I noticed couple of things that I would change (I would - you decide on what you prefer...these are JMO...):

soil+perlite+grit in 40/40/20 ratio: perlite & grit are very similar in size (at least they should be). So those 2 ingredients should make majority of the mix; IMO it would be better to change it to 20/40/40. Small amount of grit doesn't really do much.

you said: ..."I put it in this plastic pot with 4 other badly damaged echies"... First, you are buying 'problem' plants. Than you pot them together. Some could be worse than others, but I would think they are all more susceptible to pick problems off each other. It is pretty good practice to isolate new plants for a while to make sure that if they happen to have any pest or disease, it doesn't spread to other plants. Even more so with 'badly damaged' plants.

there is no need to rush separating any pup/offset, especially when tiny. Give them bit of time to get bigger, than remove either cutting off with sharp blade or twisting off and pot up as you would cutting. Original stem with roots very often grows new offsets, so it is worth leaving it potted. If it doesn't - it could be disposed off later.

crowding different plants in same container may look very nice at first, but usually doesn't work for longer time: as they start growing (and we all want them to grow!), they fill pot and 'interfere' with each others space. Eventually, some will get longer stems as they grow where there is some room for them. Not saying it shouldn't be done - it will just need some maintenance, more often than if you leave bit more space between the plants.

I am not sure what you are referring to as "bonsai-type look"?

Those don't look so bad to me. The few I've beheaded were much worse. What I did was to leave as many leaves on and put them in a some glass block windows i have with pretty good light and just water them and let them grow and like Rina said, you get some offsets or pups.

I just wanted to clarify something. Etiolation is growing a plant without enough light to grow normally. The internodes (space between leaves) will be longer and the stems will be longer and weaker. They may be pale in color, too.

Having a stem is not necessarily etiolation. Since the plant will lose lower leaves naturally with growth, a stem is inevitable. The examples below show some long stems on plants, but they are not etiolated.

Pls tell us what is the purpose of the intended beheading? Do you feel it's required to remove the pups? 'Cause it's not. Neither beheading nor removing the pups will improve the etiolation, only more light will do that.

I must agree w/ Rina about buying damaged plants, not a great practice. Then combining them together just makes them all more vulnerable to a multitude of problems. Why would one want to add obstacles & difficulties to one's growing?

PS: Congrats to you on the flower stalk, that IS pretty exciting. Hope you're share pix when the blooms open.

So, I guess I should say one thing:

I don't make a habit of buying damaged plants. The reason I came home with these was that the nice old gentleman that worked at the big box place was very kind and sweet, and sold me up on them. They were $0.50/ea. so I walked out of there with 4 plants for two bucks, and figured if they didn't do well, I wouldn't mind so much. One was frost bitten, and I think the others were badly bird nibbled. So, again, it is not my habit to do this. I am genuinely pleased with how they all turned out pretty well.

Let me see if I can answer all the questions put to me:

Rina: We've talked about my mix many many many times ;) The 40/40/20 is what I have at the moment and it seems to be working pretty well. I will adjust it down the road when I can, but that's what I've got to work with :) I've got your mix in the back of my brain so when I am able to spend some extra cash on more supplies, that is first on the list.

Thank you for the info on pups. I've never had a plant that had any so I wasn't sure what to do about them (leave them vs. let the grow a bit). Coincidentally, where did the term pup come from? Hens and chicks I understand, but pup?

The "bonsai" look that I'm referring to is on the 3rd plant, 2nd picture. The stem has dropped its leaves and gotten a woody look to it. I didn't think that's what it was supposed to look like, though with Crenda's post I suppose they could. I do not know what species it is so I had no reference to go by.

Pete: Thank you :)

Crenda: Those pictures are helpful, thank you. Like I said, I don't know what species they are so I really wasn't sure. The 2nd plant is definitely etiolated, though now I wonder about the third. I don't know if it will end up looking like the pictures you referenced, but I certainly wouldn't mind. It is a very interesting look! :)

The reason I'm asking about beheading is because I had thought these plants were too tall. I expected them to be low to the ground rosettes and since they are not quite doing that, I thought I might have to (if not now, sometime down the road) considering beheading and repotting :)

I will definitely post a picture if/when that stalk blooms! I am very exited about it!

Also, can anyone offer up any IDs for me? I do not know what any of these plants may be. I think The Big Guy is an elegans, or maybe a peacock tail, but I'm not really sure. I have no idea about the other 3.

I have a limited budget and limited space. I'd buy plants that are in not great shape. My local Home Depot is a war zone of succulents. I believe they get credit for unsold plants and don't sell at discount.

I believe you misunderstood: I didn't suggest that it's your habit & didn't criticize you for buying damaged plants - I only commented on that particular situation (and those were your words, I quoted you). Also - we perhaps talked about 'your mix'; but I can't possibly remember every persons mix - plants - whatever. Sorry, I just pointed few things out that were obvious to me and could cause some problems, even if small.

Many plans could have and do - woody stems, often as they age. I just didn't understand what you called 'bonsai' look, as I didn't see any.

Rina, I thought you might just be getting sick of explaining the same thing to me over and over again XD I meant nothing by it!

And I figured I would just explain a bit more because it seemed like I pulled a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge community no-no by buying damaged plants XD Just trying to clarify :3

Leslie, you know, I was just thinking that when re-looking at it today. It seems that the growth on the top is nice and tight so, maybe he'll be alright :3

Hi Jenna,

I love echeveria, have many and your plants look pretty good to me. You've gotten good advice, but I'll just add to your data:-) You seem organized, attentive and motivated, so you should be able to get away with playing with it a bit...but I grow outside most of the year, so keep that in mind.

I behead for 3 reasons:

1) Plant is long/falling/weak/ugly. In this case I behead, root head/s, allow stump (original stem) to pup out, then selectively remove some pups and allow others to continue on the stump.

2) I want to proliferate the plant. Same process as above, but the plant may be perfectly gorgeous, I just want more pups. After pupping I may leave only one pup on the stump to grow on, because I want all the others for proliferation.

3) Pests. Some pests, most really, ramp up when things get crowded. Also, some plants are more susceptible to pests, so those plants get beheaded/harvested/treated more frequently. I may remove pups earlier on these plants, to prevent pests from taking over.

I also do community pots, and sometimes "crowd" plants for cosmetic/practical reasons. Then I know I have to watch closely for pests or other issues. Like Rina, I agree this isn't ideal for "sick" plants, but I do it like you, when I am just rescuing cheap plants or don't have time to prepare or space for everything ideally. As long as you understand the risks, requirement, limitations it works for me. Learn as you go which plants will really resent you for this:-) You may want to get some shallow, wide bowl type planters, which make community plantings more fun and successful.

Hope some if this is useful, enjoy!

Thank you, Lisa! Wonderful, detailed information :)