Pedilanthus tithymaloids is a popular temperate indoor succulent ornamental plant and is highly marketable. However, the appropriate propagation techniques should be adopted to solve the rooting issues of cuttings. Therefore, the present research was designed to specify the optimal indole − 3−butyric acid (IBA) concentration and rooting medium type for obtaining good rooting and healthy plants. Three IBA levels (0, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 g L^− 1) and five growing mediums (sand, sand: clay, sand: peat moss, sand: perlite, and sand: vermiculite as 1:1, v/v) were used. The experiment was performed in a randomized complete block design in three replications. The obtained data illustrated that roots number per cutting and rooting percentage reached the maximum values by treating P. tithymaloids cuttings with 3.0 g L^− 1 IBA x sand: perlite or sand: vermiculite medium. Cultivating the treated-IBA 3.0 g L^− 1 cuttings of P. tithymaloids in sand: perlite showed the most enhancements in plant height, branches number and leaves number, leaf area and herb dry weight. However, the heaviest root dry weight was noticed with IBA 3.0 g L^− 1 x sand: peat moss medium. Except sand medium, all other tested media in combination with IBA at 1.0, 2.0–3.0 g L^− 1 showed remarkable stimulation effect on chlorophyll content. Sand: vermiculite mixture x IBA at 2.0 g L^− 1 was the effective practice for improving carbohydrates percentage. By studying the anatomical changes of the adventitious root of P. tithymaloids plant, it was found that there was an increase in the root diameter, phloem and xylem tissues and xylem vessels diameter due to growing in sand: perlite x 3.0 g L^− 1 IBA. In conclusion, dipping the cuttings bases of P. tithymaloids in 3.0 g L^− 1 IBA and cultivation in sand: perlite considered the most effective combination practice for better rooting ability and growth and could be advisable for commercial production.

Salvadora persica is the most used medicinal shrub in the Arab world. This experiment was conducted to evaluate seedling performance at different rates of NPK. Seedlings were treated with N:P:K at 4:2:2 (N:P:K 2:2:2 g + 2 g of nitrogen supplemented as ammonium sulfate), 6:3:3 (N:P:K 3:3:3 g + 3 g of nitrogen supplemented as ammonium sulfate), 2:1:1S (N:P:K 1:1:1 g + 1 g of nitrogen supplemented as ammonium sulfate), 2:1:1U (N:P:K 1:1:1 g + 1 g of nitrogen supplemented as urea), 4:1:1S (N:P:K 1:1:1 g + 3 g of nitrogen supplemented as ammonium sulfate), 4:1:1U (N:P:K 1:1:1 g + 3 g of nitrogen supplemented as urea), 6:1:1S (N:P:K 1:1:1 g + 5 g of nitrogen supplemented as ammonium sulfate), 6:1:1U (N:P:K 1:1:1 g + 5 g of nitrogen supplemented as urea) in addition to the control. The results indicated that NPK application significantly affected the vegetative and root growth parameters and the chemical contents. Among the various treatments of NPK, the application of 6:3:3 rates showed the highest values for aboveground parts, root parameters, and greenness level. Therefore, the present study demonstrates the optimum NPK levels that can enhance seedling growth throughout the nursery period.

This study was carried out in the Ornamental Plants Farm, Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. Two individual experiments were done. The first experiment aimed to study the effect of Phos root-x as newly rooting promoter at different rates (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 cm3/l) on rooting of the terminal cuttings of rosemary plants. This study was carried out on 20th of July during the two seasons of 2019 and 2020. The experiment consisted of 7 treatments with 3 replicates, every replicate contained 3 cuttings per treatment. Data collected refer to that the 2.5 cm3/l of the newly rooting promotors were the best. Chemical analysis of terminal cutting refers to a decreasing in C/N ratio of terminal cuttings with increasing of Phos root-x concentrations. The second experiment was done on 25th of October in the same seasons, 2019 and 2020 for both terminal and middle cuttings and treated with Phos root-x complex with or without IBA, the treatments were 0, 1, 2, 3 cm3/l of Phos root-x with or without IBA at 0, 100, 500 ppm in combination. The experiment consisted of 24 treatments; each treatment consisted of three replicates with 3 cuttings per replicate. Data showed that for all parameters the best types for rooting was terminal cuttings, and a higher concentration of phos root-x favored better results especially with 3 cm3/l level. These results may be due to the higher concentrations of amino acids complex inside the newly rooting promotor compound (Phos root-x).