Growing and caring for tulsi plants

About

Tulsi aka holy basil is considered one of the most auspicious herbs in India and now it has started being recognized as a potent herb around the world as well. Native to tropical countries, in India it has been cultivated and used for centuries for its culinary, medicinal and spiritual properties. The intense aromatic smell of its leaves and seed clusters lends to its name as the queen of herbs.

How to take care

Tulsi is a heat loving plant and thrives in a vast range of temperatures from 40F to 120F. In tropical countries, it can be grown outdoors throughout the year as the weather is conducive to its needs. In temperate climates where temperatures dip sub-zero during winters, extra care needs to be provided to prevent the plant dying from frost. While it would thrive in summer conditions during suitable weather, a controlled greenhouse environment may be needed if its supposed to be kept outdoors throughout the year. Lacking these conditions, a solarium or very bright south facing window may be adequate indoors.

Growing Tulsi during winter will require grow lights. You can purchase T-5 grow lights or use LED shop lights, either will work quite well. Keep the light 18 inches above the top leaf, and keep the light on the plants for at least 12 hours per day. Keep plants nipped back if they get leggy or go to flower very quickly. Keeping a humidifier near the plant is also helpful for keeping the foliage hydrated, as a confined heated space tends to dehydrate the plant very quickly.

It works best to plant 1 plant per gallon pot. If the plants are potted up with organic compost, then they should have enough nutrients to stay healthy for some time.

Potential Problems and solutions

Look out for signs of stress before the plant reaches a very unhealthy state. If the leaves begin to yellow, crumbled or floppy, then fertilise once every 2 weeks with compost tea, comfrey leaf tea, dilute fish emulsion or other organic liquid fertilizer, or heap additional organic compost around the stems and water through the compost to feed the plants. This is a good way to keep some healthy individuals for worship or for ongoing harvest for fresh leaves or for tea.

Make sure not to over-fertilize during winter as the goal is to keep the plant alive and healthy for the next growing season in spring and summer rather than induce a lot of growth. When the right season comes, the plant should pick off from a healthy state to produce more shoots and foliage.