This research aims to determine growth and deficiency patterns as well as antioxidative potentials of Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis) hydroponically grown under limited macronutrients and micronutrients. The experiment was conducted for 60 days after transplanting in an evaporative greenhouse (avg temp = 28–30 °C, 60–65 %RH), using deep water culture technique. Plants were grown in nutrient solution consisting of complete Hoagland’s solution (CTRL), and nutrient solutions lacking one of the following macronutrients and micronutrients: nitrogen (-N), phosphorus (-P), potassium (-K), iron (-Fe), manganese (-Mn), and copper (-Cu). The deficiency symptoms, growth patterns, and stress response mechanism were followed. All treatments except for the CTRL induced deficiency symptoms and physiological changes. Macronutrient deprivation reduced growth determined by the morphological parameters while micronutrient omission had no effect except for no iron treatment. The result showed that potassium and iron deficiencies had foremost adversely effect on growth of Japanese mint. Under nutrient stress conditions, plant only gave antioxidative responses to phosphorus and potassium deficiencies. However, the negative plant-stress relationship was found for no iron treatment indicating the detoxification mode of plant for lacking of micronutrient.

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Biologishe Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt and CHemical Industry (BBCH) scales are a system for the uniform coding of phenologically similar growth stages of plants, using a two-digit decimal code. This paper describes the phenological growth stages of a landscape tree, Xanthostemon chrysanthus using the BBCH-scale. Detailed descriptions of principal growth stages for bud, leaf and shoot development, inflorescence emergence, flowering, fruit development, maturity or ripening of fruit and seed, and other secondary growth stages are provided. The developed scale will be of great help to landscape managers and researchers for better communication, more efficient planning of management practices and experiments of flowering trees.

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Paclobutrazol (PBZ)(0 g L-1, 0.125 g L-1, and 0.25 g L-1) and potassium nitrate (KNO3)(0 g tree-1, 100 g tree-1, and 200 g tree-1) were tested on a landscape tree, Xanthostemon chrysanthus (F. Muell.) Benth., in an attempt to enhance its stress tolerance under harsh urban conditions. Significant effects on tree height, diameter at breast height, canopy diameter, leaf area, and anatomy of tree leaves and stems in response to PBZ and KNO3 have been previously reported; in addition to these, the influences on leaf thickness and leaf physiology, including chlorophyll content and gas exchange, are discussed in this study. Relative chlorophyll content was significantly increased with PBZ and/or KNO3, enhancing leaf greenness. Increased leaf thickness of up to 13.37% at 6 months after treatment with a combination of PBZ and KNO3 was observed. The presence of PBZ significantly reduced the photosynthetic and transpiration rates and stomatal conductance. Reduced leaf physiological traits combined with thicker leaves would be beneficial for trees to tolerate harsh urban settings. Therefore, a combination of PBZ and KNO3 is recommended for stress tolerance enhancement of X. chrysanthus grown as a landscape tree.