AFRICAN VIOLETS VHT105

Study at Home African Violets Course

"A specialist course for African Violet enthusiasts"

Course Content

There are eight lessons including a special project in this course, as follows:

1.  Introduction

• what is an African Violet
• other Gesneriads
• pronouncing plant names
• review of the system of plant identification
• Gesneriad sub families (Cyrtandroidae, Gesneriodoideae)
• review of African Violet species
• review of Saint Paulia groupings
• where to find more information

2.  Culture

• understanding plant growth in African Violets (roots, leaves, stems, flowers)
• preferred conditions for African Violets
• nutrition and fertilisers
• soils, pH and potting media
• choosing a container
• potting up method
• Review of Gesneriad Genera:  Achimenes, Aeschynanthus, Columnea, Episcia, Streptocarpus, etc

3.  Propagation

• sexual and asexual methods
• propagating aids (greenhouse, hotbed, coldframe, flourescent lights etc)
• cutting propagation of Afriocan Violets
• seed propagation of African Violets
• propagating African Violets by division

4.  Pests & Disease

• understanding routine plant maintenance to maintain health
• understanding parasitic and non parasitic problems
• controlling problems (wet, cold, wind etc)
• review of pests and diseases (affects on African Violets and their control)

5.  Light and its Affects

• understanding light
• affects on African Violets
• artificial lighting

6.  Greenhouse Culture

• providing conditions for African Violets
• dealing with low humidity
• types of greenhouses
• greenhouse systems (heating, cooling, lighting, atmosphere controls, etc)
• shade houses
• cold frames
• heated propagators
• environmental controls (temperature, moisture, humidity, fog, etc)
• managing heat, ventilation, lighting, etc)
• managing water
• irrigation options and methods

7.  Ways to Use African Violets

Containers

• baskets, terrariums, miiature gardens
• hydroponics
• in the ground, in greenhouses, growing for profit (to sell etc.)
• popular African Violet cultivars, by colour

8.  Special Assignment

A major problem based learning project designed to achieve the following aims:

• Identify a series of possible locations for growing a collection of African Violet Cultivars.
• Compare and select the best location from the available options.
• Identify factors that will affect the successful culture of African Violets in the selected location.
• Determine criteria for selecting cultivars of African Violets to be included in the collection.
• Select cultivars of to be included in the collection.
• Choose plant establishment techniques appropriate to the project.
• Determine a routine 12 month maintenance program for a selected collection of cultivars to be grown in a specified situation.

Duration:   100 hours

 What qualification will I achieve for completing this course?

This is an individual module course. The individual module courses are 100 hour long usually and can be taken on their own or as part of a larger program of study.

If you wish to take an individual module course as a stand alone course, you can elect to sit an optional exam at the end of it.

If you successfully pass the exam and all assignments, you will receive a Statement of Attainment. You can take examinations at a time and location to suit you. If you enrol, you will be sent further information on how to arrange examinations at the end of the course.

If you do not wish to take the exam, you will receive a Course Completion letter when you have passed all assignments.

There is an assignment at the end of each lesson. So for example, if an individual module course contains ten lessons, you will need to complete ten assignments. Assignments can be sent to us via email, post or fax.

Other qualifications, such as certificates, diplomas etc may require examinations to be taken as part of the overall assessment process.

You can find further information on the examinations process by clicking on the “Enrolment” link above.

You can find further information on other courses by clicking on the “Courses” link above.

Course 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.

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Distance Learning African Violets Course

"A specialist course for African Violet enthusiasts"

Designed for the African Violet enthusiast, this course covers everything from potting and feeding, to pests and propagation. 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.