Prune Texas Rock Rose After the Last Frost

Prune Texas rock rose after the last frost, down to six to eight inches. If the plant gets leggy in summer, cut it back by about a third.

Cut it back to six to eight inches after the last frost

Texas rock rose blooms on new wood. A late-winter cut to six to eight inches clears freeze-killed stems and pushes a denser flush in spring. [1] Wait until the last frost has passed, then cut before the spring growth spurt. [2] Leave the woody base in the ground. Next year's stems come from that crown, not from the old twig tips.

1. Wait until the last frost has passed.
2. Cut the stems to about six to eight inches above the soil.
3. Take out dead wood, but leave the woody base in place.
4. Water once if the soil is dry, then leave the new shoots alone.

If it gets leggy in summer, cut it back by about a third

Stems stretch in rich, moist soil, or if you skip the winter cut. A midsummer or late summer cut of about one third shortens those stems and brings a new round of bloom in a few weeks. [3] [4] Do not strip every leaf. This is a tidy-up, not a second winter stool. Sun and first-year water stay on How to Grow Texas Rock Rose.

1. If the mound is open and floppy by midsummer, cut the stems back by about one third.
2. Deadhead spent clusters if you do not want a thick crop of seedlings.
3. Let the new shoots bloom. Do not cut again until late winter.

If the plant is a tall, open thicket in March, you missed the late-winter cut. Next year cut it to six to eight inches after the last frost.