@ken_adrian here is the procedure my worker followed about four hours ago:

1) Bare root all three plants

2) Wet down roots (which was needed to bare root them)

3) Plant into the dry soil mixtures

4) All three plants started to wilt quickly

5) All three pots were then flushed with water

Two of the three came back within one hour. The one I photographed continues to look stressed out.

The three soil mixtures were:

Mixture #1: Gritty Mix with 4 parts Turface, 3 parts Bark, 2 parts Stone

Mixture #2: "Top Pot" which is 30% Peat and 70% Pumice/Perlite/Sand

Mixture #3: Gritty Mix with 4 parts Turface, 3 parts Bark, 2 parts Lava

Mixture #3 is the one with the plant showing stress.

Questions:

Q1: What would have been a better planting procedure, assuming I did want to bare root the plant and was willing to stress it out while doing that?

Q2: Should I maybe try to fertilize the plants with FoliagePro 9-3-6 just to cover any nutritional issues?

I waited until sunset and then drenched this plant a second time. After two hours it came back, so it was a water issue. I gather I should have followed a different procedure when transplanting a soft-leaf plant like this compared to a succulent?

Transplant shock. It happens.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/learn-how-to-avoid-and-repair-transplant-shock-in-plants.htm

@kimmq Apparently yes this is transplant shock.

I am very intrigued by the advice to try a dose of sugar to help the plant along. For each gallon of water, how much table sugar (sucrose) should we add? What is the maximum number of times that should be given to a plant? Once each day for a few days?

When bare-rooting a plant like this - which is certainly going to cause a certain amount of shock - should I keep the roots immersed in a bowl of water during the bare-rooting, just so they are completely immersed before transplanting?

Does it ever make sense to water the soil before you plant?

I am noticing that two of the three plants wilt in sunlight, even with water, and then they come back at night, albeit now with some permanent leaf damage. Should I be keeping these plants in the shade for a week to let the roots establish? Echium is supposed to like a lot of sun and harsh conditions.

The third plant, which is in a wetter soil made from 30% peat also starts to wilt in the sun but immediately comes back with water during sunlight.

So two of the three plants I am having to water about six times a day to keep them from wilting. Strangely, the pattern continues that they look weak during the day - even in the shade - but at night the leaves become strong again. Something about the cooler temperatures around 60F appear to be less stressful.

Since it's so hot outside right now (106 F today!) I'm thinking I will bring the plants indoors until they are over their shock.