Tulasi Lighting

How much light does Tulasi need? Direct sun or indirect sun? Do I need a grow light? What Tulasi grow lighting should I get? How do I set it up? This article will answer these questions and more.

There are five major factors that determine Tulasi’s health: light, water, soil, air, and devotion. In the majority of places a grow light is necessary for growing Tulasi in the winters. Grow lights have come a long way over the past few years. Technology is always improving and becoming more accessible to the public. Quality grow lights that were once reserved only for high tech farming, are now affordable for consumer use.

Choosing a light is super confusing, luckily we have done the hard work for you and have chosen a selection of lights that have been proven to work well and last a long time.

Summary:

When giving Tulasi sunlight keep her in partial shade during intense summers
Keep grow light on for 14-16 hours a day
Follow the manufacturer instructions on how far to keep the light top of her leaves,  but it is generally about 16cm or 6” for LED lights
Buy a good light (it will be worth it)

How Much Light Does Tulasi Need?

Sunlight is of course much better than grow lights, but sun light is not available everywhere all year around. Remember that Tulasi is native to India, which is very hot and sunny for the majority of the year. When you have sunlight, Tulasi will do best with partial sun for the whole day during intense summers. If you’re using a grow light keep it turned on for 14-16 hours a day.

What Light to Get

For Tulasi lighting we recommend using LED lights because they are very energy efficient, cost effective, give good results, and last a long time. We recommend Migro or Spider Farmer LED lights, they are high quality and available world wide. If these two options are not available then look for one that is minimum 100w.

How to Set up Your Grow Light

The easiest way to set up your grow light is by hanging it from the ceiling, or inside a grow tent. For those who cannot hang from the ceiling or do not have a grow tent, using something like a movable clothes rack will work. Both lights we have suggested come with an adjustable cable for hanging. Follow the manufacturer instructions on how far to keep the light from her, but it is generally about 16cm or 6” from the top of her leaves. If her leaves are turning reddish then raise the light higher.

A Good Light is an Investment

The grow lights we have recommended above have an expected life span of 8.5 years while low quality grow lights may last only fraction of that time and not even give good growing results. Think of getting a good grow light as an investment, it takes less maintenance, gives better results, and uses less electricity. 

Grow Tents

Grow tents are a good way to create a controlled environment for Tulasi. They are nice because they can be placed practically anywhere, and when they are properly configured Tulasi will have optimal growing conditions. If you are not able to have a small enclosed space designated for Tulasi, then getting a grow tent could really help for over the winters. Grow tents are especially good for Tulasi lighting because they help spread the light evenly and efficiently.

Check out our other foundational articles on watering, nutrients, bugs, temperature, humidity and soil to learn how to take care of the Tulasi plant. If you don’t already have a plant, get some seeds here, and watch our video on how to grow them.

Look over this article to learn how to diagnose your Tulasi plant when she’s sick and feel free to contact us with any questions. If you want to deepen your knowledge about the Tulasi plant from ancient Vedic wisdom, check out this amazing book.