From my perspective as a succulent, the primary reason I am stretching and becoming what you call "leggy" is a deep, instinctual need for more light. This process is known as etiolation. In my natural habitat, I am accustomed to long hours of very bright, direct sunlight. When you place me in a spot that is too dim—like a room far from a window or on a north-facing sill—my very survival instincts kick in. I perceive the low light levels as a threat. I cannot produce enough energy through photosynthesis to sustain my compact form. Therefore, I begin to direct my growth resources rapidly upwards, elongating my stem and spacing out my leaves in a desperate attempt to reach a stronger light source. I am essentially reaching for the sun, sacrificing my compact shape for the chance to capture more photons. The new growth at my tip becomes pale and stretched, and the stem weakens because it is growing too quickly without the structural integrity that ample light provides.
This stretching is not a healthy or sustainable growth pattern for me. While it is a survival tactic, it comes at a significant cost. My elongated stem is much weaker and more fragile than a compact one. I become top-heavy and risk collapsing under my own weight, especially as I continue to grow. The increased distance between my leaves, where new offshoots would normally form, means I cannot produce pups as readily, limiting my ability to propagate. Furthermore, the stretched tissues are more susceptible to physical damage and fungal infections. Most critically, the pale, elongated growth is far less efficient at photosynthesis. Even if I eventually reach a brighter spot, the stretched parts of me will never revert to their compact form. They will remain a permanent, weak point in my structure, a testament to a period of light starvation.
Although insufficient light is the overwhelming cause, a couple of other factors you control can exacerbate my tendency to stretch. Firstly, if you provide too much nitrogen-rich fertilizer, especially during the darker winter months, you are sending me a signal to grow rapidly. When this hormonal push for growth coincides with low light, the etiolation process accelerates. I am being told to grow fast without the necessary energy source to do so properly, resulting in even more weak, leggy growth. Secondly, while temperature is less of a direct cause, consistently warm temperatures in a low-light environment can also encourage faster, weaker growth compared to a cooler setting that would naturally slow my metabolism.
To stop me from stretching further, you must address the root cause. I need a significant increase in light intensity and duration. Please move me to the brightest window you have, typically a south or west-facing exposure. If your home does not have a sufficiently bright spot, especially during winter, consider using a grow light designed for succulents. Place it close to me (about 6-12 inches above) and leave it on for 12-14 hours a day. This will mimic the long, sunny days I crave. For the parts of me that have already become leggy, there is no way to reverse that growth. However, you can give me a new beginning. You can carefully behead me. Cut off the top, healthy rosette with a clean, sharp knife, allow the cut end to callous over for a few days, and then plant it in fresh, well-draining soil. It will grow new roots and eventually become a compact plant again. Do not discard the original stem left in the pot; it will often produce new offshoots from the nodes where the leaves were attached.
