Two things right away are that (1) you transplanted them, so there's a little shock to your Crassula ovata and (2) you went too long not watering them - you should have waited only a few days afterward, and I would have watered them with some transplant juice in the water, but that's just me.

As long as the water is draining away, I wouldn't worry too much about the soil. Crassula ovata can grow in almost anything, as long as its roots don't remain wet for many days.

Remember, if you think the soil isn't porous enough, now is the time to rectify that, with small gravel, pumice, perlite, etc. That way the plant can be repotted and still have time to grow a few months before it slows down for the winter.

The reason I didn't water them right away is because the leaves are firm and shiny, not dull or wrinkled, and the trunks are nice and swollen. I was waiting for them to drain their reserves a bit (assuming the plants would draw from the leaves to grow the roots) before watering because that's worked for me in the past. Is this a mistake?

How can I tell if the roots are too damp? My moisture check usually involves picking up the plant to see how heavy the base of the plant is in relation to the foliage. There's no way to check the moisture in the soil without messing with the roots (checking just the surface has not been a good test for me in the past) so that's the method I've developed.

Para #1 - yes, it was and is - succulent plants should be watered within a week of their being repotted, assuming that the time of repotting is their growth season.

Para #2 - Use a chopstick (stick it in the soil to see if it's damp). You need to increase your soil's porosity (see suggestions above) if you think it's too water-retentive.

Para #2 (alternative) - pick up your plant when dry, then do so when it's just watered. The difference will tell you when it's been watered. Unless it's broiling, I shouldn't think you'd need to water it more than 1x a week to every 10 days.

Funny, I usually use a bamboo shishkabob skewer to open up the soil if I need to :)

If I'm afraid the roots may have been wet for too long, I suppose I need to take the plant out and check them regardless of shock done to the plant, right?

Ayup, either that or don't water for a while. But I'd suggest taking it out and, should you need to, changing the soil to one with more drainage. You might as well, as the plant will live longer and prosper because of you doing so.

And don't pamper it - look at Paracelus's posting on succulent plant rules.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Ten or So Commandments

Alright, I'm repotting one of them tonight because it doesn't have a lot of perlite mixed in. The other seems to drain a little faster, but I'll judge it when I get home :)

Thanks for the link!

I couldn't wait so I repotted them on my lunch break (I didn't mention I actually have three of them, but only two were having issues) with more perlite and some bigger (1" diameter) heavy rocks in the very bottom to ensure good drainage and provide extra weight. Turns out the roots were all fine as one of them was rooting nicely into the new pot (I'm upset I yanked it out after finding that out) and the other had very healthy roots but they weren't venturing into the new soil at all because of how tightly balled-up they were from the old pot. So I took a bamboo skewer and loosened the root ball a bit, and then loosened the soil in the new pot by adding more perlite (this one was a very dense mix at first) so I think the roots should now easily take hold of the new medium.

Thanks for the help!

Howdy, brich!

Remember not to water those Jades for about a week (5-7 days) - just long enough
to allow any injured roots to form a callus. Whenever I make any significant root
disturbances (especially re-potting), I usually set my plants in a shady location while
they recuperate - where they won't be blasted by the sun.

Re: drainage -
Rocks in the bottom will provide extra weight, but they won't necessarily improve
drainage. To add weight to a potting medium, I'd recommend small gravel or grit -
crushed quartz, granite, aquarium gravel, et cetera. As long as the particles in the
mix are over 1/8 of an inch, they will promote excellent drainage - if your gritty
ingredients are between 1/8 and 1/4 inch, your mix will drain immediately. This way,
you don't have to deal with large rocks in your containers.

By incorporating the grit into the potting mix, you get the benefits of fast drainage
plus stability (soil structure) - and, of course, the added mass to keep a container and
its plant from blowing over in the wind.

Post an update!

Josh

I'll keep the rock tips in mind for the future...these are odd-shaped rocks and the bottom of the pot (around the rocks) is mostly perlite, so I think it'll drain pretty well.

I did water them just a bit, but they're in very well-ventilated areas and should stay pretty dry over the next few weeks. I watered them because they were quite dry when I pulled them from their pots and wanted to let them settle a bit. I'll keep an eye on them though.

I'll post pictures tonight, probably. Thanks!

Can anyone explain why the leaves were turning pale and falling off without turning wrinkly first? Is that a sunlight issue?

Shock or the effects of overwatering would be my guess.

Don't fret about it so - the plant and you will be happier for it. You've done the right thing, now leave it pretty much alone.

but it's hard to love something and not be overbearing...hell my mom has fought that fight for sixty years! :)

I'm going to run the risk of repeating what Jeff wrote.

If the leaves turn yellow/pale, but are still firm....it's probably over-watering.
Which is why you really, really didn't need to add any water to the soil when
you re-potted, Brich - plenty of water in the plants already. Also, many Jades
go through a minor dormant period during the middle of the summer - right about
this time, in fact - when they use much less water. So, please, wait to water.

When I notice yellow leaves on my Jades, I stop watering immediately. Then, I pluck
off any leaves that look like they're about to fall. Often, simply brushing the
leaf with a finger will cause it to drop. This removes moisture from the plant and
also stimulates growth at the old leaf-node. During the growing season, when temps are
warm, the watering cycle is a great deal more forgiving.

During the winter, however, extra attention is required.
I wait to water until I see little wrinkles forming on the faces of the leaves.....then, I
wait another day, and water the following morning - this gives the plant the whole day to
make maximum use of the moisture.

Josh

Thanks for the advice...I'll put a fan on the soil tonight to speed up evaporation and make sure to dry up as much of the dampness as I can. Unfortunately I still have to fight the urge to overwater plants...sometimes I'm bored and get overzealous. I'm sure they'll be fine though they all seem relatively happy other than the occasional leaf drop.

And who among us here hasn't been overzealous about our plants at one time or another? It's like a merit badge, eh!

I remember collecting rainwater in the early (2ish) morning hours just so the plants wouldn't have to drink that nasty San Diego tap water. I easily got 100 gallons that night and squished for days afterward.

Brich,
if you haven't already, you might also try putting the containers on little blocks,
just something to elevate them an inch or two. This will allow air to circulate beneath
the container and the drainage holes.

Josh

Good idea. One of them has an attached plate but the other one has a large drain hole and can be elevated. It's the one with the rocks and tons of perlite in the bottom so I think it should drain nicely, and it's also the one that had the most root disturbance so it probably needs it. I'll update as they acclimate.

Both plants I repotted took to the new soil mix nicely and after intially watering them, I let them dry for more than two weeks and just watered them yesterday. They all took up the fresh water nicely and seem to be fairly turgid 24 hours later. It's nice and hot here (104 on wednesday) so the heat is helping with the process.

Brich,

In the future, if you repot during summer, you shouldn't let them go 2 weeks after the repotting without water - that doesn't kill them (more plants have been killed with overwatering than underwatering) but it likely delays the growth process. A few days is sufficient, particularly if you use Rootone on the cuttings.

Have any of you thought perhaps it needs a little well balanced fertilizer. New soil should hold it for about a year, they also like to be crowded, it make them feel secure. We also have noticed that too much water will cause leaves to fall off. I always cut the tops off of each brance after I transplant. Now we use 60% pumice 30% coarse construction sand and only 10% organic soil. This mix may don't work for you, but it great for us.