Tulsi, Krishna — Holy Basil, Shyama Tulasi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) potted plant, organic

Richo Cech 26 Comments

Family:  Mint (Lamiaceae)

Hardy to Zones 10 to 12, otherwise grown as a potted plant and brought in for the winter

(Tea basil from India, Shyama Tulasi, Krishna Tulsi) Perennial tea basil originally from India.  The plants are grown at our farm here in the USA, in seclusion, in order to produce the seed offered here.  An outstanding cultivar for producing the true tropical-type tulsi tea (as opposed to tea of temperate tulsi).  Leaves dark purple.  Many people prefer this dark-colored cultivar.  According to ancient folklore, the Tulsi (tulasi) plant is a manifestation of the Divine Mother on Earth, for the benefit of all creation.  Tastes good and provides gentle stimulation to body, mind and spirit. Growing tea basils brings many blessings to the household!  The tea made from this plant is very satisfying, with taste and aroma most appealing.   Traditional usage (Ayurveda): stress, anxiety, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and dementia.  Drinking tulsi tea in the morning is a fantastic way to get started.  If you want to be an herbalist and are afraid you might tell somebody to take the wrong thing, then tell them to drink tulsi tea and you will be right every time.  Plant prefers a warm garden exposure, with rich yet well-drained soil and frequent watering.  Space plants 2 feet apart.  If growing indoors, give at least 6 hours of light daily, do not overwater, and make sure there is good air exchange to keep the plant healthy.  Space plants 2 feet apart.

Potted plant, Certified Organically Grown

Tulsi, Krishna — Holy Basil, Shyama Tulasi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) seeds, organic

Richo Cech 27 Comments

Greetings friends.  We are sold out of Krishna tulsi seed until new crop fall 2024.  Rama, Vana and Temperate tulsi seed still in stock,  Thanks for your understanding and have a great growing year!  Richo and the team at Strictly Medicinal Seeds

Syn. Ocimum sanctum

Family:  Mint (Lamiaceae)

Hardy to Zones 10 to 12, otherwise grown as a potted plant and brought in for the winter

(Tea basil from India, Shyama Tulasi, Krishna Tulsi, Krsna Tulsi) Perennial tea basil originally from India.  The plants are grown at our farm here in the USA, in seclusion, in order to produce the seed offered here.  An outstanding cultivar for producing the true tropical-type tulsi tea (as opposed to tea of temperate tulsi).  Leaves dark purple.  Many people prefer this dark-colored cultivar*.  According to ancient folklore, the Tulsi (tulasi) plant is a manifestation of the Divine Mother on Earth, for the benefit of all creation.  Tastes good and provides gentle stimulation to body, mind and spirit. Growing tea basils brings many blessings to the household!  The tea made from this plant is very satisfying, with taste and aroma most appealing.   Traditional usage (Ayurveda): stress, anxiety, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and dementia.  Drinking tulsi tea in the morning is a fantastic way to get started.  If you want to be an herbalist and are afraid you might tell somebody to take the wrong thing, then tell them to drink tulsi tea and you will be right every time.  Prepare a flat of potting soil or a fine seedbed in spring.  Remember that tulsi is a light-dependent germinator, so it actually helps to hold the seeds in the palm of your hand up to the sunlight to get them started.  Then plant not too deeply, so they still get light. Scatter seeds on surface, press in and keep evenly moist, in the light and very warm until germination, which is rapid.  Transplant or thin to 2 feet apart.

Packet contains 50 seeds
1 g contains ~2,000 seeds

Certified Organically Grown

 

Tulsi, Vana — Holy Basil (Ocimum gratissimum) seeds, Organic

Richo Cech 13 Comments

Family: Mint (Lamiaceae)

Hardy to Zones 10 to 12, otherwise grown as a potted plant and brought in for the winter

(Vana Tulsi, Clove Basil, African Basil, Vantulasi, Wild Holy Basil, Tree Basil) Perennial bush basil to 5 feet, native to India and East Africa, a wild species brought into cultivation.  These seeds grown at our farm, secluded from other basils.  The plants are woody-stemmed and actually overwinter indoors more readily than the other tulsi types.  I have brought them successfully through a winter, planted in gallon pots on an indoor windowsill.  Source of eugenol (oil of clove).  The plant is handsome and aromatic, slightly hairy, green-leaved.  As a garden grown tea herb, it weighs up heavily and may be used by itself or blended with leaves of other types of tulsi. Traditional usage (Ayurveda): stress, anxiety, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and dementia.  Drinking tulsi tea in the morning is a fantastic way to get started.  Tulsi seed is a light-depndent germinator, and you can increase germ rates by holding the seed in the palm of your hand in the direct sunlight before planting.  Prepare a flat of potting soil or a fine seedbed in spring and scatter seeds on surface, then press in and keep evenly moist and warm until germination, which is rapid.  Transplant or thin to 2 to 3 feet apart.

Packet contains 50 seeds
1 g contains ~1,000 seeds
5 g contains ~5,000 seeds
10 g contains ~10,000 seeds

Certified Organically Grown

 

 

Tulsi, Rama — Rama Tulsi, Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) seeds, organic

Richo Cech 18 Comments

Syn. Ocimum sanctum

Family:  Mint (Lamiaceae)

Hardy to Zones 10 to 12, otherwise grown as a summer annual 60 days to harvest, or a potted plant brought in for the winter

(Rama Tulsi*, Tulasi, Holy Basil) Perennial bush basil originally from India–the main type grown there. These seeds are from plants grown at our farm, secluded from other basils, here in the USA.  The plants are purple stemmed with green leaves, sometimes tinted in purple, open form to 4 feet, flowers reddish purple. Highly aromatic plant, testing high in both eugenol and rosmarinic acid.  Traditional usage (Ayurveda): stress, anxiety, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and dementia.  Drinking tulsi tea in the morning is a fantastic way to get started.  Plant tulsi seeds in the spring.  Hold seeds in the palm of your hand in the direct sunlight before planting, and plant in such a way that the seeds still receive light in the pot or flat.  Scatter seeds on surface, then press in and keep evenly moist, in strong light and very warm until germination, which is rapid.  Transplant or thin to 2 feet apart.

Packet contains 50 seeds
1 g contains ~2,000 seeds
5 g contains ~10,000 seeds
10 g contains ~20,000 seeds

Certified Organically Grown

*for a discussion of morphological variability of tulsi in India, see the research article by Malay, Pandey, Bhatt, Krishnan and Bisht “Morphological variability in holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) from India,” Genet Resour Crop Evol (2015) 62:1245-1256.

Please note:  We performed chromatographic analysis of the Amrita and the Rama cultivar and found them to be virtually identical.  This plant and its seeds are now sold by us under the adage “Rama Tulsi.”

 

Tulsi, Temperate — Holy Basil (Ocimum africanum) seeds, organic

Richo Cech 74 Comments

PLEASE NOTE:  This seed is ON SALE until 1_15_2024–all sizes significantly reduced in price.  This offer is made to encourage growers to buy bulk quantities and direct-seed.  Holy Basil is one of your best tea herbs to dry and put up for longterm use, Also a great seller at the farmstand.  Enjoy!

Family:  Mint (Lamiaceae)

Annual, harvest at 40 days and ongoing to frost.  For the purpose of seed-saving, it takes 120 days from direct-seeding to winnowing.

Note to those wishing to grow their own tulsi tea.  Unless you live in a very warm zone, are a very experienced propagator, or are particularly attached to growing the tropical-type tulsis (Krishna, Amrita, Rama and Vana) then I really council you to grow this temperate tulsi instead.  The germination is far easier, the growth faster, the productivity  greater, and the overall experience more likely to bring happiness.

(Temperate Tulsi)  The plant is a bushy annual tea basil with small leaves, purple flowers, powerfully aromatic.  This plant is of East African origin, and India is right across the way.  Among all basils (including Ocimum basilicum) in my experience, this one is the shortest season, most frost-hardy cultivar. I’ve also seen these self-seed over the seasons, which is unusual among basils.  We tested this cultivar and confirmed the presence of essential oils linalool, nerol, geraniol, citral, icocaryophyllene, humulene, etc.  Also ran it for genetic analysis to confirm identity as Ocimum africanum.  This is the holy basil my wife and I grow for ourselves to make into tea.  We find it very satisfying, with aroma most appealing.   Traditional usage (Ayurveda): stress, anxiety, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and dementia.  Drinking tulsi tea in the morning is a fantastic way to get started.  Prepare a flat of potting soil or a fine seedbed in spring and scatter seeds on surface, then press in and keep evenly moist and warm until germination, which is rapid.  Transplant or thin to 1 foot apart.

Packet contains 50 seeds
1 g contains ~1,580 seeds
5 g contains ~7,900 seeds
10 g contains ~15,800 seeds
100 g contains~158,000 seeds

Certified Organically Grown