Hey planty people! Sometimes, despite you wanting a full, bushy looking plant, you might notice sparse leaves...lots of stem and not a lot of foliage. There's some super simple reasons that this can happen! Let's dive into it.
🌿 What Are “Leggy Houseplants"?
We call it a “leggy” houseplant, because it is all leg and no body! Expect to see long, stretched-out stems with sparse leaves. Your plant might look tall and spindly, or if it's a vining plant, a bit sad and droopy.
These are the houseplants we see it happen the most to:
Pothos
Fiddle Leaf Fig
Monsteras
Herbs like basil or mint
☀️ Why Does My Houseplant Look Leggy?
Problem 1: Your Plant Needs More Light
Your plant is reaching toward the sun like it’s crawling out of a cave. If it’s in a dim corner, it’ll stretch toward the nearest light source—usually a window—resulting in long stems and fewer leaves.
Problem 2: Growing Too Fast
Sometimes, your plant is getting the right nutrients and is ready to GROW... but without enough light to balance that growth, it just stretches out awkwardly. So it's always important to combine Grow Concentrate with a well lit area or the Grow Lamp, to make sure it promotes lots of bushy new growth.
Problem 3: You're Not Giving Your Plants a Regular Haircut
Yep, cutting a plant might seem a bit daunting, but most houseplants actually benefit from a little pruning to encourage bushier, healthier growth. Give it a good snip, and you will see new shoots and leaves.
✂️ How to Fix a Leggy Plant
1. Use an Instant Sun Grow Light
Light is the #1 fix. Try placing your plant into a sunnier spot. Not direct sunlight, but soft, consistent sunlight. If you’re working with low-light spaces, add an Instant Sun Grow Light. It won't burn your plant leaves, and encourages lots of new growth. They are great for winter!
2. Prune the stretched stems
Grab some clean scissors or secateurs and snip just above a leaf node (that little bump where a leaf is or was). Why cut near a node? A node is a point where the plant can send energy to create new stems and leaves instead of just growing taller or longer. Try and propagate these cuttings for plant babies!
4. Feed it bioactive plant food
A bioactive plant food (like Grow Concentrate, which is made by earthworms for fast, consistent growth) can help support healthy, sturdy growth—just make sure you’re pairing it with enough light.
5. Try pinching tips on some plants
Pinching the very top tip of certain plants (like herbs, coleus, or peperomia) encourages side shoots to grow and keeps them nice and compact.
Don't Stress! Leggy Houseplants Aren't Dying, But They Need Some Love!
Your plant is just saying, “Help me get closer to the light, please!” With a few small changes, you’ll be well on your way to lush, leafy growth.
Got a leggy plant story or a before-and-after pruning photo? Share it with us—we love a good plant glow-up! 🌿✨