Tulsi plant is known by many names Holy Basil, Vrinda, Vaishnavi, and many others. It is a very popular plant in all regions. Although it is a perennial plant sometimes after taking immense care also, it dies. Especially, in winter you will see that it does not stay healthy for a longer duration.
So the question is, if the Tulsi plant gets dried, how can we save it? We need to take certain calculative steps to keep our plants healthy. Let’s discuss each point one by one.
Temperature for Tulsi plant
It is a tropical plant and survives in a high-temperature range of 18℃ to 35℃. If the range is up and down, like in winters when the temperature falls to 15℃-16℃, at that time its leaves start getting dry. In summer, when the temperature goes to a higher degree, leaves start getting burnt, get dark, and become smaller in size. In both cases, we should keep this plant in a shaded area. In fact, we should keep all the plants in the covered area, if the temperature is very high and vice-versa.
Pot Size for Tulsi plant
As the plant grows upward, it also spreads inside the pot. The Tulsi plant’s roots spread very fast. So, we should opt for a big pot for this plant, at least it should be a 12-inch pot. When we give water to the plant, roots absorb it and xylem tissue (present in the plants) transports the water to all the parts (stem, branches, and leaves) of the plant. If the roots get sufficient space to spread wisely, then the whole process of water transportation will happen properly. If the pot size is small, then there is a possibility of root-bound. In root bound, roots get tied to each other and water would not get absorbed. In that case, there is a possibility that the plant will become dull and the plant might die after one season.
So, choose big pots for this plant.
Watering tips for Tulsi plant
Before giving water to the tulsi plant we need to keep certain points in mind, as mentioned below.
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- Tulsi does not need much water as it is a tropical plant. The soil of this plant should be moisturized, not muddy. Give water when the soil is completely dry.
- Check the surface of the soil by touching it with your hand, if the outer layer is wet then the inner soil would also be moisturized, there is no need of giving water in that case.
- There is one myth prevailing in our society, that we should give water daily except Sunday to Tulsi. It is actually totally wrong, we should check the condition of the soil before giving water to it. If the plant is kept in sunlight for 7-8 hours, then you can give water on a daily basis because the soil gets dry in continuous sun heat for 7-8 hours. If you are keeping your plant in sunlight for 2-3 hours only, then there is no need of giving water daily.
- Before giving water, you can loosen the soil up to 2-3 inches so that water gets absorbed completely and it helps is aeration also.
- Always give water to the plants in the early morning or evening. We should not give water during the afternoon because when the sun is there, the soil gets heated and if you give water at that time it will heat up that water also. When hot water enters the plant it will burn the leaves of the plant and the plant may die.
Pruning tips for Tulsi plant
Pruning is a very important step, if you want your plant to be alive for a longer duration then do the pruning on a regular basis. Pruning is Katai- Chatai of a plant. We should do pruning in the growing season, for flowers can do on a regular basis (Manjari between the leaves) and for leaves can do weekly.
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- When flowers get matured then they become seeds and at that time plant stops growing because the plant uses its full energy in maturing the seeds. So, we should pluck the flowers before getting mature. The energy of the plant would be saved and they can grow further.
- We should also do the pruning of leaves on a weekly basis because there is one hormone present at the tip of the stem and branches of the plants called “Auxin hormone”, responsible for cell division inside the plants. It helps in the elongation of the plants. So, if we cut the leaves from the tip, then this hormone will start growing at other places on the stems and branches. Parallelly, it will lead to the growth of new cells and new branches. It will spread more widely then.
Fertilizer and Pesticide for Tulsi plant
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- Tulsi plants do not need any fertilizer if we are properly giving water and taking proper care. Especially, in winter there is no need of giving fertilizers, whereas if in summer you are giving fertilizers to other plants then you can give them to Tulsi also. It should be once a month and chemical-free fertilizer. You can use “Cow-dung liquid fertilizer” or “Mustard cake fertilizer”. Make sure you decompose cow dung before adding it to the plant otherwise, it might lead to pests in the plant.
- The need for pesticides is also very rare for tulsi plants, as Tulsi is an ayurvedic plant. If the immunity of the plant is too weak and there was over watering or under watering in the plant then only there are chances of pests in the plant. In that case, also use only chemical-free pesticides. You can use neem oil spray as a pesticide for Tulsi plants.
Happy Gardening!
