Tulasi Winter Care 2023

    Who Is Tulasi?

    The beloved of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Tulasī means the “incomparable one”. It is the plant of devotion and has spiritually uplifting qualities.

    Tulasī is not an ordinary plant, She’s Tulasī-Devī, Kṛṣṇa’s favorite plant and is worshipped by Vaiṣṇava devotees all over the world. Tulasī always occupies a special place in the East as well as in the West. It is highly appreciated in Ayurveda. Even her scientific Latin name is—Ocimum sanctum. Ocimum means she is related to the herb basil, and sanctum means ‘holy’. She is known as Holy Basiland is recognized as uniquely auspicious in all the Vedic scriptures and is revered by all the saints and people of India.
    Tulasi By Another Name

    Another name of Tulasī is Vṛndā-devī (one who awards residence in Vṛndāvana). In order to understand who Tulasī-devī is, one must also understand who Vṛndā-devī is. In fact, Tulasī-devī and Vṛndā-devī are one and the same.

    Vṛndā-devī is a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa and an expansion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. She is responsible for setting up the wonderful pastimes of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. She exists as Tulasī to benefit the fallen conditioned souls by bestowing devotional service to Kṛṣṇa.

    Vṛndā-devī supervises Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes with her parrots, who fly past and relay to her what is going on. Therefore she is always seen with parrots. She has a yellow parrot on her left hand. This parrot is said to fly around Vṛndāvana and on returning tells Vṛndā-devī what is happening there. The parrot is named Dakṣa and is said to have one lakh (100,000) disciples.




    Lord Caitanya’s descent: Advaita Acarya Prabhu worshiped Lord Krsna with tulasi leaves and Ganges water. He appealed to Lord Sri Krsna with loud calls with a desire to make Him descend on this earth. Thus Lord Krsna appeared as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to spread the chanting of the holy names and deliver the people of Kali-yuga.

    Srila Prabhupada emphasizes the importance of offering tulasi to the Lord, “Tulasi leaves are very important for satisfying the Lord, so as far as possible an arrangement should be made for growing tulasi leaves… In the Western countries, while engaged in propagating the Krsna consciousness movement, we were brought great unhappiness because we could not find tulasi leaves. We are very much obliged, therefore, to our disciple Srimati Govinda dasi because she has taken much care to grow tulasi plants from seeds, and she has been successful by the grace of Krsna. Now tulasi plants are growing in almost every center of our movement.” (SB 4.8.55 Purport).

    The devotees of Krsna respect and adore tulasi so much that they wear tulasi beads around their necks. They make all the food offerings to their beloved Lord Krsna along with tulasi, because any aspect of worship of Krsna or Visnu is incomplete without offering tulasi. Devotees water, worship, circumambulate, smell, and taste tulasi every day. Therefore, one should never consider tulasi plant to be ordinary, but recognize her great significance for our spiritual progress and our attempts to please the Supreme Lord Krsna. By taking shelter of tulasi, one can hope to receive Lord Krsna’s mercy.

    (oṁ) vṛndāyai tulasī-devyaipriyāyai keśavasya cakṛṣṇa-bhakti-prade devīsatya vatyai namo namah

    “I offer my repeated obeisances unto Vṛndā, Śrīmatī Tulasī Devī, who is very dear to Lord Keśava. O goddess, you bestow devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇan and possess the highest truth.”

    How To Pluck & Use Tulasi Leaves For Offerings

    One should be clean before touching or plucking Tulasi. The Vayu Purana says that one who picks Tulasi without having bathed and then performs worship is an offender, and all his activities becomes useless.

    With your right hand, carefully pick the tulasi leaves or soft tulasi-manjaris, along with their stems-one at a time-while repeatedly chanting the tulasi-cayana-mantra:

    tulasy amṛta-janmāsi / sadā tvaṁ keśava-priyā
    keśavārthaṁ cinomi tvāṁ varadā bhava śobhane

    “O Tulasī of effulgent beauty, you were born from nectar, during the churning of the milk ocean. You are always very dear to Lord Keśava. Now, in order to worship Lord Keśava, I am collecting your leaves and mañjarīs. Please bestow your benediction on me that my worship will obtain success.”




    Take special care to avoid causing Śrīmatī Tulasī-devī any pain. If when picking Tulasi leaves one breaks the branches, Visnu feels pain in His heart. Pluck her leaves with your right hand while holding the branch in your left, taking care not to break it. Do not use scissors or a knife to cut the leaves from the plant. 

    When finished, recite the ksama-prarthana-mantra, begging her pardon:

    cayanodbhava-duḥkhaṁ ca / yad hṛdi tava vartate
    tat kṣamasva jagan-mātaḥ / vṛndā-devī namo ’stu te

    O Tulasī-devī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto you. Kindly forgive me if I have caused you pain by picking your leaves and manjaris, O mother of the universe.

    Do not pluck Tulasī leaves in the morning before daylight or in the evening after dark, nor at any time on Dvadasi-tithi, the day following Ekadasi. Even if the tulasi leaves have become dry because they were cut on the previous day or in the morning, they may still be used in Deity worship.

    Ocimum tenuiflorum

    Common Name(s): Holy Basil, Tulsi, Tulasi

    Previously known as: Ocimum sanctum

    Description

    Holy basil is an aromatic annual or short-lived perennial or subshrub in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Southern Asia. The genus name comes from the Greek word okimon which means aromatic herb.

    While holy basil is a close relative of culinary basil, its leaves tend to have a purple cast, its flowers are not as large, and it is shorter-lived.  This erect multi-stemmed subshrub grows rapidly to a height of 3 feet and easily propagates itself by seed.

    It prefers full sun in moist, well drained soil.  While it tolerates a wide variety of soil types and pH conditions it does poorly in water logged soils.  

    Plant it in a sensory or herb garden to enjoy its spicy fragrance but place it in a confined area or container to manage its spread.




    Identifying Common Pests

    Three common indoor pests to watch out for are: Aphids, Spider Mites, and White Flies.

    Aphids

    Aphids are soft-bodied insects that use their piercing sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap. They usually occur in colonies on the undersides of tender terminal growth. Heavily-infested leaves can wilt or turn yellow because of excessive sap removal. While the plant may look bad, aphid feeding generally will not seriously harm healthy, established trees and shrubs.

    Aphids produce large amounts of a sugary liquid waste called "honeydew". The honeydew that drops from these insects can spot the windows and finish off cars parked under infested trees. A fungus called sooty mold can grow on honeydew deposits that accumulate on leaves and branches, turning them black. The appearance of sooty mold on plants may be the first time that an aphid infestation is noticed. The drops can attract other insects such as ants, that will feed on the sticky deposits.

    They mature in 7 to 10 days and then are ready to produce live young. Usually, all of them are females and each is capable of producing 40 to 60 offspring.

    Spider Mites

    Mites aren’t insects but members of the arachnid class along with spiders and ticks.

    Spider mites reproduce rapidly in hot weather and commonly become numerous in June through September. If the temperature and food supplies are favorable, a generation can be completed in less than a week. Spider mites prefer hot, dusty conditions and usually are first found on trees or plants adjacent to dusty roadways or at margins of gardens.

    Plants under water stress also are highly susceptible. As foliage quality declines on heavily infested plants, female mites catch wind currents and disperse to other plants. High mite populations may undergo a rapid decline in late summer when predators overtake them, host plant conditions become unfavorable, and the weather turns cooler as well as following rain.

    White Flies

    Whiteflies are tiny, sap-sucking insects that may become abundant in vegetable and ornamental plantings, especially during warm weather. They excrete sticky honeydew and cause yellowing or death of leaves. Outbreaks often occur when the natural biological control is disrupted. Management is difficult once populations are high.

    Despite their name, whiteflies are not true flies (in the insect order Diptera) but are in the order Hemiptera, related to aphids, scales and mealybugs.

    Whiteflies develop rapidly in warm weather, and populations can build up quickly in situations where natural enemies are ineffective and when weather and host plants favor outbreaks. Large colonies often develop on the undersides of leaves.

    Whiteflies use their piercing, needlelike mouthparts to suck sap from phloem, the food-conducting tissues in plant stems and leaves. Large populations can cause leaves to turn yellow, appear dry, or fall off plants. Like aphids, whiteflies excrete a sugary liquid called honeydew, so leaves may be sticky or covered with black sooty mold that grows on honeydew.

    Greenhouse Set Up

    Check out the following products recommended for building your own mini greenhouse. Perfect for smaller living spaces, like apartments in the city.

    Watering Stakes
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    Insect Traps
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    Grow Light
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    Fertilizer
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    Check out these  products recommended for building a larger greenhouse. Perfect for those ready to expand their indoor gardening space.

    Watering Stakes
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    Timer
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    Insect Traps
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    Fertilizer
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    Grow Light
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    Grow Tent
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    Fabric Pots
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    Automatic Watering System
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    Mini Fan
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    Hand Pump Spray Bottle
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    Planning Any Trips? We Got Handy Tips!

    Short Trips

    - Fertilize and water your tulasi well just before your trip
    - Add watering system of your choice (Blumat and/or automated watering system)
    - Neem oil for prevention before your trip

    Extended Trips

    - Check for pests a week before your trip
    - Make sure to treat your tulasi with neem oil a week before sending tulasi over to your friend/family
    - Inform your family/friend if you notice pests as a courtesy so they can isolate your tulasi from their tulasi

    FAQ

    Why are tulasi leaves wilting?

    Over or under water might cause tulasi leaves to wilt

    Check under tulasi leaves for suspicious pests, drastic change in temperature, or require fertilizer

    Check under tulasi leaves for suspicious pests

    Check under tulasi leaves for suspicious pests or did tulasi receive enough  fertilizer or/and water?

    Checklist

    • Keep tulasi indoor when temperature is below 55 Fahrenheit.
    • Daily: Spray leaves (top and under) with water (preferably in the morning)
    • Weekly: Neem spray for pest prevention (after grow lights are out or after sunset). I like to spray tulasi leaves with water before neem oil spray.
    • Biweekly: Sprinkle a tablespoon of fertilizer for medium pot size tulsi.
    • Every 6 months: Repot tulasi. I prefer to repot just before it gets cold which is mid-September and after winter April/May.
    • Tip 1: Only one tulasi plant per pot
    • Tip 2: Only grow what you can realistically manage

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