Desert Rose Fading Fast. Advice Please

[Mortal Karma]

Hello, this is my first post and I’m not thrilled it’s an emergency post. (Emergency for me, because I love my Desert Rose)
I’m from the Central Valley, Calif.. I have had my desert rose for 10 years. This all started when our weather was extremely foggy and cold every day, no sun whatsoever. My desert rose has been inside in the only window that gets good light. I make it a habit once a week to check for, “squishiness“. About eight days ago, I found the base and main stock of the plant to be slightly squishy. The soil has been dry and well draining and I hadn’t watered it for three weeks prior to me finding it this way. I jumped on a Facebook form (most everyone is from Australia) and followed all their instructions, but the plant seems to be deteriorating. It’s getting worse by the day. Today is the first day of no rain and it is clear and sunny, but 34° with a high of 53° today. Last Saturday I took the plant out of the soil and cut away all the soft parts and brown parts and applying cinnamon. (Sadly I had to trim a lot) the plant now has mold in some of the spots where the skin has loosened from the stock of the plant and torn open. The ends of the plant stems are still very firm. I need to find out how to save my plant, I really don’t want to loose my guy. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!
* I have attached photos from one week ago too.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I think this is beyond saving. You might be able to salvage a few cuttings from the top end. But do not, I repeat, do not keep them in the soil where this one came out of.
Get a new, fresh batch.

The base is gone, the roots are gone, the trunks look like twelve week old cucumbers.
Usually if that's the case, the rot has been going on for a while. It's likely to be in the veins, which is why I think it's beyond saving.

If there are any unaffected parts left, taking cuttings is an option. But again, clean soil, clean the blade with 70% alcohol (5 min soak) after every single cut. Use separate pots for each. If something is infected, it wouldn't affect the rest.

 

[Mortal Karma]

I think this is beyond saving. You might be able to salvage a few cuttings from the top end. But do not, I repeat, do not keep them in the soil where this one came out of.
Get a new, fresh batch.

The base is gone, the roots are gone, the trunks look like twelve week old cucumbers.
Usually if that's the case, the rot has been going on for a while. It's likely to be in the veins, which is why I think it's beyond saving.

If there are any unaffected parts left, taking cuttings is an option. But again, clean soil, clean the blade with 70% alcohol (5 min soak) after every single cut. Use separate pots for each. If something is infected, it wouldn't affect the rest.

Thank you for your quick reply! Where should I cut the branches off at? Find the firmest part and start from there? Dust the end with cinnamon and place directly in new/fresh Dry cactus/succulent soil? My apologies, I am new/very unexperienced in triaging plants.

 

[Mortal Karma]

I think this is beyond saving. You might be able to salvage a few cuttings from the top end. But do not, I repeat, do not keep them in the soil where this one came out of.
Get a new, fresh batch.

The base is gone, the roots are gone, the trunks look like twelve week old cucumbers.
Usually if that's the case, the rot has been going on for a while. It's likely to be in the veins, which is why I think it's beyond saving.

If there are any unaffected parts left, taking cuttings is an option. But again, clean soil, clean the blade with 70% alcohol (5 min soak) after every single cut. Use separate pots for each. If something is infected, it wouldn't affect the rest.

My apologies, I just notice that the photos from a week ago were not posted. I was told to take it out of the soil and dry it under a warming light, after cutting all the soft and rotting parts away.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Thank you for your quick reply! Where should I cut the branches off at? Find the firmest part and start from there? Dust the end with cinnamon and place directly in new/fresh Dry cactus/succulent soil? My apologies, I am new/very unexperienced in triaging plants.

I would stay away from cinnamon. It stops certain fungi but breeds others, while it doesn't do much beneficial for the plant. I would try and find the firmest part or just start cutting from the rotten parts until I see no more infection, clean the knife and cut again just above that part, dust it with talcum or rooting powder and place it in some perlite. Or whatever you have lying around.
Treat that like a cutting, but don't keep the soil too damp. Spritz it instead of deep watering if there's a lot of organics in the soil.
It might pull through, it might not, but I feel like that's the best bet.

 

[Baron von Smoogle]

I would do everything Wires_Guy_Wires said except I wouldn't dust with anything.
I would let the cuttings dry for several day until they calloused over and then repot them.
These cuttings were dried for 2 days before my wife spotted them and potted them up.
I had planned to let them dry another day or two but she did it anyway and they have done fine.
They look a bit sorry now because they have been inside and fighting mealy bugs all winter.