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in two successive seasons (2015/2016 and 2016/2017) to study the effect of soil drench with some bio-and chemical materials (moringa extract, potassium silicate, salicylic acid and ascorbic acid) combined with different water intervals (1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks) on vegetative growth, flowering and chemical composition of Euphorbia milii var. longifolia transplants grown in 25 cm plastic pots. Results could be briefed in the following: watering at 2 weeks seems to be more effective in increasing the values of most studied characters. On the other hand, both moringa extract and ascorbic acid resulted in the highest values of studied characters. Regarding combination between irrigation intervals and different bio-and chemical materials, all untreated control plants irrespective of their watering regime, in addition to plants watered at 4 weeks interval and treated with either moringa extract or potassium silicate, did not flower at all over the period of this study. Meantime, the same plants recorded the lowest values of many characters irrespective of the watering regime. Plants treated with moringa extract and watered at 1 week interval had the highest values of flower diameter, number of branches, root length and root fresh weight. Those watered at 2 weeks interval achieved the highest rank of number of leaves and flowers, flower diameter, fresh and dry weight of flowers, P%, K% and total chlorophyll content. Plants treated with ascorbic acid combined with irrigation at 2 weeks interval got the highest records of plant height, stem length, leaf length, fresh weight of leaves, stem fresh and dry weights, total chlorophyll and carotenoids content. In conclusion it is recommended to irrigate Euphorbia milii var. longifolia grown in 25 cm plastic pots at 2 weeks interval, combined with treating plants with either moringa extract or ascorbic acid in order to get the best results.

A series of pot experiments was conducted under plastic house at the nursery of Hort. Res. Inst., ARC, Giza, Egypt during 2012 and 2013 seasons to reveal the individual and combined effects of actosol (a humic acid NPK liquid fertilizer) when applied monthly as a foliar spray at the rates of 0.0, 2.5 and 5.0 ml/l and as a soil drench at the rates of 0.0, 10.0 and 15.0 ml/l on growth and chemical composition of mistletoe fig (Ficus deltoidea Jack.) transplants (6months-old) grown in 20-cm-diameter plastic pots filled with about 2.5 kg of a mixture of sand, clay and peatmoss (1:The obtained results indicated that all vegetative and root growth parameters, the photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids) in the leaves, as well as N, P, K, Fe, Zn and Mn concentration in the leaves and roots were markedly improved in response to spraying or drenching with humic acid liquid fertilizer at various levels, with the superiority of the combination between 5.0 ml/l level as foliar spray and 10.0 ml/l level as soil drench, which gave, in general the highest records in the two seasons compared to control and all other treatments.Hence, it could be recommended to apply humic acid liquid fertilizer (actosol) monthly during the active growing period at the rate of 5.0 ml/l as foliage spray combined with 10.0 ml/l level as soil drench in order to get good and healthy mistletoe fig (Ficus deltoidea Jack.) plants suitable for commercial marketing.

Nowadays, the most of investigations are directed towards the using of natural materials for reducing pollution environment. So, this study was consummated at Post-Harvest Lab. of Floriculture Dept., Hort. Res. Inst., Giza, Egypt during 2012 and 2013 seasons to study the effect of some holding solutions, viz. distilled water (control), calcium chloride (1 & 3 g/l), calcium claw (1 & 3 g/l), egg shell (0.5 & 1.5 g/l), oysters (0.5 & 1.5 g/l), humic acid (50 & 150 g/l) and three doses of gamma irradiation (100, 200 & 400 Gy) on longevity of flower heads (vase life), water uptake, water loss, relative fresh weight, dry weight and flower diameter of Gerbera jamesonii, cv. Rosalin & Express cut flowers. The obtained results cleared that application of CaCl 2 (1 or 3 g/l) with HQ 0.2 g/l and 20 g/l sucrose resulted in a great extension in vase life and water uptake more than other treatments. Rosalin cultivar recorded significant increase in longevity, water uptake comparing to gerbera cut flowers of cv. Express during the two seasons. Gamma ray (200 Gy) recorded the least rate of water loss in cv. Rosalin in the two seasons. Superiority was for the treatment with oysters (1.5 g/l) in improvement of relative fresh weight in both seasons followed by gamma ray (200 Gy), also gamma irradiation at the doses 200 Gy plus CaCl 2 at 1 g/l + sucrose at 20 g/l significantly increased dry weight of the two cultivars Rosalin and Express followed by claw (1 g/l). All treatments gave higher record in comparison with control for diameter. The present research indicated that the application of CaCl 2 (1 g/l) with HQ 0.2 g/l and 20 g/l sucrose after exposure of cut flowers to irradiation with gamma at (200 Gy) maximizes flower diameter. Results showed that, treating with CaCl 2 at 3 g/l + HQ at 0.2 g/l and suc. at 20 g/l, or gamma rays at 200 Gy + CaCl 2 at 1 g/l + HQ at 2 g/l + Sucrose at 20 g/l registered the highest increments in chlorophyll a in the stems and soluble sugars in the stems and petals. It is concluded that the use of the holding solution containing calcium chloride at 3 g/l plus hydroxyqenolin plus sucrose alone or after irradiation with gamma at 200 Gy gave the maximum vase life.

Two pot experiments were conducted under plastic house (temperature, R.H. and light intensity inside the plastic house during the course of study were ranged between: 24.5-38.7°C, 46.6-81.5% and 500-600 lux, respectively) at the nursery of Hort. Res. Int., ARC, Giza, Egypt during 2012 and 2013 seasons to study the effect of a liquid commercial product which contains 1g/l sodium 5-nitroguaiacolate + 2g/l sodium ortho-nitrophenolate + 3g/l sodium para-nitrophenolate when added individually or in combination, monthly for 5 repeats during the growing season, either as a foliar spray or as a soil drench at the rates of 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 cm 3 /l on growth performance and chemical composition of the slow-growing Ficus deltoidea Jack. foliage pot-plant.The results of the experiments showed that all vegetative and root growth parameters were improved in response to the various treatments used in this work with the different significance levels relative to an untreated control in both seasons. Spraying the foliage with the low and medium levels gave, to some extent better results than the high level, while that was true for soil drench method when nitrophenolates were drenched at the low rate. Increasing level of nitrophenolates to 1.0 cm 3 /l did not cause any additional improvement in growth, whereas combining between the two application methods clearly enhanced growth. So, the supremacy was for the combination of foliar spray and soil drench at 1.0 cm 3 /l for each, as this combination gave the highest means in most cases of the two seasons. A similar trend was also attained concerning the leaf content of chlorophylls a and b, carotenoids , N, P, K, Fe, Zn and Mn, as these constituents were higher in the leaves of treated plants by the two methods of application at the high level for both (1.0 cm 3 /l) than in the leaves of plants treated with other treatments.Hence, it is recommended to apply the liquid commercial product of nitrophenolates to mistletoe fig plant, monthly for 5 times during the growing season, as a foliar spray and soil drench at the rate of 1.0 cm3/l for each to attain better growth performance and chemical composition.