Sure there's hope. That's part of what makes cactus and succulents fun. I have lost hope so many times, only to later find a plant has "recovered from the dead". But if the roots are completely gone, I would consider transplanting. The soil in that pot may have broken down or become overrun with pathogens. Sterilize a sharp knife or razor with a bleach solution (1 part household bleach to 9 or 10 parts water) or any premixed, bleach-based household cleaner. De-pot the plant and remove any broken down bits of soil or dead roots. Cut away any blackened, softened parts of stem. Leave the healthy part of the plant to rest for several days in a temperate, dry area to allow the cut areas of stem or thick roots to callus. (A shelf in your house or garage is good.) Light or dark doesn't really matter at this point. Plant the callused stem in a fresh or sterilized pot. Choose a pot with approximately 1 or 2 inches on all sides of the stem you're trying to root. Much more than that, and you're inviting fungus to take hold before your plant can establish its roots in that pot. Now, some folks will tell you not to "water in" this cutting at this stage. In my climate, with my sharp-draining 80% grit and pumice or perlite, it works better if I "water in" at this point, especially since we already allowed the stem to callus. Either way, the darkness (and to lesser extent, humidity) of the soil next to the stem will encourage the stem to send out roots. The callus will help protect your stem from opportunistic pathogens entering from the soil, and may be the source of new root growth. The basic principle is that you want the soil right around the stem to be humid but not moist. Heavy dampness or (worse!) wetness will promote fungus in the soil before your plant has roots in the soil to compete. Don't put this in full sun! A bright, shady porch or maybe east-facing (morning sun) but shade or heavily filtered, dappled light after that -- even full shade should work okay, but I like to give my plants SOME ongoing energy in the form of filtered light. In a few weeks of occasional spritzing, your plant should start to have roots in the soil and you can start watering normally -- carefully at first, and with more confidence once it's clear the plant is taking up the water you give it.

I decided to repot them all into a better mix and better groups last Friday, I didn't want to water them in to a mix that wasn't good to I did a more thorough root cleaning and a better foundation. The jades have their own home now. The semp will spend the winter all alone in a very frosty south window in the basement. I don't know what else to do with it and not sure if it can go outside in my zone over the winter or if I wld have enough time to harden off it off. If it should perish....I plan to redeem myself with a succulent rock garden in it memory. We bought a house last year with a south facing yard and have tons of landscaping rocks on 3 sides and an island of them in the back. We both really, really, don't like all these rocks, but where can we put them all?? Is it a blessing in disguise? After reading so much in the forum I feel like I know you all a little, everyone is so nice and helpful, so I will share another picture of what I have in store for my gardening future. I have so many ideas! My DH is a farmboy in the city so we will have some fun. Mr. B says hi! All the leaves dropped in a week, we had some drought then some snow. I got a fire pit and tree skirts as wedding present from DH. He did it while I was away for the weekend. How do you say, "Thank you, I love you so much and I hate tree skirts? You don't, everyone worked so hard and filled it full of flowers! I hope to use some of that labor for helping in the garden when we get one. Did I mention it faces south? All I will do all winter is research, plan, discuss. 2 year, 5 year, 10 year, etc. I hope to share my progression either here or somewhere on these forums, this IS where the experts are at!

You have to find a source for your Cattleyas where the potting mix is compatible with your growing conditions. When I get my order I know that the plants will be fine for a year. So I start going through my collection in August (tidying up, repotting and dividing, or placing the pot into a larger pot with minimal disturbance) and this process finishes around about December. This is for a very large collection of orchids. AND I'm talking about the Southern Hemisphere. So maybe February = August if you are right side up. You do not have to look at the roots if the top part of the plant is healthy and if the plant is growing well you should use Nicks pot within a pot method if you want the plant to grow with minimal disturbance. The other problem with cattleyas is that they flower at different times during the year and that might influence when you repot. As for the potting mix that depends on where you are in the USA. The general rule is the closer you are to the tropics, the more arid the mix. Then there are some "Cattleyas" that do best on a mount......... As Jane said, tell us where you are...

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