If your succulent is growing tall instead of wide, it means it is suffering from etiolation. Simply said, your succulent needs more light. Sad to say, once the damage is done, it can’t be undone. … You can propagate your stretched succulent and end up with more plants in the process.
Furthermore, how do you shorten tall succulents?
Use a sharp knife for cutting succulents that grow too tall so that the cut is not squashed. If you don’t have one at hand, you can also use (pruning) scissors, most succulents are tough. Make the cut as horizontally as possible in order to keep the cut and thus possible spot for dirt small.
Etiolation is most commonly caused by lack of sufficient sunlight to the plant, which in turn produces a change in the shape, color, and growth of your plant. This happens most often with indoor succulents, since they are not in direct sunlight for very long, but it can happen to any succulent.
Keeping this in view, can you cut back tall succulents?
Succulent plants often need pruning just like any other kind of garden favorites, for size control, to shape them better, or to propagate them for more plants. … Because new growth typically sprouts near the end of cut ends, simply prune stems to where you want new growth to emerge.
How do I fix my leggy succulents?
The simple solution is to move the plant to a southern exposure. But this still leaves that leggy party. Fortunately, leggy succulent plants can be topped, removing the part that is too tall and allowing new shoots to form and develop into a more compact plant.
Can you cut the top off a succulent and replant it?
Once you remove the top of your succulent, you can replant it in the soil and it won’t look so stretched out and leggy anymore. Grab a sharp pair of shears or a gardening knife. You should also wear a pair of gloves—some succulents have thorns and others have milky sap that can be irritating to your skin.
Why do succulents get leggy?
Most succulents will grow “leggy” if they don’t get enough light. But those succulents that change colors when stressed are usually more light sensitive than others. Their reaction can be quick, putting out etiolated “growth” in a mere few days.
How do you repot overgrown succulents?
How to Repot Overgrown Succulents
- Pulling from the base of the stem, gently remove all plants from the old container.
- Fill the new, larger pot partly with a gritty, well-draining soil like a cactus / succulent potting mix.
What do I do if my cactus is too tall?
To keep your cactus healthy, you should cut back the plant whenever it seems to be too large. Typically, if you are pruning to reduce the size of the plant, consider cutting back the plant by at least a third each year.
