How to Propagate Desert Cactus Roses

Cutting

• 1

  Cut about 5 inches of new growth -- ideally with no leaves -- off a mature desert rose cactus. Make a single, clean cut with a sharp knife and take care not damage the tip of the cutting.

• 2

  Dip the cutting in fungicide and growth hormone, or a mix containing both.

• 3

  Blend 3 parts perlite with 1 part peat moss. Fill your planting pot with the mixture, then insert your cutting into the planting medium.

• 4

  Mist the cutting with water regularly until it roots.

Air Layering

• 5

  Select a stem on a mature desert rose cactus that's from the previous season's growth and is about the width of a pencil.

• 6

  Strip the leaves from the stem by hand, about three or four inches above and below the place you will make the cut.

• 7

  Cut on an angle with a sharp knife until you are a third of the way through the stem.

• 8

  Cover the cut with damp peat moss. Soak a handful of peat moss, wring out excess moisture, and push it against the cut. Wind plastic wrap around the peat moss, then secure it in place with electrical tape or twist ties.

• 9

  Check the cut area carefully for roots after roughly six weeks. Cut the propagated stem free a few inches below the original cut once roots appear. Transfer the rooted cutting to a planting container.