Basics of Ocean Plants

1. • Seaweed is one of the most common ocean plants, providing food and shelter for marine animals. seaweed image by green308 from Fotolia.com

     Oceans cover three quarters of Earth's surface and are a rich biodiversity of animal and plant life. Oceans are a self-contained ecosystem, with all plant and animal life fulfilling an important role in the food chain. Plants decompose on the bottom of the ocean, providing nutrients for all aquatic organisms, replenishing the oceans food supply. Much like dry-land vegetation, oceans have underwater forests comprising different plants, such as kelp, coral, phytoplankton and algae.

   Conditions of Growth

   • Ocean plants are very particular about the conditions they grow in. Temperate sea temperatures are an important factor contributing to their growth. Increased sea temperatures hinder the growth of the plant life such as phytoplankton, a tiny ocean plant, that is a foundational ocean food source for other plants. Increased ocean temperatures create layers of water, limiting the mixing of deep nutrient-rich cold water and warmer surface water. Without water mixing, the foundational plant phytoplankton does reproduce, limiting the conditions for other plants that use the nutrients from the tiny ocean plant to grow.

   Plant Food Sources

   • Like plants on land, ocean plants use photosynthesis to transfer carbon dioxide from the environment into plant cells, which are then consumed by other plant life. This means that most ocean plants tend to live relatively close to the surface of the water and in range of sunlight. Some examples of these plants are diatoms, coccolithophores, cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates, which all float near the surface of the water and are types of phytoplankton. As they die, they sink to the ocean floor, fertilizing other plants such as kelp, algae and seaweed.

   Ocean Plants as a Food Source

   • Ocean plants are the foundational food source for all animal life. Single-celled phytoplankton are one of the most important food sources for both plant and animal life. Zooplankton, shellfish and larger fish rely on phytoplankton as a primary nourishing food source. They are the stabilizing element within oceans, protecting the delicate biodiversity. Any factors limiting their growth directly affect the feeding patterns of larger marine animals, commercial fisheries and plants that grow on the ocean floor. Larger ocean plants such as kelp, seaweed and coral provide food and habitats for marine life and are a rich feeding ground attracting different types of marine animals. Without them, the ocean food chain cannot function.

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How to Create a Basic Herb Garden Plant Container

Fresh herbs are a delicious way to add flair to all sorts of meals, including pasta, sandwiches, soups and marinades for meat. You can find fresh herbs at the grocery store, but why not create a basic herb garden plant container and grow your own herbs at home all year round.

Things You'll Need

• Container
• Pea gravel or similar material
• Potting soil
• Herb seeds or plants

Instructions 

1. 1
   Choose a place to keep your herb garden plant container to help you decide what to use for the container itself. The location of your herb garden will dictate the size and shape of the container to be used. For a window sill, you'll to find container (or containers) that will fit the small space. Several small terra cotta pots (with one herb variety in each) work well for narrow ledges. You can also purchase narrow potting containers that are designed with small spaces in mind.
   If you have a large table to hold your herb garden, your container options are much broader. Almost anything capable of holding soil can become a container for your herb garden: a large terra cotta pot, old milking bucket, large ceramic bowl, or even a plastic pot hidden inside a wicker basket.
   Be sure the location you choose for your herb garden gets sunlight.
   2
   Know your herbs. What will you include in your herb garden plant container? Popular choices include basil, oregano, cilantro, sage, and rosemary.
   3
   Find seeds for your favorites at a local nursery or a hardware store. Buy potting soil and pea gravel.
   4
   Line the bottom of the container you plan to use with a layer of pea gravel or other similar material to allow for drainage of the soil.
   5
   Fill the container about 3/4 full of potting soil. Leave space at the top so there is room to water the plants without the soil spilling.
   Refer to the seed packet to determine the depth of soil that will provide optimal growing conditions for the plants you have chosen. The needs of each type of herb will vary.
   6
   Plant the seeds as directed on the seed packets. According to Charlie Nardozzi and the National Gardening Association: "Arrange the plants so that those that grow tall, such as basil and lemongrass, are in the center and cascading varieties of herbs, such as thyme and oregano, are along the edge."
   
   7
   Place your container herb garden in its new home and water as needed. Once the plants have matured, take clippings of the various herbs regularly to encourage new growth.

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How to Select Basic Garden Tools

 

 

You don't need to spend a lot to start a garden, but you do need some basic tools. You can get started for under $100 - less if you can find tools at yard sales or flea markets.

Things You'll Need

• Bow Rake
• Garden Shears
• Hoes
• Shovels
• Spading Forks
• Watering Cans

Instructions

• • 1
    Select a spading fork as your first tool. Before you plant anything, you will need to open and improve the soil. A spading fork looks like a pitchfork but has a shorter handle and wider tines. It is used to dig down into hard soil and break up the ground.
  • 2
    Next, choose a hoe. A hoe is useful for weeding and cultivating the surface of the soil to allow for penetration of nutrients and water.
  • 3
    Choose a watering can. Long nozzles allow the water to come out at a very gentle flow rate and are useful for reaching across long distances. Select a watering can that has a detachable spray head - this type of watering can is perfect for watering young seedlings.
  • 4
    Select a round-ended shovel for larger digging projects, such as planting shrubs and trees.
  • 5
    Buy a good bow rake, which has short tines on one side attached to a metal frame or 'bow.' It's used for leveling the soil after it has been turned and prior to planting, or for removing large clods of earth or rocks from the soil. You can also turn a bow rake over and use the flat side to smooth soil in preparation for planting.
  • 6
    Select a pair of garden shears that fits comfortably in your hand. Shears, sometimes called clippers, are used for pruning, shaping and removing foliage or branches. Don't buy the most expensive shears until you decide you like gardening.

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Chiller Plant Basics

Container gardens and window boxes are small by design, but that does not mean they have to be boring. To create visual interest in a container garden, combine plants of various heights and textures in each pot, stuffing the vessels with a combination of thrillers, spillers, fillers and chillers.

1. Container Plant Types

   • There are four basic types of plants that can be combined in an individual container: Thrillers are tall plants that add height to the arrangement; spillers cascade over the edges of the container; fillers are fine, billowy plants that effectively fill the spaces between specimens; chillers are the mid-level plants that draw the eye and pull the whole thing together. While thrillers, spillers and fillers are fairly easy to identify, chillers can be a bit more challenging; a towering plant will eclipse the thriller, while a sprawling one will envelop the spiller.

   Chiller Plants

   • Plants such as the dusty miller, coleus, polka dot plant, perilla and geranium make excellent chiller plants. Reaching an average of 8 to 24 inches in height, the dense foliage and upright growth habit of these specimens contrasts nicely with a variety of plants, lending an abundant, lush look to any arrangement.

   Container Garden Design

   • To effectively arrange an assortment of plants in a single container, begin by placing towering, thriller-type plants in the center of the pot to keep them from overpowering the other specimens. Surround thrillers with a combination of chillers and fillers to add depth to the collection. Place spillers near the edges of the container; as the foliage grows it will naturally trail over the sides of the container, adding an exciting vertical element to the composition.

   Considerations

   • When designing a container garden, there is only one rule which must be followed: choose plants with similar growing requirements. Using the thriller-spiller-filler-chiller plan, select plants that flourish when given the same amounts of light, heat and water. Should the décor require greater visual variety, group the containers together; for example, to create an exciting blend of colors and textures, place a container of succulents next to a container of tropical plants, then surround them with smaller pots of flowering annuals or fragrant herbs.

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