Once you figure out the principals, what sounds like superstition makes sense, but only gets you so far. At that point, it's up to you to figure out how the other factors will change the outcome (ie: humidity, light, potting X etc.)

I think you have it right though. I do one of 2 things if a succulent cutting has no roots & I have a pot already chosen and ready to go, I'll pot up in dry quick draining mix. Then water a week or so later when I go to check up on how it's doing. I tend to pet my plants daily. (weird, I know lol).

If I'm still considering it's new home, I'll set it aside, knowing it'll keep for as long as I need it to while scouring my usual haunts for an appropriate pot. I can tell by the leaves how much time I have, but I find there are no hard & fast rules.

Plants with a root system, (this includes pups with roots) I water a teeeny bit immediately to settle any air pockets & make sure I've got enough mix in the pot. Then I stick a skewer in and leave the soil alone until the skewer dries out completely.

I think juicy plants that keep lots of moisture in their stems/trunks etc. benefit if you allow it to dry out some. This way, the seeping of sap that may go on doesn't keep the potting soil too wet & promote rot, bacteria, fungus etc.

If your choice of potting soil has a sufficient amount of grit, then this becomes less and less of an issue, I think.

That's my take on it anyway =D
YMMV, I'm still learning btw, but haven't killed any plants in a couple of years, so that's progress!

Succies are soooo easy to propagate though, I think the learning curve can be over rated.

To be succinct, the main purpose of a callus/callous as you call it is to prevent rotting before rooting takes place. Period. No more, no less.

Christopher.

Succulents do not take up moisture through their stems. Water does not make succulent root in the same way that water makes herbaceous plants. Succulents root LOOKING for water spending the water and stored energy in their leaves and stems to do it. So deny them water until they have roots. Mist them. Most need just a few days callousing, Opuntias need about 7. Some Like some of the O. basiraris like more than that.

To settle the dirt in your pot, bump it a couple of times on the deck / ground / floor/ table. One does not need water to Water it in. Guaranteed way to get rot started..

Thanks so much. Very interesting information, and useful practical advice and experience.

Sounds like in most cases it may not matter if callousing is permitted to proceed in any of air, something like dry perlite, or a dry grit-heavy mix - as long as water is withheld until rooting.

But I do look forward to someday also reaching that stage where my eye will tell me all I need to know.

Actually , I think it does matter about if you put it in the ground or air callus. Just be careful and keep an eye on things. Some things are VERY rot prone and the soil carries bacteria that can get rot started. The bacteria will maybe INSIDE the callus as it forms, just waiting for the water to be introduced. Some species are cool with this and some are not. I have seen rot get started on opuntias after air drying them for a week and then putting them in soil and still not watering them. I pulled them out , cut off the rot and started all over and did more air drying than before making sure that the callus was thick. Many things are not this touchy. Echeverias I like to put in piled up rock. They are not as sensitive. I think the darkness encourages the roots to go but it has no water, I sometimes water and the rocks will hold a humid atmosphere but actual water drains away. Some people balance large aloe stems between rocks and deny water. Different aloes have different water sensitivity so one really has to be species specific and do some due diligence and not rely on generalization. Experimentation is really interesting and often one gets many cuttings making it possible to try different things. Everyone has a different idea..

I often google the species, with "propagation from cuttings' and see what info pops up. I do that with seed too to find out about seed treatment. I am trying to find out info about planting astralagus lentigenosus and boy am I on a BING journey, but if I go there I will become very off topic.