Nothing needs to be loped off at this point.

Are there drainage holes in those '3 cute pots'? - pots are nice but need drainage.

The soil also looks very dark, and that usually indicates slow drainage.

IMO, they could use more light. Many ppl confuse fast growth with good growth: not necessarily so, as fast usually happens with low light level. Plants are stretching - etiolating, and become tall/long, skinnier than they should be and also lighter in color. The cacti seem to have pointed growth of tips.

Taller plant in top right last pic is Astrocylindropuntia subulata; I am not sure of cacti - maybe Trichocereus??

Pots could be smaller, but if the potting mix is well draining, plants would be OK.

Pots do have a drainage hole, and I'm using succulent mix soil - soil is probably dark because I *just* watered them a day or two ago. Thanks for the advice about more light and the ID for the tall one! The only south facing window in the house that isn't in my roommates' rooms is the one behind our sofa. May just have to build a console table to make the succulents happy. Other than that, the spot they are in is the brightest in the house. /:

Claire

I read about your windows - and you posted good photos - on your other thread.

Many of us have same problem with light; your windows are actually better (bigger) than mine. I am in colder region than yours, have many plants and so many have to be in basement for the winter. I have to use supplemental light as there is very minimum natural light.

Succulent soil mix you buy is advertised as well draining, but, unfortunately, it is most often not. Adding lots of sifted perlite (min. half, bit more is better) will make big difference. Succulents need good drainage, it is most important for good growth. If yo have time, look thru some other threads on this forum. You'll see many photos that show mix used for many plants - made using grit, perlite, pumice, turface and some other ingredients (few of them-whatever is available).

Your plants will do very well outdoors (you asked on other thread). All of my go outdoors as soon as nighttime temps stays constantly around 50F. I keep them in full sun, and bring indoors in late fall. They just need to be acclimatized to direct sunlight - outdoor even if cloudy, light is more intense than what gets thru the windows.

The first one in the top photo is a stacked Crassula- maybe perforata "string of buttons." Good luck!

The Opuntia is a O. subulata and can be placed best outside in a sunny place.

The cactus with six heads is in need of a lot more light.

Rina, I worry about all the rain and heat here. For instance, it's supposed to rain almost every day this week, and by next month we'll probably have temps in the 90s, and in the 70s-80s at night. And summers are killer.

Makes me wonder if my sun lamp that I use for myself might help the succulents too! Thank you for all of the advice - you're obviously a seasoned pro!

The string of buttons will just grow and grow. I have one that I left in my office for three months on the south facing window sill in the middle of a desert summer, and it just grew.

the one in my house grew wildly out of control. I just cut it back. It can grow without a lot of water in a very gritty mix or in soil, but more water in the heat will make it grow better.

Check if there is info about how many kelvins (k) is the lightbulb; should be high number to be of benefit to plants. CFL bulbs I get are all 6500k. Not a pro, just trying to read as much as possible and to remember..(not always successful, haha). Most what I learned is what I read here in past few (4) years. That's when this succulent obsession started.

All the advice here is good.

If you are keeping them inside, it would be good to have supplemental lighting (as Rina said).

Another possibility I am just beginning to explore is a sort of semi dormancy. Basically you keep your plants in a spot that is a bit cooler with less light, but you only water a couple times throughout the winter. They pretty much stop growing until spring, when they are exposed to warmer temperatures and more light and water. The more you water light deprived succulents, the more they will try to grow. And, having a lack of light, they will only stretch. A simple but short term solution to stretching is to just lower the watering frequency.

Of course, it is always best to have them outside if possible.

palms

I have done that for 3 winters: plants were kept in approx. 48F temps, hardly watered, but I did have lights on (most were in the basement with hardly any light). Didn't loose any.

I am sure you read Harry's thread - he doesn't water his plants whole winter long as far as I know. They are also kept in cooler temps. Here is Harry's current thread with many great photos. Even his couple of etiolated plants look great.

Yes, read that thread. That was mostly what got the idea rolling in my head. Could be of use, some day...

With all this help I might just turn into my father after all. He had the greenest of green thumbs and raised orchids. I think succulents are more my speed, but maybe getting these guys healthy will inspire me to grow more.

My sister says I am like my father with my plant collection but I think I'm far worse now, haha.

He had a lot of orchid field specimens from rainforests across the world. I only grow one Phal from the grocery store with mini flowers. It's currently blooming but they really aren't my interest either.