I'd give you some advice, but you'd ignore it.

@cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5 I listen to every idea with an open mind.

I've suggested before to you that gritty mix (the vaunted one) is unsuitable for these plants. Why are you still using it? These plants would like some soil in their mix, as it would allow them to not dry up so soon (the problem you're facing).

Most succulent living in habitat where their root get very fine soil but very few water. To achieve that in container medium, you better plant them in fine soil and surround that with other mix that allow water flow freely.

I've never experienced that issue. What size are your containers?

I'm with Jeff on this. I use a more compost style mix with some grit added in. Since switching to this, plants are doing much better. It all depends on other factors as well. For me it is the best way to go.

For cuttings and especially Euphorbia and Cactus, I use a pure grit mix until roots start to appear then switch to a more petty mix.

Turface and lava rock top-dressing, and you'll have to take my word that the grit extends throughout the entirety of the mix itself. At 6-inches, this is my deepest planting of Sempervivum.

Same as Josh (greenman) here. I have semps in pure grit to classic gritty and they do quite well in our climate. I have a small area in my yard dedicated to alpines where the "soil" is entirely grit, gravel and bit of turface and they do excellent there. I am zone 6b and it easily gets down to 0F. I leave some of my potted ones out in the yard unprotected and I have not yet seen any problems with that either.

Here is one in home made pot (hypertufa). The deepest it is about an inch. It is grit mostly with a bit of turface. It stays out with no protection.

I have a few other types that need a better nicer looking pot than the plastic pots they are in right now.

@cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5 The reason I do not make a negative generalization about the gritty mix is that some of my best succulents are thriving in it. The situations where plants have dried up in it have always had special circumstances.

That said, I never said the gritty mix was the best soil for succulents. And I continue to experiment widely with other soil mixes.

Point of order on this thread: I am NOT asking what is the best soil for a succulent plant. I am asking - *regardless of the soil mix * - can we conclude anything from just the fact that the roots dry up and curl inwards and are very very slow to take root?

My tentative conclusion was "not enough water".

@westes Zone 9b California SF Bay, that is my guess, as well. More water, or more shade while the roots are colonizing the mix...which is kinda true of *most* mixes/plant establishments.

Josh

I am also moving towards more organic mixes in my succulent containers. I have some big discoveries about that, but I am probably a year away from having enough results to make it worth publishing here.