Help with Tanquana and Pleiospilos needed

[mmcavall]

Since last month I started to transplant my 8 months old Pleiospilos seedlings to square plastic pots with pure grit/gravel mix (no soil at all).
They look fine, and I’m giving them more and more sun. But I’m not sure about how to water them.
Also, I had 2 Tanquanas, but one died in damp soil, so I rescued the other and did exactly the same I did with the Pleiospilos.
BUT, while the Pleiospilos looks fine, the Tanquana is looking bad. I’ve watered it three days before, and now the mix is completely dry but the plant is kind of soft (withered). I could do something tomorrow or even tonight to save it, so please if you guys could give me some adivice I’ll be grateful.
So my questions are:
1. Is pure gravel in plastic pots a good condition to grow Pleiospilos and Tanquana? Or would they like some loam, leaf mold, sand or another component? Please share your experiences.
2. How often do I have to water them? I mean, do I have to let the plant dry so it will consume the old leaf pair to put a new one, or I have to water it regularly (not very long periods of drought)?
Thanks for any advice,

[mmcavall]

I've already transplanted the Tanquana, so I'm not in hurry anymore.
But anyway I would be glad to receive any answer to the questions I've asked, if someone likes to share experience. Thanks again!

[adetheproducer]

I use a pure mineral mix for my pleiospilos but do include cat litter the baked clay kind so there is some 'soil' albeit hardened so nor pure stones. It is also in a plastic pot and grows well. I water from spring pretty much around now but stop when the new leaves a growing. If you water when the new set of leaves grown you will add a set rather than replace the old so you can control how many sets it's has with watering . I will water again in later summer to early autum then stop.

[mmcavall]

I use a pure mineral mix for my pleiospilos but do include cat litter the baked clay kind so there is some 'soil' albeit hardened so nor pure stones. It is also in a plastic pot and grows well. I water from spring pretty much around now but stop when the new leaves a growing. If you water when the new set of leaves grown you will add a set rather than replace the old so you can control how many sets it's has with watering . I will water again in later summer to early autum then stop.

thanks, ade, you made it very clear for me. I guess that as the seedlings have only one leaf pair, I may let they grow the second one and keep the old one. thank you very much

[adetheproducer]

Yeah I'm making mine add a pair this year I have been on 1-2-1 cycle for a while think I want it to get big and fat with 3-2-3. I got a new set growing now so I am still watering so the old ones are not absorbing.

[mmcavall]

not sure what you meant by 1-2-1 and 3-2-3 cycles

[adetheproducer]

1 set of leaves to start then they grow a new set so 2 then the old ones drying so back to 1. I have been growing it in that cycle for a while now but they look great with 2 set of leaves and get really fat when the new 3rd set grows then let the old dry out again so back down to 2.

[mmcavall]

ok, thanks, perfect!