My cactus is getting tall and skinny instead of round

Question

I have a barrel cactus that's been in my apartment for about 18 months, and instead of staying compact and chubby like it should be, it's stretching upward and looking really thin and weak. It's on a shelf near a window but not in direct sunlight. Is this fixable and what am I doing wrong?

Answer 1 · 2026-08-16T20:40:03.650039+03:00

Your barrel cactus is stretching because it's not getting enough direct light - it's basically reaching out desperately trying to find the sun. Move it to a spot where it gets several hours of actual direct sunlight daily (a south-facing window is ideal), and it should start growing more compact and healthy again, though the tall part won't shrink back on its own.

My cactus is getting tall and skinny instead of round

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