If you’re pruning more than 1 desert rose plant, sterilize the cutting tool before pruning the next plant.
Remember to keep kids and pets away from the desert rose as you’re pruning it.
Limit hard pruning to once every 2 to 3 years. If your desert rose is planted outside, it’s still a good idea to do a hard prune since this will help it flower in the spring.
You can do minor pruning every year.
Because desert roses can be shaped like bonsai, it’s up to you to choose if you want 1 or 2 distinctive branches or if you want a natural-looking rounded shape. If your plant is in a container pot, it will slowly grow to fill the space. You may want to do minor pruning to encourage your plant to produce more flowers.
If you cut at a 90-degree angle, water can collect in the branch and cause it to rot.
For example, if you cut away a rotten branch and see black or brown in the branch close to the caudex, make another cut that’s closer to the caudex so you get to healthy tissue.
If you’re cutting a desert rose that’s the size of a small tree or shrub, you may want to use sterilized loppers to make pruning easier.
