How to grow a desert rose? Mastering these care tips is key

Desert rose, a very pleasant plant name, is also known by people as “Tianbao flower”. Perhaps many people, upon first hearing the name “desert rose,” think this plant is a rose that grows in the desert. Actually, that is not the case; the desert rose is not only unrelated to roses, but also does not look like one.

However, the desert rose does indeed have the characteristics of liking high temperatures, tolerating heat and drought, and preferring to grow in an environment with ample light, but it fears waterlogging and is not cold-tolerant. So, to grow the desert rose well, we need to manage it according to these habit characteristics. As long as we can master the following care tips for the desert rose, we can usually grow it well.

1. Soil

The desert rose likes a sandy soil environment with good drainage, since the plant has poor water tolerance. When the plant is growing vigorously, you can mix some river sand or small gravel into the potting soil to improve the drainage effect of the potting soil.

2. Light

The desert rose is a plant that can bloom, but if you want it to bloom, the light conditions must first be met. Generally, the plant can bloom normally only in an environment with sufficient light. Moreover, even when the plant is in dormancy, it cannot lack light.

3. Topdressing

The desert rose both likes heat and tolerates heat, but at the same time requires smooth ventilation in the environment. The plant generally maintains growth only in spring and the rainy season in summer each year, so during the growing period it needs appropriate topdressing to supplement nutrients. Because the desert rose usually grows slowly, slow-release fertilizer, which has a long fertilizer effect, is generally used for topdressing.

The desert rose tolerates heat but not cold, so after entering autumn and winter it easily goes dormant, and growth becomes very slow or even stagnates. Therefore, it is not suitable to topdress it in autumn and winter.

4. Pruning

Pruning of the desert rose is generally carried out after the flowering period, so as to promote the massive sprouting of branches. And if we want to enjoy more flowers from the desert rose, when pruning we need to consider retaining as many flowering branches as possible.