When your zebra succulent shows signs of decline, what do you do?
When all of the leaves on your plant begin to turn from the beautiful dark green into an unattractive brown color, what do you do?
Do you leave the plant for death or do you just hope the plant somehow comes back to life?
In this article, we will be explaining the various reasons why the zebra succulent plant develops brown tips and the particular ways to revive the plant.
At the end of this article, we expect that you can apply the methods that will be taught in this article to revive your zebra succulents plant.
As you read on, here is what to expect:
How do I Revive a Zebra Succulent With Brown Leaves
Your zebra succulent plant develops brown tips and shows symptoms of death because of the following wrong gardening activities:
Underwatering the zebra succulent plant, especially in dry seasons; overwatering the plant, especially in winter and humid temperatures.
Prolonged exposure of the entire plant or parts of the plant to bright lights that crisp up the leaves; prolonged exposure of the plant to direct sunlight which usually leads to evaporation of moisture content from the leaves.
Your zebra succulent is also dying because of the wrong plant pot soil used in growing the plant, and the inadequate addition of fertilizer to the plant.
To save a dying zebra succulent plant, the following should be done:
- Locate Zebra succulents in bright indirect light
- Water zebra succulents adequately
- Grow your zebra succulents in the best soil
- Ensure your plant pot is the right size
- Apply fertilizer when necessary
1. Locate Zebra Succulents in Bright Indirect Light
Zebra plants grow well when the conditions under which they are planted, replicate their natural environment.
Native to the Eastern Cape in South Africa, the zebra succulents are usually found growing in shaded areas like under rocks and woods, where they can get enough light without direct exposure to the heat of the sun.
the zebra succulents do not like very intense light and heat, hence if you have to grow your zebra succulent pant indoors, ensure you are growing them where they do not have direct exposure to sunlight and where the heat isn’t so intense.
Under the right intensities of light and heat, the zebra succulent plant has a bright dark green color and the white lines on its skin are visible enough to be seen.
When the amount of light and heat received by the zebra succulent plant is more than what is needed for adequate growth, the leaves begin to turn a brownish red, and with time wilting happens.
Therefore, great care has to be taken in choosing the location of your zebra succulent plant.
Make it a routine to check the location and how well the plant is doing in the current location and do not hesitate to relocate the plant to a position in the house with better light and heat conditions.
2. Water Zebra Succulents Adequately
Adequate watering of the zebra succulent plant insinuates the addition of just the right amounts of water to the zebra succulent.
An amount that is not too much or too little. Zebra succulents are drought resistant in makeup. This means that they can stay long periods without water.
But this does not mean that they do not need water. There is a limit to the number of days they can stay without water. Usually one week or less depending on the atmosphere.
The atmosphere determines how quickly or slowly the soil dries out. In conditions where the soil dries out very quickly, it is recommended that you water the plant at least once in two weeks.
The right time to water the zebra succulent plant is when the soil around which it is planted feels dry on the skin.
To determine if it is right to water the zebra succulent plane, dip your fingertip into the soil and feel the moisture in the soil.
If it feels moist, then you could delay watering by one or two days, but if it feels dry, then you need to water.
The best watering technique for your plant should be the soaking technique.
This involves dipping your plant pot in a bowl of water and letting it sit for a minute or two before taking it out. soaking as a watering technique, ensure that enough water gets to the root of the plant which the plant can use continually until the next watering.
3. Grow your zebra succulents in the best soil
There can not be an overemphasis on this point. Your zebra plant might be dying because it is not in the right soil type.
The zebra succulent plant grows well in soils that have good drainage capacities- sandy soils with enough airspaces to drain water from the top of the soil to the roots.
Always plant your zebra succulents in rich sandy soils. This is because the top of the soil cannot get clogged up after the first application of water.
Unlike loamy soil and clay soils that usually clog up after one or two applications of water the subsequent application of water, flows out through the drainage holes in the plant pot.
4. Ensure Your Plant pot is the Right Size
Your plant pot should be proportional in size to the root ball of the zebra succulent plant pot plant.
If the plant pot is larger than the plant root ball it leads to storage of water on the base of the plant which leads to root rot and the growth of fungal infections on the plant.
Plant pots that are also too little lead to the roots blocking the drainage holes in the pot. A zebra succulent plant that does not drain properly also develops root rot.
Always re-pot the plant when the current pot begins to be too little for the growth of the plant. Re-pot the plant at least once a year until it has grown to full size.
5. Apply Fertilizer When Necessary
Your zebra succulent plant might have some nutrient needs. This calls for an occasional addition of compost manure or fertilizer to the soil.
Why is my Zebra Plant Getting Crispy
Zebra plants are naturally succulent plants that have lots of water stored up in their leaves.
When a zebra plant begins to get crispy, it’s the result of one of the following: low atmospheric vapor content, fluctuations in the temperature of the atmosphere, such that both nights and days are warm, too much light refraction on the plant leaves, and prolonged periods of dryness.
The Zebra plant prefers a humid environment rich in atmospheric water vapor.
In dry seasons when the humidity is low, it is advised you practice frequent misting with very light droplets of water.
The use of a pressure hose raised, directly above the zebra plant is an idea you could explore to help raise the humidity content of the atmosphere just above the zebra plant.
This way, the leaves stay moist and healthy. In periods of temperature fluctuations, ensure your plant is not in the way of any open ventilators.
Explore the idea of growing the zebra plant in a nursery every time the temperature fluctuates.
This keeps the plant temperature intact and unaffected by the fluctuating temperature of the atmosphere.
Do not also expose your zebra plant to too much amount of light. It causes the leaves to get crispy and turn brown.
Always ensure your plant is getting enough water. Watering your zebra plant properly, keeps it healthy and the leaves as succulent as ever.
The reverse is the case when your zebra succulent plant lacks good water additions. The leaves get crispy, turn brown, dry up and wilt.
Should I Cut the Brown Tips Off My Zebra Plant?
When the zebra plants develop brown tips, the first thing to do is to try to revive the plant by engaging the listed methods of reviving your dying zebra plant.
If these steps do not help and the zebra plant finally dies off, letting it stay on the full plant gives the plant a funny sculptured look.
If the browning was caused by bacteria or fungi, leaving the leaf sitting dead on the plant can cause the spread of the bacteria disease.
So, you should cut dead leaves and brown tips off your zebra plant. Ensure to prune the leaves from the base of the plant just a few meters away from the soil.
What Causes Dormancy in Zebra Succulents
It is important to note that dormancy is a necessary phase in the growth cycle of the zebra succulent plant. It is usually a time in the year when growth stops in the plant. Dormancy usually occurs during summer when the temperature is high.
Dormancy in the zebra succulent plant is a survival strategy that the plant takes up to survive through the cold.
Dormancy also occurs during very high temperatures. The plant stops growing and conserves the water available to its root for survival until the next rainfall or water application.
But your plant can grow all year round if all necessary conditions for growth is put in place.
Key Takeaways
In this article, we have studied, explained, and understood the following
- The zebra succulent plant is native to South Africa
- The zebra succulent plant grows naturally under rocks and shades where it can get adequate heat and sunlight
- Overwatering as well as underwatering leads to brown tips on the leaves of the zebra succulents
- Dormancy is a survival strategy in the plants to survive until the conditions get favorable
- Your plant pot should be proportionate to the root size of the plant
Conclusion
The zebra succulent plant is a beautiful evergreen species that are adapted to survive in the driest of conditions.
But, they can turn brown and wither away when the conditions become excessively unfavorable to their survival.
Feel free to get a pot of zebra succulents and begin your journey through gardening today.
