Experts told me how to fix my leggy houseplants – it's a simple method that encourages healthy growth, and I've got free plants in the process

I have a bit of a houseplant problem. I love filling my home with greenery, but I'm also guilty of choosing where plants live based on where they look best rather than where they'll necessarily be happiest.

And a couple of my houseplants are now making that very obvious. Instead of the full, leafy plants they once were, they've developed long stems, increasingly large gaps between leaves and in some cases a definite lean towards the nearest window. In other words, they become leggy.

Thankfully, I've discovered that leggy growth doesn't mean a houseplant is beyond saving. In fact, the experts I spoke to all agreed that the solution is relatively simple. Improve light, prune it back and rather than throwing those cuttings away, use them to make new houseplants for free.

So I've taken their advice and given my leggier houseplants some much-needed attention.

Why do houseplants become leggy?

If your houseplant has suddenly developed long, bare stems and large gaps between its leaves, the most likely explanation is that it needs more light.

'When plants have insufficient light, they stretch themselves towards it, which is what causes them to appear leggy over time,' explains Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress.co.uk. 'The good news is there are certain things you can do to help the condition of your houseplant if this happens.'

Jo Lambell, founder of Beards & Daisies, agrees. 'Leggy growth is usually a sign that your houseplant isn't getting enough light. When a plant starts stretching towards a light source, you'll notice longer stems, larger gaps between the leaves and growth that looks a little sparse. The good news is that it's very fixable.'

And apparently late summer can make the problem particularly obvious.

'Most leggy houseplants are simply crying out for more light,' says Andy Little, Houseplant buyer at British Garden Centres. 'They stretch towards the window, stems get long and bare, leaves shrink, and the whole thing looks tired by late summer.'

That pretty much sums up what I'm seeing with mine right now. Here's what the experts say to do to fix them and keep them healthy.

What you'll need

Fortunately this isn't a houseplant job that requires investing in lots of new kit.

'A clean pair of scissors or secateurs, a glass or propagation vessel and some suitable soil and pots are enough to get started,' says Jo.

While houseplant feed can be useful later, resist the temptation to throw lots of fertiliser at a struggling plant in the hope that it will suddenly become bushier.

'A basic houseplant feed (I rate Miracle-Gro's Pump & Feed from Amazon) is useful once the new plants are established, but hold off on heavy feeding until growing strongly,' Andy advises.

1. Move houseplants somewhere brighter

Before I got the secateurs out, Chris advised moving your leggy houseplants to a better location that provides them with the right amount of light.

This doesn't mean automatically placing every struggling plant on your sunniest windowsill. Different plants have different light requirements, and suddenly exposing a houseplant to strong direct sunshine could result in scorched leaves.

Andy recommends making the transition gradually. 'Start by moving the plant into a brighter spot over a week or so. An east or west-facing windowsill suits most foliage plants, while cacti and other sun lovers prefer south-facing.'

For many common houseplants, Jo suggests aiming for 'plenty of bright, indirect light.' She explains, 'You want to give it enough light to encourage compact, healthy growth without putting it somewhere that could scorch the leaves.'

2. Don't be afraid to prune it properly

This is the part I was a little nervous about. Cutting off a substantial chunk of a plant that I've spent months (and in some cases, years) growing feels wrong. But pruning is exactly what the experts say is needed if you want to encourage fuller growth.

'Use clean, sharp secateurs to cut just above a leaf node to help encourage fresh, healthy growth lower down,' says Chris. 'As a general rule of thumb, only prune around a third or less of the plant; any more, and you may be putting the plant under unnecessary stress.'

A node is the point on the stem where a leaf joins, or new growth can emerge, so it's important to make your cut in the right place.

And while Chris advises against going overboard, Andy says you should be too cautious either. 'Don't be timid about it; a light trim just gives you a slightly shorter leggy stem.'

Jo agrees that a decent haircut can ultimately result in a much better-looking plant. 'This encourages the plant to produce new growth from that point, helping it become fuller and bushier over time.'

3. Propagate the cuttings for free housplants

This is the part that has made pruning my plants feel considerably less painful. Rather than putting all those healthy stems into the compost bin, I am using them to grow entirely new houseplants.

'The best bit about pruning a leggy houseplant? You can often turn those cuttings into completely new plants, so nothing needs to go to waste,' says Jo.

And some of the most popular houseplants are particularly easy to propagate this way. Pothos, tradescantia, philodendron and monstera can all be good candidates, while Andy also recommends propagating spider plants.

Start by taking a healthy stem cutting just below a node and removing the lower leaves, leaving a few leaves towards the top. You then have two options. Andy suggests either putting the cutting into water or planting it into 'a small pot with 50:50 mix of peat-free multi-purpose compost (Miracle-Gro from Amazon is a no-brainer) and perlite (Westland's Gro-Sure perlite from Amazon is a bestseller).'

I'm trying the water method with mine, partly because I like being able to see when the roots start appearing.

'Just put the cutting in water so the node is submerged, but the leaves aren't and place it somewhere warm with bright light,' advises Chris. 'Change the water regularly and wait for roots to develop before potting it into houseplant compost.'

Don't rush to transfer it into compost as soon as you spot the first tiny root, either. Chris recommends waiting until the roots are at least a few centimetres long so they're established enough to adapt to their new environment, while Andy suggests water-rooted cuttings ready to pot up when the roots reach a couple of inches long.

4. Use the new plants to make the original look fuller

I was thinking of just putting every rooted cutting into its own pot and rapidly multiplying my houseplant collection, but I'm actually running out of space to put them all, as I have quite the collection already. But the experts let me into another trick I'm particularly keen to try.

Once the cuttings have developed a good root system, you can plant several of them back into the original pot. For plants such as pothos and philodendrons, this can help fill in a sparse base and create a much bushier-looking plant.

If you're rooting your cuttings directly into compost instead, Andy recommends keeping the compost 'moist but not soggy' and positioning the pots somewhere bright but out of direct sunlight.

Once the new plants are growing strongly, pinching out the growing tips can encourage them to branch rather than immediately becoming long and leggy again.

5. Rotate your plant regularly

Improving light isn't just about finding a better position. Because houseplants naturally grow towards their light source, plant positioned beside a window can gradually become lopsided as all the growth heads in the same direction.

'Once pruned, rotate the plant regularly to encourage even more growth,' recommends Chris. I'm aiming to give mine a small turn every week or two.

Houseplant care essentials

The biggest takeaway is that I need to stop prioritising where my houseplants look nicest over where they will actually thrive. I've moved my leggy plants somewhere brighter, given them a good prune and put the healthiest cuttings into water. And if it all goes to plan, they'll eventually look fuller. Plus, I'll have a few free houseplants to show for it too.

Although this will take a while, it's worth it, explains Jo. 'Propagation isn't an overnight process, so give your cuttings plenty of bright, indirect light and keep an eye on them.'

And she adds that 'once established, regular pruning can also help keep plants looking fuller and prevent them from becoming leggy again.'