Succulents are prized for their compact shapes, but they can sometimes stretch out and grow excessively tall, a condition often referred to as “leggy” or “etiolated.” This elongated form signals a need for intervention. Moving the plant to a new pot will not fix the issue, as the stretched growth is permanent. Instead, the solution requires a specific pruning technique known as “beheading” to restore a compact shape and create new, healthy plants.
Identifying the Cause of Excessive Height
The primary reason a succulent grows tall and spindly is a lack of sufficient light, a process botanists call etiolation. Succulents naturally grow with their leaves tightly stacked, but when light is scarce, the plant begins to grow vertically to locate a better light source. This search for light causes the stem to rapidly lengthen, resulting in wide gaps between the leaves, which are the internodes.
This stretched growth differs from the plant’s normal, slow, and compact habit. The new growth is often paler and structurally weaker because the plant expends energy on vertical growth rather than on robust leaf development. Since the stretched segments between the leaves will not shrink back, pruning is the only way to “reset” the plant’s shape and encourage healthy, dense new growth.
The Process of Beheading the Succulent
To correct the etiolated shape, the succulent must be “beheaded,” which involves cleanly cutting the top rosette from the stretched stem. Before cutting, sterilize your tool (a sharp knife or razor blade) with isopropyl alcohol to prevent introducing pathogens into the open wound. A clean, sharp cut is less damaging than a ragged tear and speeds up the healing process.
Select a cutting location an inch or two below the lowest, healthy set of leaves on the rosette you wish to save. This stem length is needed to anchor the new plant and provide a surface for new roots to emerge. Make a single, straight cut perpendicular to the stem, ensuring the cross-section appears healthy and free of discoloration, which could indicate rot. After separating the top rosette, gently remove the lowest few leaves from the cutting’s stem.
Removing the lower leaves exposes a short section of the stem, encouraging faster root development. Do not plant the cutting immediately; the fresh wound must be allowed to dry completely to form a protective layer called a callus. Place the cutting in a dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight for three days to two weeks, depending on the stem’s thickness. The calloused end seals the wound, preventing water loss and protecting the succulent from pathogens upon planting.
Rooting and Repotting the New Plants
Once the cut end has formed a dry, hardened callus, the cutting is ready to be planted. Use a well-draining succulent or cactus soil mix, which typically contains inorganic material like perlite or pumice to ensure quick drainage. Plant the calloused stem directly into the dry soil, ensuring the lowest leaves are just above the soil line for stability.
The newly planted cutting should not be watered until it has developed new roots, which can take several weeks or even a month, as the leaves hold enough stored moisture to sustain the plant. Placing the pot in a location that receives bright, indirect light will encourage root formation without risking sunburn to the unestablished cutting. You can test for roots by gently tugging on the cutting; resistance indicates successful rooting, at which point you can begin a regular, deep watering schedule.
The original base and root system remaining in the pot should not be discarded, as it often produces several new offsets, or “pups.” Continue to care for the remaining stem and roots with regular watering in a bright location. Removing the top growth releases hormones that stimulate dormant lateral buds along the stem to sprout new rosettes. Once these pups are large enough to safely handle, they can be removed and rooted as individual plants, effectively multiplying your collection.