First of all, Kadie. You have a Nursery going there. All those plants look so wonderful. You must have acres of them all on those tables.
James,
I find and Kadie probably, that the stems can grow faster or longer due to many things. Not sufficient light in a 360 degree site, too much 'N' in fertilizer or a very vigorous plant (just genetics).
I find that some of my plants produce smaller leaves after numerous prunings.
If a plant is receiving full sun for at least 8hrs. or more, they tend to grow more compact. The branches stay shorter and create a more dense canopy in an effort to shade the soil beneath.
What can be done to slow a branch down that is getting longer on one side, is to remove the leaves from that branch. This allows the others to catch up or at least slow the elongated branch down.
