Over and Under Watering Tulasi Plants

One of the most common causes of Tulasi being unhealthy is by killing her with love, in other words, over watering. One of the main things people need to look out for is over and under watering Tulasi plants. There are some simple steps to diagnose when Tulasi needs water, and how much water to use, these steps can be found in the article How To Water the Tulasi Plant. 

Signs of too Much Water

When Tulasi is over watered her soil will be constantly wet, which is bad for her roots. Her leaves will become pale and turn brown at the tips, and she will begin to wilt. The most dangerous part of over watering is that the roots can rot, this is known as “root-rot” or “die-back”. Once Tulasi ’s roots start to rot then it’s tough to help her recover. 

How To Help an Overwatered Tulasi

Stop watering her for some time and wait until her soil is dry before attempting to water her again. Follow the instructions on how to water Tulasi here. If her soil is really drenched and is taking a long time to get dry, then replace her soil. It will take her time to recover and she should be fine as long as she is watered properly going forward.

In extreme cases when she has root-rot, she will need to be taken out of her pot, the affected roots will need to be removed, and she will need to be re-potted with fresh soil. Use organic nutrients to help her recover. Over watering can be prevented by using the right soil, by using clay or air pots, and by watering her properly.

Signs of Not Enough Water

Tulasi can live on dry soil for some time, but she makes it really clear when she doesn’t have enough water. Signs of underwatering include: pale leaves, soil separated from the edge of the pot, really soft and wilting leaves. Her leaves will eventually dry up and she will leave if she doesn’t get a full watering. 

How To Help an Under Watered Tulasi

If you have concluded that Tulasi is under watered, the next step is to fully saturate her soil with water. Her soil will be so dry that water will just bead up and run to the edge of the pot, so it will take some extra effort to water her. 

The best option is to dip her entire pot (up to about the same level as the soil) into a bucket of water. Be sure not to let the water overflow into her pot, but just let her sit there until you see the top of the soil become moist. She will absorb water from the hole at the bottom of the pot. Once you can see the top layer of soil is moist, take her out of the bucket and let any excess water drain from the bottom of the pot. 

The other method is to slowly water her with a light stream, letting the water sit on top of her soil, slowly getting absorbed. Once the soil starts holding water then give a good amount, wait a little while, then again give her a good amount of water. Repeat until her soil is fully drenched. This method takes longer but is effective. 

Once she is in an underwatered state, when she is watered again she will go into shock and drop a lot of leaves. This is normal, just keep her away from heat and direct light for a few days.

Use organic fertilizers to help her get some energy to recover. Learn more about nutrients here.

You can diagnose other common Tulasi illnesses here, and feel free to contact us with any questions.

Check out our other foundational articles on watering, lighting, 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.

If you want to deepen your knowledge about the Tulasi plant from ancient Vedic wisdom, check out this amazing book.