Lithops are known for their compact size in nature and just seem small in size compared to a lot of succulents or plants.
So if you’re an avid lithop grower then I’m sure you will be the first to notice your Lithops stretching or becoming etiolated just by having a quick glance.
With that said, for a lot of people, especially beginner lithop growers, the stretching of this plant may not even seem noticeable to the average eye but can certainly be there.
While an etiolated or stretched out lithop isn’t really a big issue in terms of the plants longevity, it can certainly look out of the ordinary or look concerning.
So here is the very most common reason why you have some stretched out lithops and what you can actually do about it.
Low light causing Lithops to stretch
You probably guessed it, low light or lack of light can and will eventually cause your lithops to stretch or become etiolated, elongated or however you want to call it.
Lithops really like to get a ton of sunlight daily as in at least 3 or 4 hours of direct light with the remainder of the day being bright but indirect light.
This ensures that your lithops will remain compact in size and continue healthy growth as long as all other needs are met for this plant.
By not providing this amount of light consistently, other than those occasional cloudy days, you are setting your lithops up to not grow properly or maintain their size.
This problem is more common with indoor lithop growers since lighting is really only limited to windows for the most part unless you supplement with a grow light, which I highly recommend you have as a backup.
But lack of light can also be an issue outdoors if the location you have chosen is surrounded by things blocking sunlight such as trees or your house.
In either case, if you see your lithops have started or become stretched out then you will need to find a new spot to grow immediately to get things back on track.
If growing indoors, try using a different window that gets more sunlight than the one you are using or just use a high quality indoor grow light for your lithops.
Can this be fixed?
While you won’t see an immediate effect on your succulent from increasing light, you will be on the right track to ensuring that the stretching will be resolved, just not with the current leaves.
It will take at least a few growth cycles for your lithops to return to normal size since the current leaves are already stretched out.
You will have to wait for new leaves to take over the old, or in your case, current leaves before it will look normal and compact in size again.
This will of course take a lot of time to correct itself but you want to make sure you continue giving your lithops the light they need during this time and beyond.
Eventually the old leaves will start to fall off and the new leaves will take over and won’t be stretched out like your current etiolated leaves.
If you’re lucky the first cycle will be good to go but usually it will take at least a few growth cycles to get back to normal.
With all of that being said, you can take the risk of just cutting of the current leaves to expose the newer leaves faster but it’s really up to you.
I’d rather play it safe and just wait the few cycles since a stretched out lithop isn’t even a serious problem, it’s just more unsightly for most people.