Succulents are a blast and a half to care for, not only are they super fast growers, but they need very little care. In fact, they often do better after they’ve been neglected for a bit. However, while they deal with neglect quite well, this can be a bummer for those of us growing the succulents.
One of the most common ailments of a succulent is “stretching.” Stretching occurs when the stem of your succulent grows MUCH quicker than the leaves–leaving it to look sparse at something out of a Dr. Suess novel. If your succulent is stretching out and you’d like to know why keep reading below!
How To Tell Your Succulent Is Stretching Out
Common signs of a stretched succulent are a succulent that is tall and leaning and has small leaves that aren’t spaced adequately–there will be wide, awkward gaps between the plant leaves. Take a look below for a great photo of a stretchy succulent!
Additionally, stretched-out succulent leaves will start to curl downwards and the plant will begin leaning toward a window or another source of light.
If your succulent has grown upwards but not out, is beginning to lean toward a window, or has leaves that are curling, your succulent is likely stretched out. To learn how to fix it, keep reading below!
Why Your Succulent Is Stretching Out
If your succulent is stretching out or getting “leggy” the most common reason for such an occurrence is a lack of sunlight. Seriously! When your succulent is stretching, it’s literally REACHING for all of the available sunlight in its current location. Simply put: your succulent is stretching out because it’s not getting enough sunlight.
How To Fix A Stretched Out Succulent
If you want to fix a stretched-out succulent, you need to move it closer to sunlight ASAP. Move it so it sits directly in a window, and a south-facing one at that! If you don’t have a southern-facing window or one with any more sunlight than your succulent is currently getting, supplementing sunshine with a solar grow light should give you some pretty terrific results.
However, it’s important to note that putting it in the sunshine will not “unstretch” your succulent–only it will help the growth come in a little more evenly.
Now, if you don’t want to wait for the new growth to come in a little more evenly, you can cut your plant in half and propagate it. It sounds scary, but it’s really not. Simply halve your succulents with clean cutting shears. Next, let the succulent cuttings dry out for a few days and then place the cuttings in potting soil. It should develop new roots in no time. Use this guide of mine to learn more.
