Plants

A living organism of the kind exemplified by trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, ferns, and mosses, typically growing in a permanent site is simply known to be a plant. They can absorb water and inorganic substances through its roots, and synthesizing nutrients in its leaves by photosynthesis using the green pigment chlorophyll. These are very useful to mankind in the following way:-

1. Providing Oxygen: Plants are really important for the planet and for all living things. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen from their leaves, which humans and other animals need to breathe.
2. Food: Plants are the main source of food for humans. Plants, unlike humans and animals, manufacture their own food. They do so by the process known as photosynthesis in their green leaves by use of sunlight.
3. Clothing: Plants are the largest providers of textile and fabric material. These materials are eco-friendly, compatible and less expensive. So they are used for making cloth and bedding material which is required by humans.
4. Furniture & Shelter: Plants are the important source of furniture. The plant wood is used to build houses and also to make other furniture items. We use wood for the purpose due to its features like durability, stylish finishing, resistance to temperature changes, etc.
5. Medicines: Plants are an excellent source of medicine even for life-threatening diseases.

Now, let us study more about medicinal plants which include Mint, Neem, Tulsi, Aloe Vera, Ginger, etc.

Tulsi

A kind of basil which is cultivated by Hindus as a sacred plant is called Tulsi. It is a medicinal as well as a herbal plant. Its hairy stems sprout oval leaves with serrated edges, and depending on the variety, range in color from light green to dark purple. The tulsi plant blooms erect purple or reddish flowers and produces tiny rust-colored fruit. It has a strong, pungent aroma and taste that is similar to other varieties of basil. It is also known as holy basil.

Tulsi Medicinal Uses & Benefits

Uses of tulsi are:-

1. Promotes Healthy Heart. Holy basil contains vitamin C and antioxidants such as eugenol, which protects the heart from the harmful effects of free radicals.
2. Anti-aging.
3. Treat Kidney Stones.
4. Relieves Headaches.
5. Fights Acne.
6. Relives Fever.
7. Eye Health.
8. Oral Health.

Species and Family

It is a plant from the family of mint, scientifically known as Mentha.

Geographical region of origin

Essential conditions for tulsi to grow are:- It grows well in loamy and fertile soil with good drainage, pH level around 6 to 7.5 is optimal. It requires temperature above 50 degrees for optimal growth. It requires at least 6 hours of sunlight per day for essential growth. Therefore, it is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian tropics. Tulsi is cultivated for religious and traditional medicine purposes, and for essential oil.

Planting and Propagation

There are three simple ways to grow tulsi:-

1. Fill a flower pot with high quality soil and water it thoroughly. You should leave about an inch (2.54 cm) of space at the top of the pot. Add enough water to make the soil very moist, but don’t add too much water, because you don’t want the soil to be soggy. (Even if you plan to plant your tulsi in an outdoor area, it's best to start growing it indoors before transferring to an outdoor bed.)
2. Sow the seeds ¼ inch (0.64 cm) beneath the soil. Because tulsi seeds are so small simply sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil, then gently press them down into the surface using your fingers or a small tampe
3. Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate. The seeds will begin to grow in about 1-2 weeks. Because the seeds are so delicate, try using a spray bottle to lightly mist the surface of the soil. If you are pouring water into the pot, do so slowly and carefully so you don’t disrupt the seeds. (Covering the top of the flower pot with plastic wrap will help seal in moisture, but you will still need to check the soil and add more water if needed.)

Horticulture

The plant requires about 15t/ha of FYM which is to be applied as basal dose at the time of land preparation. Regarding the inorganic fertilizers application of 120:60:60kg/ha of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) is recommended.

Irrigation

It is provided water twice a week till one month so that the plant establishes itself well. Later, it is given at weekly interval depending upon the rainfall and soil moisture status.

Plant protection

Tulsi is not prone to serious pest/disease except some minor pests like leaf rollers which can be controlled by spraying with 0.2% Malathion or 0.1% Methyl parathion whenever noticed.

Medicinal plants like tulsi require production involving minimal or no usage of chemical pesticides. Organic practices include control measures using neem based formulations. Fish oil resin soap can be used to manage such sucking pests. Botanicals viz., extracts of garlic, Vitex negundo, Lantana camera, Clerodendron inerme, Calotropis gigantean are often combined and sprayed periodically for controlling the pests. Diseases like powdery mildew can be controlled by spraying with 0.3% wettable sulphur. Likewise seedling blight and root rot can be controlled by drenching the nursery beds with a 0.1 per cent solution of mercurial fungicide and adopting phytosanitory measures.

Harvesting and Yield

The first harvest is done after 90 days of planting and subsequently it may be harvested at every 75 days interval. The crop is harvested at full bloom stage by cutting the plants at 15 cm from ground level to ensure good regeneration for further harvests. The yield and oil content is more in plants harvested during bring sunny days.

On an average, tulsi gives about 10,000 kgs of fresh herbage per hectare per year. The herb contains about 0.1 to 0.23 per cent oil and it about 10-20 kg of essential oil per hectare. Irrigated tulsi gives higher herbage yield (upto 20 ton and oil yield (upto 40kg/ha).

Storage of Tulsi

After shade drying tulsi leaves can be stored for any Length of time, however their efficacy depends upon proper storage; low temperature as well as humidity. They should remain useful for 2-3 yrs if stored at optimum conditions. Thus, by using this simple technique, we can easily store tulsi.