Learn everything you can about African violets and related plants.
Eastern tropical Africa is home to naturally occurring African violets (Tanzania and Kenya).
African violets require a different approach when grown outside of their “native” environment, but with the right modifications (such as lower humidity, less natural light, and colder temps), they may be successfully cultivated practically anywhere in the world.
Specifically created for African violet enthusiasts, this in-depth, distinctive course will instruct you on:
- propagation of African violets
- cultivating African violets, their health, and pests
- Commercial aspects of African violet cultivation
- You study the fascinating variety of African Violet kinds available as well as how they are categorised.
Here’s your chance to use African violets to produce remarkable outcomes.
Lesson Structure
There are 8 lessons in this course:
- Introduction
- What is an African Violet
- Plant name pronunciation
- Review of the system of plant identification
- Introduction to Gesneriads
- Classification of Gesneriaceae
- Introduction to most commonly grown African Violet Species
- Information contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs etc.)
- Plant Reviews
- Culture
- Understanding how plants grow
- Soils ad nutrition
- African Violet potting mixes
- Other cultural practices -Planting, watering, feeding, etc.
- Review of Gesneriad Genera -Columnea, Streptocarpus, Episcia, Aeschynanthus etc
- Plant Reviews
- Propagation
- Sexual and asexual explained
- Propagation aids -greenhouses, hotbeds, cold frames, misting etc.
- Cuttings
- Seed
- Division
- Plant Reviews
- Pests & Disease
- Plant maintenance and health
- Identifying problems
- Controlling problems
- Reviewing pest, disease and environmental issues that can confront African Violets
- Plant Reviews
- Light and its Affects
- Understanding light affects on african violet flowering
- Artificial lighting
- Plant Reviews
- Greenhouse Culture
- The greenhouse system
- Components of a greenhouse (floor, structure, ventilation, heating, etc)
- Types off Greenhouses
- Shadehouses
- Cold frames
- Heated propagators
- Environmental controls
- Heaters, Ventilators, etc
- Plant Reviews
- Ways to Use African Violets
- Containers, in the ground, in greenhouses, growing for profit (to sell etc.)
- Review of popular cultivars
- Plant Reviews
- Special Assignment
- PBL Project: Planning the establishment of a collection of Gesneriads, for a specific (real or hypothetical) location.
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
- Explain the classification and naming conventions used for African violets and related plants.
- Explain the needs of African violets in terms of culture.
- African violets can be propagated with adequate propagation materials.
- Detect and eradicate African violet pests and illnesses.
- Explain how light affects the development of African violets.
- Explain the climate-control tools and greenhouses that are used to raise African violets.
- Explain the numerous methods for growing African violets.
- Display the knowledge you’ve learned about a certain subgroup or type of Gesneriaceae plant through research.
WHAT PLANTS ARE COVERED IN THIS COURSE?
While African violets are the main focus of this course, it also serves as a foundation for cultivating other plants with similar cultural requirements and horticultural applications.
The Gesneriaceae family of plants includes these species.
Over 120 genera and nearly 2,000 distinct species make up this family. At least 300 of the species are grown in captivity.
With some exceptions, they are primarily common in tropical and subtropical areas. Representative genera from the majority of the world’s continents, including Europe, Africa, Asia, America, Australasia, and Polynesia, may be found in the family.
A few of the genera, such as Saintpaulia, Streptocarpus, and Sinningia, have undergone extensive breeding to provide thousands of different named cultivars, some of which have developed into plants with significant economic value.
Ramondamyconi, a gesneriad native to northern Spain and the Pyrenees, was the first one to be recognised. On rocky cliffs, it naturally occurs. Its classification was first unclear. It was first believed to be an Auricula before Linnaeus categorised it as a Verbascum in 1753. It was eventually discovered that it belonged to a different plant family than those plants.
Gesneriad Characteristics
They may occasionally be tuberous, frequently be epiphytes, and sporadically be shrubs or climbers.
Typically, leaves are simple and opposite. The leaf margin is typically toothed or whole. There is typically, but not always, hair on the leaf surface.
Flowers have five petals, five sepals, and most frequently two or four stamens. They are cymose, typically irregular, and bisexual (having both male and female components in the same flower) (but sometimes five stamens). Flowers frequently twin.
WHO CAN USE THIS COURSE TO THEIR BENEFIT?
This training can help nurserymen, florists, and indoor plantscapers who often work with African violets increase their understanding of gesneriads.
This course can be used to indulge the enthusiasm of gesneriad and plant collectors, both amateur and professional.
For some, taking this course is the beginning of a lifelong investigation of gesneriads, while for others, it can be a way to fill up any knowledge and experience gaps.
You will create the groundwork for gaining a true degree of knowledge with these plants by committing to such a specialised study programme on just one kind of plant. Anyone working in horticulture would benefit from having such specialised knowledge because it is valued and could be advantageous for their career or business.
