Help! My succulent is stretching!
Help! My succulent is stretching!
A common problem when growing succulents indoors is insufficient light. Succulents respond to the insufficient light by ‘stretching out of their pots’ to reach for more sunlight. Stretched succulents have an elongated stem and large gaps between the leaves. The overall colour of the plant might also fade or change in colour and become more green.
In each of the above photographs the plant pictured on the left: stretched plant growing in insufficient light. The plant pictured on the right: plant growing in correct light level
Once a succulent has stretched you can’t get it back to a compact shape as the stretching can’t be reversed.
It is best to prune the plant to encourage new compact growth. You can take a cutting of the plant and grow a new plant.
Leave the cutting in a cool dry place for a few days to callus before planting. Place your potted cuttings in a partially shaded area to generate new roots. Give them small amounts of water occasionally just to prevent them from drying out completely.
It is important to place your pruned plant and rooted cutting in a brighter lit area to prevent the plant from stretching again. The amount of light should always be increased gradually so as to prevent sunburn.
