A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of paclobutrazol at the rate of 0, 400,500,600 ppm (as soil drench)and pinching once or twice on Cestrum nocturnum plants. The obtained results revealed that pinching the plants once decreased the fresh weight of branches, but increased N% in the branches and P% in the shoots. Pinching the plants twice decreased the branch length and the dry weight of branch; meanwhile it increased the stem and branch diameter, number of branches, fresh and dry weights of shoots, chlorophyll a and carotenoids content, P% in branches as well as K% in shoots. Paclobutrazol at 400 ppm caused an increase in the stem and branch diameter, number of branches/plant. The concentration of 500 ppm of paclobutrazol decreased the fresh and dry weights of the shoots, but it increased the number of branches/plant, chlorophyllaa,b and carotenoids content in the shoots as well as N and K %in the shoots. The combination between paclobutrazol at 500 ppm and pinching twice decreased the length of branches, but enhanced the stem and branch diameter, number of braches/plant, fresh and dry weights of shoots as well as the carotenoids content in the shoots.
From the aforementioned results, it could be recommended the use of pinching the plants for two times alone or with the treatment of paclobutrazol at 500 ppm in order to produce a compact plant of high vegetative growth characters for using as a pot plants.