Connection to home

Ma, I found my Tulsi seeds!! I had kept them safely in wait for spring and couldn’t find them when spring arrived. One whiff of the fragrant pods transported me home. My plant from last year had died from poor drainage and the frost I think. I only have a few seeds so I am really apprehensive about how it will do. I don’t have the fancy growing lights and other stuff. I just filled a big pot with compost, topped off with potting soil and pressed the seeds on top. I really hope they take off. This week has been cool and though its summer, it isn’t nearly as hot as India. I will try to keep it warm and watered.

For those who don’t know, Tulsi (Holy Basil) is a plant prized for medicinal purposes in India. It’s like Basil, but has its own distinct smell and taste. This is a plant of importance in Hinduism and is grown in most houses in India for good luck. It is considered a connection to the gods. For most Indians living abroad, it’s a connection to home too. There are other revered plants (Trees like Pipal - Ficus Religiosa, wud/Banyan - Ficus Benghalensis) but Tulsi is the most common and easy to grow. It is great in teas and is a common remedy for cold and many other ailments. There are countless more purposes of this herb, I only know a few.

I have only 1 seed of Kari patta and I plan to take the chance and plant it now. It should be able to take hold now that the weather is warmer. If not, I will try to grow it from a sprig/branch, though I am my doubts about that for this plant. Back home in India, our Kari patta plant would drop seeds after flowering and new plants would grow right under it. I only recently heard that someone has grown it from a sprig, so that is heartening. My previous attempts to grow both Tulsi and Kari patta from store bought seedlings have failed. Fingers crossed this time.

My other seeds don’t seem to be doing well. I realized I haven’t been watering them as frequently as needed. The sunflower seeds are the only ones that have sprouted well and they are growing fast! The Chili (mirchi) seedlings have sprouted, but they stalled after last weeks cold spell. I have a few spinach shoots, and very few peas. But no tomato, no eggplant, no Bell pepper (Shimla Mirch/Capsicum). So I have decided to watch the seeds and seedlings like a hawk for the next 10 days and do everything possible to make them grow grow grow.