The frizzle sizzle is a relatively easy to care for plant from the succulent family. Its leaves are bright green and on a healthy plant, each one ends with a small curl or corkscrew.
If your plant doesn’t have curls or seems to be dying, don’t worry! While caring for the frizzle sizzle is relatively easy if you know what you’re doing, it can be challenging for people new to the succulent side of plant keeping. So, why is your frizzle sizzle dying? Find out below!
Frizzle Sizzle Plant Care
Caring for frizzle sizzle plants is relatively easy once you know how to do it! Check out our easy-care guide to find out the best ways to keep your plant happy, healthy, and thriving!
Temperature
Frizzle sizzles can not tolerate temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but they actually prefer slightly warmer. These plants go dormant in the late spring when temperatures warm up and can naturally lose their leaves during this time.
If they do lose their leaves, don’t worry. These plants grow from a bulb and as long as the bulb in the soil is healthy, your plant will start to grow back in the late fall or early winter, which is its natural growing season.
Water
Over and underwatering are both common issues for frizzle sizzles. Overwatering can cause root rot, yellowing leaves, and mushy stalks. Underwatering can cause yellowing leaves, dried-out stalks, and browning.
While watering isn’t an exact science, it’s recommended you water your frizzle sizzle roughly once a week during the winter and spring growing season. You will want to keep the soil moist, but not soggy or overly wet.
You will want to water your plant until you see water coming out of the drainage hole. A week later, check the soil. If it is still soggy, your plant likely isn’t getting enough light. If it is close to dry, you are safe to water again.
In the winter and fall, you will only want to water your plant every 2-3 weeks. Don’t rewater until the soil is completely dry.
Soil
The right soil can make or break your frizzle sizzle. Soil that retains too much water will surely lead to root rot. You will want to use either commercial soil made for cactus and succulents or make your own soil.
If you decide to make your own soil, the ideal mix is 2 parts potting soil, I usually use FoxFarms Ocean Forest, 1 part perlite, and 1 part coarse sand.
Either mix should be well-draining and should protect your plant from being overwatered.
Repotting
You will want to repot your frizzle sizzle roughly every 2-3 years or when it outgrows its pot. Choose a pot that is about an inch wider in diameter than your plant’s base and make sure it has a drainage hole.
Before removing your plant from the soil, make a note of where the soil line is on your plant. Gently remove your plant from its current pot and shake the old soil from its roots.
Repotting is a great time to check for root rot or damage. Rotten roots will be black or brown and mushy. If your plant has any, be sure to remove it and gently rinse the rest of the roots in room-temperature water.
Place your plant into the new pot and fill it with soil up to where the previous soil line was. It is not recommended that you push down the soil to compact it, but rather gently tap on or shake the pot to get your new soil to settle.
Fertilizer
A good fertilizer is paramount to successfully keeping a frizzle sizzle. The ideal method of fertilization is a liquid fertilizer once a month. Ideally, you will use a 10-10-10 fertilizer diluted to half-strength according to the instructions on the bottle.
Only fertilize during the growing season, which is winter to mid-spring. Over-fertilizing can cause burns to your plant’s roots and this can cause your plant’s leaves to turn yellow or brown. A plant that isn’t getting enough fertilizer can look droopy.
If you aren’t a fan of liquid fertilizer, you can also use pelleted fertilizers. Simply add the recommended amount from the label and every time you water it will wash nutrients to the roots. Pellets usually last 6-9 months, so only apply them once a year at the end of fall.
Light
Lighting can be one of the most challenging aspects of indoor plant care and frizzle sizzles are no exception. These plants need a lot of light to grow properly and keep their corkscrew curly.
The ideal lighting situation for a frizzle sizzle is filtered southern light. They can also take some full light, but if you notice brown leaf tips or burnt spots on your plant, it could be getting too much direct sun.
Not enough light can result in straightened leaves and in poor water absorption, so if you notice either of these it may be time for a location change.
Many indoor plant enthusiasts have all of their ideal plant spots filled. If this is a problem you are facing, or if you simply want a bit more light, a grow bulb could be the perfect answer for you and your frizzle sizzle.
They are available at most home and garden stores and are very affordable.
Flowering
Frizzle sizzles can bloom once a year from the middle to the end of spring. They produce quirky yellow-green flowers that smell like vanilla. There are usually 10-20 per plant, and if you want to maintain your corkscrews for as long as possible you will need to remove them before they can bloom.
That’s right, another cause for the frizzle sizzle leaves to straighten is blooming. When a frizzle sizzle goes to bloom it will stop using energy on its leaves and will instead focus everything on its bloom stalks and blooms.
After blooming, your entire plant will likely die back for its dormancy and will stay looking dead until it starts to come back in the fall.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many answers to the question “Why is my frizzle sizzle dying”. Hopefully, you have found the answers to your plant’s woes in the article and you are able to revive it. If your plant is beyond saving, you may be able to start anew in the fall with a bulb or seeds.
