7.  Tulsi lowers down blood sugar level and cures Diabetes Type II.

8.  Being an excellent antioxidant Tulsi protects us from various types of cancer such as skin, lung, liver etc.

9.  Vitamin C and Zinc present in Tulsi make it work as a natural immunity booster.

10. Tulsi shows excellent properties to fight against dental problems and mouth ulcers. It is being used in various toothpaste products because of its gum
     strengthening properties.

11.  Useful to get rid from indigestion and loss of appetite 

12. Used to treat skin irritations like eczema and acne.

13. Tulsi prevents hair loss and by strengthening hair roots and removing dry scalp. 

14. Tulsi Tea that is tulsi boiled in a water and honey can be used as a part of routine being followed for weight loss.

15. Tulsi prevents early aging.

16. Insect bites can be disappeared by applying Tulsi leaves paste (simple    clean and rub the Tulsi leaves on the affected area)

17. Tulsi relieves joint pain.

18. Tulsi absorbs harmful gases from the air like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and purifies the air.

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Why is Tulsi being worshipped?

 

Apart from all above medicinal benefits of Tulsi, there are several other beliefs behind why Tulsi is being worshipped, let’s check one by one;

 

1. Very first reason is, Tulsi had a direct connection with Lord Shri Krishna, it is being said that Tulsi plant is earthly form of Goddess Tulsi who was a loyal and dedicated worshipper of Lord Shri Krishna and wanted him to be with her. Shri Krishna was impressed seeing her dedication and blessed her with a boon  of being a plant to be with him. That's the reason why Indians celebrate ‘Tulsi Vivah’ festival right after Diwali. Where they arrange the marriage rituals between the Tulsi and the idol of Lord Shri Krishna. There is one more belief that Tulsi is the earthly form of Goddess  Lakshmi, The proprietress of wealth and prosperity and consort of Lord Vishnu. Hence Tulsi is also known as ‘Vishnu-Priya’ that is ‘The beloved of Lord Vishnu’.

 

   2. It said that Tulsi eliminates Vastu Dosha (bad vibes in the house) and generates positive energy across the surrounding.
 

   3. Circumambulate (Parikrama) around Tulsi is a healthy habit after taking a bath in the morning as Tulsi produces huge amounts of oxygen at day time       
       which can be taken in while doing Parikrama.

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   Did you know :  There are in total 18 types of Tulsi plant found across the world. But in India 4 of them has enormous importance such as Rama Tulsi

   (Lighter in color), Krishna/Shyama Tulsi (Slightly darker than Rama Tulsi), Vishnu Tulsi, Vana Tulsi, Amrita Tulsi, Nimbu (Lemon) Tulsi. Rama and Krishna are

   the most popular ones.

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In spite of it growing Tulsi plant is a challenge, Let’s see what are the challenges coming your way.

 

1. Tulsi is a delicate plant which needs extra care compared to other plants

2. It requires high maintenance and zero tolerance

3. Sometimes Tulsi suddenly starts drying out and its leaves starts unbecoming yellow or brown in color

4. Tulsi’s water needs are different in summer and winter

5. Using chemical to make thrive may be a dangerous experiment

6. At the end, the most difficult challenge to overcome is, Tulsi dies within 2-3 months 

7. Pests and attacker affects Tulsi and do not let it survive and thrive

 

All these crises have a single answer. Check if you have made the same mistakes. Have you grown your Tulsi as an indoor plant? Have you kept it at a place with shade? Check if you have fulfilled the water needs as they have to be… etc etc.

 

Now here is the detailed explanation how your Tulsi will be survived for long time.

 

Note: Growing Tulsi as an indoor plant is a big mistake, Tulsi is an Outdoor plant and enjoys Sunlight and dislikes excessive water.

 

Sunlight:
 

Watering Needs: Differs season wise

 

1. Summer: After every 2 days. Check if the soil seems dried a lot then you can water it regularly but make sure you don’t overwater as Tulsi doesn’t like wetness.

2. Rains: Only on ‘No Rains’ day but don’t overwater

3. Winter: Soil holds water for a longer time in the winter season so water requirement is less. You can water it one or twice a week just to keep soil moist

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Make sure you keep the following things away from the plant;

 

1. Wood Logs    2. Bird feeder    3. Garbage or dustbin    4. Compost piles    5. Water resources like pots filled with water
    

Space for The Tulsi:  Usually it is being planted in a courtyard in front of the house, if you own a big house. Or else you will have to make a suitable place for
                                                  this plant in your flat system where the plant will get enough sunlight and you can easily water it as per the need.

 

What affects Tulsi in Summer?

 

Lack of water. The plant becomes thirsty during summer and finally dies.

To avoid this water your plant regularly in the Summer season to keep the soil moist but not too soggy which will again cause root rot, so water the plant when you see the top layer of the soil is dry.

What affects Tulsi in Winter?

 

As we have discussed so far, Tulsi doesn’t like wetness. In the winter season soil holds water for a longer time which kills the roots of the plant and it gets dead.

 

To avoid this, the Tulsi plant will need at least 5 - 8 hours of full sun during winter. Do not water your plant frequently in Winter, check if the soil is well-drained and dry enough before watering next time. 

Winter is the time when we need to take care of the Tulsi plant the most as the surrounding becomes cold. Neither underwater or overwater the plant, both the conditions are not good for Tulsi.

 

How to revive the dying Tulsi plant?

 

There are 4 ways how you can regain your Tulsi plant

 

1. Try adding some organic fertilizers to the plant with some water

2. Check the dried plant for its stem, if it is still green there are chances to rescue

3. If you can get some dried seeds from the plant then sow them in the soil

4. Lastly, buy a new Tulsi plant if nothing works better

 

Pots:   Usually Tulsi is planted in a traditional planter called ‘Tulsi Vrundavan/Vrindavan’ which looks like shown in below picture;

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Sowing Tulsi seeds

 

You can either buy a plant and plant it directly in the pot you got for it. Otherwise you can grow the Tulsi plant by sowing the seeds. Follow the steps listed below;

 

1. Fill the pot with a fresh, well-drained and clean soil or potting mixture. Do not fill the pot completely up to the edges, leave an inch of space between the upper layer of the soil and edges of the pot.

2. Place and press the seeds at least ¼ inch inside the soil and put a layer of the soil on it. Add water alternate days to keep the soil moist until they start germinating (It takes around 1-2 weeks to germinate).

3. For germination, seeds need 6 to 8 hours of sun. Keep it at a place where it will get some shed in between as direct sun may burn out the tiny, delicate seeds.

4. Make sure you put it in a dry and warm place, cold surroundings may be a risk for the seeds during the germination process.

5. Once you see that seeds have started germinating then you can keep it in direct sunlight.

6. If you see any insects wandering around, spray some Neem oil to take the insects away.

 

Using Tulsi Stem

 

Growing Tulsi using its stem is another way where you can simply pluck the stem which is about to have flowers at its top. Remove half of the leaves from the bottom so that the sufficient part of the stem can be inserted in the soil to make it stand by. This technique is quite easy but rarely used.

Fertilizers:                         Organic fertilizers like compost, vermicomposting or rice water which is rich with starch.

                                                               Epsom Salt:  Spraying mixture of Epsom salt and water every 25 days prevents plants from becoming magnesium deficient.

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Harvesting Tulsi leaves

 

Once the leaves are 8 inches big you can harvest them. Make sure you pick matured leaves only and use them on the same day itself. Harvesting Tulsi plants will help them stand strong. 

 

Pruning:                             If you see the flowers on top of the Tulsi plant, Please prune it to enhance plant growth. Flowering stops the growth of the plant and
                                                   soon the plant starts dying. You can simply mix these flowers with the soil to get a new plant.

 

This is all I learned about Tulsi. If you have grown Tulsi in your home courtyard, would like to hear from you as well. Your feedback and suggestions are always welcome! :)