Aeoniums

I have a large collection of Aeoniums.  I leave them in the garden all summer and bring them into my south facing conversatory in September.  Immediately they are brought in they start dropping their lower leaves.  This continues throughout the winter months with the stems getting longer and longer!  Come Spring they perk up and start growing again.  I have tried gently cutting out the centres (which makes them bushier) but does anyone know a solution to my problem?  Should I water more often?  They are quite dry at the moment.  Also how can I induce them to flower (which one did a couple of years ago).  Please help.

Rosemary, I grow just 2 varieties Schwarzkopf and another but they grow as yours do, I.e. forming a trunk. Is it because of shortening daylight? Is it their natural habit to do this? I cut the stems back hard in early spring and this makes them bushier but less likely to flower. Not too many miles fom me aeoniums are grown outdoors and are huge. Mine often overwinter outside in pots but I take cuttings which themselves make good plants next season. I look forward to others posting on this too.

Rosemary, just looked up your profile. What unusual plants do you grow?

Christoper2 - I cannot believe you grow them outside - we went down to -12 last two winters!  Tried overwintering in my unheated greenhouse but even though well wrapped up etc. they rotted off.  In regard to unusual plants - I try to grow things my visitors (I open under the NGS scheme) would not normally see.  Rehmannia, Asarum Splendem, Nicandra, Liriope Muscari, "Spotty Dotty", Eucomis etc. etc.  Also tried a lovely petunia called "Pretty Much Picasso" this year.  They say you can overwinter it but the plant gave up the ghost and so did the cuttings!  I shall try again next year.

A real plantswoman here, I think. It's only occasionally that aeoniums survive outdoors. Needs just one very cold night doesnt it, to lose them? Pelargoniums often survive too. I dont know some of the plants you mention so will look them up. I guess the oldest aeoniums to survive outdoors were about 4 years.