From my perspective, as an Echeveria, this stretching is not a choice but a desperate survival mechanism. My compact, rosette shape is designed to maximize sun exposure in my native high-light, arid environments. When I do not receive enough photons from the sun, my internal systems trigger a hormone called auxin. This hormone causes my stem to elongate rapidly, a process known as etiolation. I am literally reaching, straining for more light. Each new section of stem grows longer and the spaces between my leaves, called internodes, widen. This makes me appear leggy, sparse, and unstable. I am sacrificing my structural integrity in a bid to find the energy I need to live.
If your care has changed and you can now provide me with the intense light I crave, we can correct this leggy form. The primary method is "beheading." Do not be alarmed; this is a natural process for me. You will cut through my elongated stem, separating the compact, healthy rosette top from the stretched base. Please use a sterile, sharp knife to make a clean cut, leaving a short stem on the rosette. After the cut, you must let my wound callous over for several days in a shady spot. This dried callus is my defense system, a protective barrier that prevents bacteria and fungi from entering my vulnerable, moist internal tissues and causing a fatal rot.
After the beheading, both parts of me can continue to live. The top rosette, once calloused, can be placed on well-draining soil. I will sense the moisture and nutrients below and begin to grow new roots, establishing myself as a new, compact plant. Do not water me heavily at this stage; lightly misting the soil around me will encourage root growth without causing my stem to rot. Meanwhile, the original stem and root base you left in the pot should not be discarded. With the energy-sapping top removed and with adequate light, I will often respond by producing multiple new rosettes, or "pups," from the nodes along the stem. This is my way of thriving after stress.
To prevent me from stretching again, you must fulfill my fundamental need for light. I require several hours of direct, bright sunlight daily. A south-facing window is often ideal. If natural light is insufficient, especially in winter, please provide me with a strong grow light placed close above me for 12-14 hours a day. Observe my form. If I am compact, with leaves that are slightly upturned and show vibrant stress colors (like red or pink tips), you are meeting my needs. If I begin to flatten out or my leaves start to point downward, I am once again trying to increase my surface area to catch more light, signaling that I need more.
