Become an Expert in Carnivorous Plants
They can develop into a passion for some people or a part- or full-time job for others. While carnivorous plants may not be for everyone, they frequently attract the curiosity of those who are not particularly drawn to other plant species.
Anybody who enrols in this course is definitely interested in carnivorous plants, whether they are a professional grower, an enthusiast collector, or a naturalist.
Plants classified as carnivorous take in and digest tiny creatures like insects to obtain some or all of their nutrients.
A “carnivory” or a “carnivore” are other words used to describe carnivorous plants.
Although not always, the methods employed to capture and digest animals are usually modest.
The following traits are specific to carnivorous plants:
- Attraction techniques such as lures, odours, and directional indicators
- Trapping mechanisms include trap-door-like entrances to digestive chambers and sticky secretions that hold creatures like fly paper.
- Digestive Systems, e.g. secreted enzymes and the assimilation of food.
Lesson Structure
There are 9 lessons in this course:
- Introduction
- Introduction to carnivorous plants
- Recognising differences around the worls
- Plant names
- Monocotyledons and dicotyledons
- Plant families
- Classification of carnivorous plants
- Review of plant families that carnivorous plants belong to
- Types of trapping mechanisms
- Resources and networking
- Using a botanical key
- Glossary
- Culture
- Introduction
- Planting
- Soils
- Plant nutrition
- Watering
- Plant health
- Compost making
- Propagation and Container Growing.
- Propagating carnivorous plants
- Collecting from the wild
- Methods of propagation
- Tissue culture
- Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes) and Sundews (Drosera)
- Other important Groups.
- The Lesser Grown Varieties
- Australian Droseras
- Making the Best Use of these Plants. In containers, in the ground, as indoor plants, etc.
- Special Assignment. On one selected plant or group.
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school’s tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
- Differentiate the various carnivorous plants.
- What cultural conditions are necessary for a variety of distinct carnivorous plants?
- a variety of different carnivorous plants should be propagated
- Examine the distinctive traits and growing conditions of many species of pitcher and sundew plants.
- Discuss various species of both bladderworts and at least one additional genus of carnivorous plants,
- including their defining traits and cultural requirements.
- Identify several lesser-known species of carnivorous plants and describe their distinctive traits and cultural needs.
- Clearly describe the characteristics and culture of Australian Droseras.
- Define and explain the best practises for growing and presenting cultivated carnivorous plants.
- Detailed description of one group of carnivorous plants.
They differ from one another!
You might be surprised by how varied carnivorous plants are. Others can be found in many temperate regions of the world in colder and drier climates. Many may well develop as epiphytes or bog plants in hotter and wetter locales.
They can come in a wide variety of sizes, colours, and shapes, as well as in how they catch and digest small animals like insects.
They can be raised in the ground, in hanging baskets, or in pots. Individuals from tropical to temperate regions cultivate them both indoors and outdoors.
Understanding the many genera and species, as well as where they are from, considerably enhances your ability to grow them.
Growing Cobra Lilies: A Guide
Darlingtonia californica, a carnivorous plant, is advised for cultivation (ie. Cobra Lily)
- Grow in a deep pot with a diameter of 15 to 20 cm.
- The bottom of the pot should be covered with a layer of freely draining material, such as charcoal, stones, or crocks.
- Live sphagnum moss should be added to the pot, and it should then be well moistened with water. The best way to do this with dry moss is to immerse it in water.
- Put the cobra lily so that the crown is directly on top of the moss, and then cover the area with a thin coating of live moss.
- Maintain humidity by covering the plant with a bell jar or plastic bag that has some ventilation, such as a hole or gap at the top or bottom.
- Light well, but avoid direct sunshine
- To give capillary watering, place yourself in a tray or saucer of water (ie. Water soaks up through the moss to the surface).
- Remove the bell jar or plastic once the plant has grown for a few days.
- Do not repotter frequently. This plant dislikes having its roots disturbed.
- It can withstand wintertime lows of – 10 degrees Celsius.
- Take offshoots from the rhizome or plant seeds to reproduce (sown and raised the same as Sarracenia)
WHY TAKE THIS COURSE?
It takes a lot of dedication to devote 100 hours to studying carnivorous plants, but if that sounds like you, this is a unique chance to do just that under the guidance of a group of experienced horticulturists and botanists who have a deep understanding of and competence with these plants.
An electronic book on carnivorous plants was written by the principal, John Mason, with assistance from other staff members (you will receive a copy of this book as part of this course). From Australia to England and Asia to North America, Mr. Mason has observed and photographed carnivorous plants as well as grown them.
If studying carnivores is your passion, it may be time to advance your knowledge by conducting a thorough study of the topic, filling in all of the critical information gaps, and laying the groundwork for future expansion of your understanding.
