African Violets

Develop a broad knowledge of African violet cultivars and cultivation.

African violets grow naturally is eastern tropical Africa (Tanzania and Kenya). When African violets are grown outside of their "natural" environment, they need to be treated differently, but with adjustments made to compensate the changed conditions (eg. lower humidity, less natural light, colder temperatures), they are grown successfully in almost every part of the world. 

Designed for the African Violet enthusiast this indepth unique course will teach you about:

• propagation of african violets
• cultivation health of african violets & pests
• commerical aspects of growing african violets
• You learn how African Violets are classified, and cover the exciting range of varieties available.

Here's your chance to achieve outstanding results with African Violets.

Lesson Structure

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. 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
2. 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
3. Propagation
   • Sexual and asexual explained
   • Propagation aids -greenhouses, hotbeds, cold frames, misting etc.
   • Cuttings
   • Seed
   • Division
   • Plant Reviews
4. Pests & Disease
   • Plant maintenance and health
   • Identifying problems
   • Controlling problems
   • Reviewing pest, disease and environmental issues that can confront African Violets
   • Plant Reviews
5. Light and its Affects
   • Understanding light affects on african violet flowering
   • Artificial lighting
   • Plant Reviews
6. Greenhouse Culture
   • The greenhouse system
   • Components of a greenhouse (floor, structure, ventilation, heating, etc)
   • Types off Greenhouses
   • Shadehouses
   • Coldframes
   • Heated propagators
   • Environmental controls
   • Heaters, Ventilators, etc
   • Plant Reviews
7. Ways to Use African Violets
   • Containers, in the ground, in greenhouses, growing for profit (to sell etc.)
   • Review of popular cultivars
   • Plant Reviews
8. 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

• Describe how African Violets and related plants are classified and the plant naming system
• Describe the cultural requirements of African violets
• Select appropriate propagating materials and using them, propagate African violets.
• Identify and control pest and diseases of African violets
• Discuss the role that light plays in the growth of African violets
• Describe greenhouses and other environmental control equipment used for growing African violets.
• Describe the various ways in which African violets can be grown
• Demonstrate the knowledge acquired for a specific group or individual plant in the Gesneriaceae family through research.