Decapitation Propagation

My Moses in the Cradle was getting pretty mangy...  It kept growing taller and taller, leggier and leggier.  I wasn't sure how to slow it down, the taller it got the further apart its leaves came in as well.  I tried putting it in different light, watering it less, but no matter what, the situation continued.  It finally got so tall it just bent completely over.

Leaning up against the window jamb for support!

I remember when I first got the plant, doing some preliminary research, that it could be propagated by essentially decapitating, much like the Echeveria.  Seeing as it was no longer growing UP, I thought it an appropriate opportunity to give this a whirl.  I essentially cut it in half and ripped off a good length of leaves on the "head" to allow for rooting.  I think I even trimmed back some of the stem so it could properly fit below the soil line in its new pot.

The "head," minus unnecessary lower leaves.

Added some rooting hormone, for good measure.
Now ready for potting!

Potted head.

As for the original pot and plant, I just let it chill.

Beheaded!

Weeks later, the original pot and plant have sprouted many a new heads, and the "head" repot appears to be showing signs of new growth and rooting!

New purple heads!

The crooked stem is a result of this thing bending towards daylight,  and me spinning it to resist.

I suspect, much like the Echeveria, this will just be a vicious cycle.  I may need a more active approach in pruning this bad boy back much more regularly instead of letting it go like I did with the Echeveria (which eventually grew to be primarily stalk and pathetic little leaves).

Stringy, Leggy Succulents

Something I have been struggling with lately is getting my succulents to grow as thick and full as were when I first got them.  My echeveria originally started out growing larger leaves (maybe this was during summer?), but since then I haven't been able to get any of the propagates to grow leaves much larger than an inch or two.

Check out the echeveria curving up the left side - it's more stem than leaf!

I have to think this has something to do with the lighting conditions I have.  Maybe it's time to start thinking about artificial lighting as a supplement.

Checking in on my Moses in the cradle, I was at first pleased to see how much it had grown.  Upon closer inspection, I realized that the growth was again mostly vertical and not much foliage.

Look at the height this bad boy has achieved!

...and yet when you look closer, the spacing between leaves is over an inch...

...as compared to the original growth, which was quite dense leaf shoots.

I'm not sure what to do about this Moses.  I read online that outdoors you can cut them back, basically in half, to encourage denser growth in the spring.  I might try cutting it back and then setting it outside in a somewhat shady spot to see what kind of growth I can get.

New Babe! Moses in the Cradle (Rhoeo)

Ok, so the second babe I bought today - also at Bucks Country Gardens - was this little Moses in the cradle plant.  Another five-dollar-four-incher, I again decided to step it up to a s lightly larger pot (again, primarily because this is the only size pot I have right now!)

As I suspected, a little pot-bound root action.  This is probably not too bad and might actually be good for some plants to be kept like this, but mehhh I'll step it up.

With a stone base and layer of soil in the pot, I added the plant and filled in soil around the edges.  I used the same mix I described in the previous post.  What I have read so far is that this plant is best kept slightly dryer, it can be easily overwatered and develop root rot.  Having made that mistake with my Chinese evergreen, I will try my hardest not to mistake this one for my palm (they kind of look alike to me.. sort of?).