How to prune and manage desert rose
Do you know about these? How to prune and manage desert rose and tips on how to make desert rose bloom, the following editor will provide you with detailed answers
Desert rose is a kind of flowering plant that many people keep. Firstly, it is not very expensive, and secondly, it is easy to care for, capable of blooming continuously throughout the year. This makes everyone who sees it want to buy a few to keep at home. However, when we keep it at home, with normal watering and fertilizing, it only blooms one or two flowers at a time, which is not very beautiful. Is there something wrong with the operation?
In fact, if you want the desert rose to bloom more, it doesn't matter if the seedlings are small or if there are few branches. We just need to prune reasonably. If you master the pruning method, it will bloom more flowers and the flowering period will be longer. Today, I will tell you about the pruning method of desert rose, and it needs to be combined with "3 elements" to become a "small flowering tree."
Pruning
If you buy a desert rose with few branches, one or two, even if you take good care of it later, it will only bloom from the top of these one or two branches. The flowers are not many and not beautiful, which makes it difficult for us to achieve the look of a blooming pot that we see others keeping, so we need to prune.
First of all, don't prune the seedlings you buy. What you need is to let it adapt to the pot, grow normally in your home, and watch it start to grow. When the main stem is relatively hard, then you can prune. When pruning, just keep three to five centimeters above the last position where it grew a bud, and cut off the top directly. After cutting, the wound will bleed water, wipe it slowly with a tissue until it stops bleeding, and then apply a healing agent or carbendazim on the wound to prevent infection.
Pruning must be done on a sunny day, so that after pruning, it will quickly grow lateral branches. The remaining three to five centimeters of branches may grow two, three, or even four branches. No matter how many branches grow, when the lower main stem is thick, prune again, also keeping three to five centimeters.
After pruning, since we pruned many branches at once, each remaining branch can grow multiple lateral buds. After the lateral buds grow out, continue to operate in this way, pruning continuously until you see that the top has many lateral buds and the crown is full. At this point, stop pruning, and it will quickly enter the flowering period. When it blooms, it will be great because the more lateral branches there are, the more flowers will bloom at the top of the branches, and then it will achieve the effect of a blooming pot.
How to prune and manage desert rose
We must remember that when pruning, there must be sufficient light, and only when there is enough light will the new buds grow thicker and stronger, avoiding the situation of excessive growth. Moreover, pruning must be done on a sunny day, and it is best to choose a sunny day to prune. Also, ensure that we prune during its vigorous growing season when the temperature is not lower than 20 degrees Celsius. This way, it will grow more branches, and more branches will result in more flowers. Pruning should be combined with three elements: light, fertilizing, and watering.
1. Light
Whether the desert rose is growing or dormant, light is essential because its stems and leaves can perform photosynthesis. Good photosynthesis ensures that the roots are developed and do not become dry, and the roots grow fast. If there is a lack of light after pruning, the new buds will be very thin and weak, and they are prone to blackening. Therefore, no matter how you operate, after pruning, it must be kept in full sunlight to make it grow more buds and the new buds stronger.
2. Fertilizing
During the pruning process, we want the desert rose to grow lateral buds quickly. If you use granular soil, which is nutrient-poor and you don't fertilize, then it will be difficult for the lateral buds to grow outward, and even if they do, they will be very weak and slow. We need to ensure sufficient fertilizer. To make it grow buds quickly and thick, use a fertilizer high in nitrogen content without lacking other elements, such as "Flower More No. 10", at least twice a month. The concentration should not be too high, so it can get sufficient nutrients to grow buds quickly until it has a large enough crown and the new buds grow three to five centimeters. Then, when you want it to bloom, switch to using potassium dihydrogen phosphate, which can make it bloom quickly with flower buds.