by Lee Safin
Tulshi is one of the most popular plants in South Asian countries, especially in India. Though they don’t require much care, too much ignorance may damage the plant, or they even die. Seasonal conditions can dictate how you should care for them.
So, why does Tulsi plant die in winter?
A Tulsi plant needs less water in winter than it does in summer. But, too much-wet soil may make them weak. And, gradually, they will die if you don’t take protective steps as early as possible. But if you take care of them before being heavily damaged, you can save them from dying.
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It is pretty hard for Tulsi to survive in winter conditions as they are mainly annual plants. Their life expectancy is around 1.5 years. Summer is the best time to grow this perennial plant because they love sunlight. They need 6-8 hours of sunlight for proper growth and to stay healthy.
Most of the Tulsi plants are planted before summer. So they will start growing rapidly during the summer season and may become dire for the upcoming winter season.
However, studies found that if you take care of them appropriately, their lifespan may increase. They can even last more than three years with proper care.
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Most of the time the experts recommend not to revive a dying tulsi plant as the genome sequence of the seeds been corrupted. But if you want to revive a dying tulsi plant, it’s possible.
Before reviving a dying Tulsi plant, make sure it has already died. You can use a pointing object to check out the stem and see whether it is dead or not. There is a chance of reviving your Tulshi plant if the plant’s stem is green.
The next step is pretty straightforward. As a first step, check if the plant contains any dried seeds. If so, use them to re-grow your Tulshi plant.
If you didn’t succeed with the steps mentioned above, you need to go in a different direction. Firstly, clear the dead Tulshi plant from the pot or the ground. Then, plant a new Tulshi plant and take care of them properly every day.
Do you fear that your Tulshi plant is dying? Wondering how to save them? Then, follow these steps mentioned below to protect them.
The first rule for saving your Tulshi plant from dying is watering them appropriately and regularly. You should use neither water the plant too much nor too little.
Make sure the soil of the plant is dry before water them again. Hence, if you see the soil is wet, wait until it becomes dry.
Overwatering will decrease the lifespan of the Tulshi plant. Additionally, avoid watering the Tulshi plant too frequently during the rainy or wet season.
A Tulshi plant requires around 6-8 hours of full sunlight every day. However, partial sunlight is applicable for them.
But when you want to ensure the best lifespan and proper growth, give them what they necessarily need. For example, providing sufficient sunlight will give them scope to grow more quickly.
On the contrary, you need to take the opposite action to save your Tulshi plants during the winter.
In that case, keep the plant in a safe place where the temperature is warmer than the outside environment. Lower temperatures are excessively harmful to the Tulshi plant. In fact, it may rot them.
Repotting your Tulshi Plant with new soil may improve the overall growth of the plant and save them from dying.
However, doing this task is a little bit tricky, especially if you planted them from cutting. In such a case, you need to ensure the plant’s root is appropriately taken care of and finally repot them carefully.
If you are not careful while doing the task or damage the plants, the plant may not grow anymore.
It is common to experience the attack of pests for Tulshi. Pests like spider mites, bugs, whiteflies, or aphids may attack them anytime. Keeping them in poor conditions will worsen the situation.
But that doesn’t mean you will not take care of them. In fact, you can deal with them with your homemade pesticides.
Making homemade pesticides is simple and almost cost-free. All you need just water and few drops of mild liquid soaps.
Mix the solution and apply it to the plant affected area and the area where they are prone to get attacked.
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If you consider a Tulshi from a normal perspective, it dies like other plants. Nothing special!
However, In Hinduism, Tulshi plants are considered holy basil, and Hindus worship these plants. This is because they believe, when its soul dies, it becomes dry, and ultimately the plant also dies.
When the Tulshi plant dies, Hindus are supposed to dispose of the dry leaves of Tulshi in the holy water. Plus, they believe it will bring bad luck if the dry leaves are kept near the house.
As there are around 18 types of Tulshi plants globally, their lifespan varies based on their types. But, when you take care of your Tulshi plant appropriately, it can last up to 3-3.5 years.
If you want to make them alive for the maximum possible lifespan, you need to water them regularly, give them proper sunlight, and, most importantly, prevent them from becoming limp.
Spring is the best time for harvesting tulsi plant. We all know that Tulshi plants are perennial. So they will come back for several years continuously through their herbs. Start growing the Tulshi plants and wait until it becomes 1 foot tall.
When the plant reaches a one-foot height, trim the growing tips. This practical method works impressively well to boost your yields.
Once you completed the method, wait for 40 days. When 40 days is over(after the germination period), you can harvest the plant. In this way, you can boost the lifespan of your Tulshi plant for several years.
The average height of a Tulshi plant is around 2-4 feet. In South Asian countries like India, A Tulshi can grow up to 5 feet if they receive a sufficient amount of sunlight every day.
However, if you grow Tulshi plants inside the home, they can be up to 2 feet tall. They love to explore the outside environment and sunlight and grow fast.
Here are some popular Tulshi plants and how much they can grow.
Tulsi Type | Maximum Height |
---|---|
Vana Tulshi | Up to 5 feet |
Temperate Tulsi | 1-2 feet |
Rama Tulsi | 2-4 feet |
Krishna Tulsi | 1-2 feet |
Amrita Tulsi | Up to 5 feet |
A well-draining, fertile soil is most suitable for Tulshi plants. If you want to plant the Tulshi plants outside the environment, make sure the soil is dug deeply.
Cow dung or any organic compost is a great choice you can consider to make the soil fertile and healthy. However, don’t forget to checkout that both the compost and soil are free from weeds.
It is better to choose a large container so that the plant can grow freely on all sides. Additionally, most Tulshi plants grow quickly within a short time.
However, tulsi plants can be grown in different types of containers. Your Tulshi plant will grow in the size of the container you choose.
Another notable thing is keeping several outsides at the base of the container so that excess water can go out of the container. If you don’t, extra water will make the Tulshi root weak, and ultimately the plant will die.
We recommend “Arcadia Garden Products PL20BG Classic Traditional Plastic Urn” as the pot with a proper drainage system.
Arcadia Garden Products PL20BG Classic Traditional Plastic Urn - Etsy, eBay
So, are you still wondering “why does Tulsi plant die in winter?”
We don’t see any reason for that. Though Tulshi plants don’t last for many years, you can enhance their lifespan with proper care. Aside from having multiple health benefits from the leaves, the plant itself works as an oxygen generator. Thanks for reading!
Read More – Does Tulsi Plant Produce Oxygen In Night-Time?
About Lee Safin
Lee Safin was born near Sacramento, California on a prune growing farm. His parents were immigrants from Russia who had fled the Bolshevik Revolution. They were determined to give their children a better life than they had known. Education was the key for Lee and his siblings, so they could make their own way in the world. Lee attended five universities, where he studied plant sciences and soil technologies. He also has many years of experience in the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a commercial fertilizer formulator.
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