I've had my first aeonium for around four years now, and unfortunately, I didn't give it the light it needed when I first got it. It's now grown to about 5 feet tall, but most of that height is from etiolated growth, and it's getting pretty floppy. I'm wondering if I can chop it back to the healthier, non-etiolated parts. Will it grow new rosettes if I do?
3 Answers
It raises an interesting point, though—how do we really tell if a succulent's just grown tall or if it's etiolated? Etiolated plants are definitely leggier and thinner than normal. I guess it can be tricky because succulents can also grow normally during winter. But if it looks stretched out compared to typical growth, it’s likely etiolated.
Absolutely! You can definitely chop it back, and it should sprout new rosettes from the non-etiolated growth. Just make sure to do this during the right season. If you've been keeping it indoors, consider moving it outside when the weather’s good. Autumn is usually a great time for such trimming!
For sure, trimming is fine! I've done that with my aeoniums, and they've bounced back nicely. There's plenty of YouTube tutorials on this topic too, so you can see how others have done it. Just cut back the leggy parts and watch them thrive! ?