Leggy, stretched growth
Leggy growth — long bare stems, wide gaps between leaves, small pale new leaves — is usually a light problem before it is anything else. A plant stretching toward a window is telling you it is not getting enough light where it stands.
Pruning alone will not fix legginess if the light stays the same: the plant will simply stretch again. Fix the light first, then shape the plant.
General beginner information only — not a substitute for advice from your local agricultural extension service. For edible plants, use only a product that is labelled for that particular edible crop, for indoor use, and follow any harvest interval on its label; try non-chemical steps first, and never use a product that is not labelled for indoor use on that plant.
Checklist to diagnose
- Is the plant reaching toward the window, with leaves mostly at the tips?
- Are gaps between leaves much wider than on older growth?
- Is the spot far from a window, shaded by a curtain, or lit only from one side?
- Are new leaves smaller and paler than older ones?
- Has the plant been in the same dim spot through the darker months?
Rescue steps
- Move the plant gradually to brighter indirect light — a sudden move into harsh direct sun can scorch leaves that grew in dim light.
- Turn the pot regularly so growth does not all lean one way.
- Once light is better, prune leggy stems back to just above a leaf node, where a leaf or leaf scar meets the stem; new growth branches from there. See the pruning page for where exactly to cut.
- Pinch soft growing tips regularly to encourage branching instead of one long stem.
- Do not feed a leggy plant to 'push' growth; weak light plus extra feed produces more weak growth.
When to give up
- Stems are bare, woody, and brittle with no live buds left below the cut points.
- No new growth appears after light improves and pruning, despite steady care.
Plants on this site
These plant guides on this site already mention this problem: