dry but during winter it needs to be completely dry.

Of course if the bottom is constantly wet then there is a problem somewhere and it will cause root rot. That is why I said I would look at the roots.

Maxine it is a good rule of thumb to have to figure out how often your plant needs water, just like many say water once a week and check the soil to find out if you are watering too often or not often enough and then adjust.

Rina, Everyone has different opinions on what to do because their experiences and where they live. This is mine. It has worked for me. Sorry if I sound a bit frustrated...you seem to be on a roll with singling me out and saying that I am wrong. Again, this has worked for me. And by suggestions and research, many others.

Maxine I hope your plant gets better :) If there is a nursery maybe you can take it there for good advice? It is hard to tell on the internet. But I do think you are on the right track with what the issue is.

Thanks everyone. I watered like crazy after being gone and not watering soi think I will wait a bulit longer before watering again or uprooting to check.

Obi

I am not singling anybody out; when I read wrong info I point it out - regardless who it is. I expect anyone to point out if I post something wrong.

I was saying the info you were given was wrong - not your opinion. Please re-read, I quoted you, didn't make it up.

I remember I corrected you when you were constantly saying to use wood chips in the mix for succulents (it was in numerous posts, and I didn't say anything first time I noticed since it could have been typo) - I guess you got upset rather than realizing that was incorrect. I even said: maybe it is just a habit of using words 'wood chips'. So I wasn't singling you out either, just pointing out the incorrect info.

Ok, so I finally uprooted my jade. The roots and lower stalk are definitely wet but not soft. Plus, after leaving it out and investigating the mix, the stalk has already dried, so it was only on the surface.

The bottom 2/3 of the gritty mix is definitely wet, even a little water collected at the very bottom of thd pot.

There is a drainage hole but it is on the side. I typically tilt the pot to drain but apparently not enough. Any suggestions for building a 2nd floor to encourage more drainage? I am rummaging around for lids or other spare parts to use in the meantime. I really don't want to invest in new pots...

As I mentioned before, I watered a lot post vacation. There were a few dried shriveled leaves and I most likely overreacted. We are moving into a new home today (!) where the jades will have a full Sun outdoor space so hopefully it will dry out...

Thanks again for any help and advice!

The easiest way to remedy this is to get a new pot. Just get a cheap terra cotta pot. I know terra cotta isn't the prettiest, especially when you see them sitting next to all those pretty glazed pots. But you can guarantee they will usually always have a drainage hole and they allow moisture to evaporate. Those pots that have the saucers connected can be tricky because the hole usually ends up getting clogged. Your mix is gritty so your good there:).

Did you say the saucer is attached? You should drill some more holes if you want to keep the pot (it is quite nice); as close to the bottom as possible. It can be done, all you need is a proper drill bit.

I would also consider redoing the mix: you have grit, perlite, bark and floor dry.

Floor dry should be tested to make sure it drains well and doesn't disintegrate easily (some do). I do not see reason of using both bark and floor dry, maybe choose just one? Ingredients should be sifted, they could contain dust or very small particles.

Congratulations on new home! Make sure you acclimatize plants to more sun (if more than they are used to).

Thank you! I added a sloping floor leading to the drainage hole (which has an insect screen covering it) to all planters and repotted, adding even more grit. I will keep them in the shade for a while and test with a skewer before watering. Hopefully this helps. Otherwise, I will revisit making a new mix.

I am still a little unsure about the screening advice I received. When I first screened my Floor Dry through 1/8", I lost nearly 70%. I was told I could go back and screen again through the 1/16" I gained a ton back but maybe it is now too small and thus falls to the bottom, retaining too much water...

All plants have been showing new growth but if I continue to notice wrinkled leaves, I will reassess the mix. I did screen perlite through the 1/8" and of course only saved 30% of the bag. I will look for orchid bark to since most of my reptibark ended up being too big and I've yet to find a solution for that...

Thanks again! We are so happy to finally leave the world of renting -- especially since our mortgage will be less than our rent!

Turface (and floor dry) are quite small. I sift with a kitchen strainer, which is just about same size as mosquito screen. But you can use less of it, or none. I mentioned testing floor dry to see if it lasts; doing a freeze - thaw test. But you just repotted, so if it was falling apart, you would likely already noticed.

I do not use bark, since it is difficult to find, impossible in right size. Having many plants, reptiBark would be too expensive, and orchid bark probably too.

Thanks Rina_Ontario,Canada, it didn't seem like the Floor Dry had fallen apart but there were many small pieces. In a couple mixes, it has fallen to the bottom of the mix which wasn't ideal. I'm hoping my sloped floor will make the difference. Otherwise I'll reassess the mix.

Funny how much more challenging plant care can be once one begins to try and care for them properly! So grateful for all your insights and advice!

One thing to think about is that in gritty mix it takes quite a while for the roots to colonize the pot. The bottom of the pot might be wet, but if the roots are not reaching there yet, all the moisture wouldn't be benefiting or affecting the plant

Update: after changing the gritty mix to include a bit more grit AND adding that 2nd sloped floor AND leaving them alone for a couple weeks, I checked the mix with a skewer yesterday and all was dry! Finally watered and tilted the pot to drain. Hopefully the sloped inner floor will keep it from accumulating any extra water. I'll be sure to check with a skewer again before watering.

Thanks to everyone!

I'm just a little concerned about the fact that you had to tilt the pot to drain it. With a gritty mix, water runs right through. None of it looks on top. However, I hope you have success

Hellkitchenguy Manuel, I tilted it because the planter has attached saucers. With only one hole on the side, I want no water left in the saucer. The water definitely drains right through the mix. Thanks for checking!