HOLY BASIL, 0.5g

A high-quality, highly aromatic annual herb and medicinal plant variety, highly valued by gardeners, notable for its unusual fragrance, abundant leaf yield, and excellent health-promoting properties. Holy Basil (widely known globally as Tulsi or Tulasi, Latin – Ocimum tenuiflorum or Ocimum sanctum) is a legendary and revered plant that plays a central role in Ayurvedic medicine and Indian culture. The plant forms an upright, bushy, and well-branched shrub with small, slightly serrated and hairy green leaves with a subtle purple hue, which in the summer months bloom into attractive, spike-like inflorescences of a delicate violet color. Semo series Bylinky (Herbs) in a 0.5 gram package guarantees the highest seed quality, excellent germination energy, and a successful, exotic start to your home health garden.

• Health teas and Ayurvedic infusions: Tulsi tea is the world's most famous natural "adaptogen" – a natural remedy that helps the body cope with stress, physical and mental fatigue. It also strengthens immunity, alleviates respiratory conditions during colds, and improves digestion.
• Lovers of exotic cuisines and Asian dishes: An indispensable herb for preparing traditional Thai dishes (e.g., the famous Pad Kra Prow or Thai basil chicken), where a specific, sharp, and sweet-spicy flavor profile is required.
• Growing in pots on windowsills and balconies: Thanks to its compact size and adaptability, holy basil thrives in flower pots in the kitchen or larger containers on the terrace, providing a fresh "health pharmacy" within arm's reach.
• Aromatherapy and home energy: The shrub emits a strong aroma that naturally purifies and refreshes the indoor air, improves concentration, and according to tradition brings peace, harmony, and positive energy into the home.

• Unique, expressive, and spicy clove aroma: Unlike common sweet basil, holy basil has a much more complex, sharper, and richer scent bouquet with distinct notes of clove, peppermint, licorice, and lemon (due to its high eugenol content).
• Pronounced hardiness and better cold tolerance: Tulsi is relatively more resistant to adverse weather conditions and short-term cold spells than standard European basil varieties, making its cultivation more stable and reliable.
• Rapid regrowth after regular pruning: The shrub regenerates quickly after pinching back new shoots and harvesting leaves for culinary or tea purposes, growing new side branches and becoming even denser and bushier.
• Splendid and highly decorative shrub appearance: The purple stems and delicate flowers stand out strikingly against the green foliage, making this basil a true ornament for garden beds or home windowsills.
• Excellent seed germination and vigor: Semo seeds from the special "Bylinky" herb series are characterized by high germination energy, ensuring uniform sprouts and dynamic development of young seedlings already in the nursery stage.

• Product type: Seeds of annual herb and medicinal plant varieties.
• Brand: Semo.
• Series: Bylinky (Herbs).
• Crop: Holy Basil / Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum / Ocimum sanctum).
• Maturity: Fast-growing annual crop; greens and shoots for teas are available throughout the summer and all year round (when grown indoors).
• Plant appearance: Compact, bushy, and upright shrub with slightly serrated green-purple leaves and spike-like purple flowers in mid-summer.
• Height: Average 35 – 50 cm.
• Weight in package: 0.5 grams (generous and economical packaging)

• Sowing and seedling cultivation: In Latvia's climate, it is recommended to grow holy basil from seedlings. Start sowing seeds in pots or seed trays in spring – from mid-March to April. Important rule: Sow seeds relatively shallow, about 0.3 cm deep, or simply press them lightly onto moist soil and cover with a very thin layer of substrate, as warmth and light are necessary for germination! Ensure constant high warmth (+22°C to +25°C) and moderate moisture (best to moisten with a sprayer). Seeds germinate in approximately 1-2 weeks. Once the seedlings develop their first true leaves, carefully transplant them into individual pots.
• Planting out: Hardened young seedlings are planted in greenhouses in mid-May, but in sunny outdoor beds or containers – only in late May or early June, when the risk of spring night frosts has completely passed and the soil is well warmed (basil does not tolerate severe cold and frost). The recommended planting distance in the bed is approximately 25x30 cm.
• Site and soil selection: Tulsi needs the sunniest, warmest spot in the garden, greenhouse or on the terrace, most protected from gusty winds – the more sun and warmth the plant receives, the more concentrated and potent its essential oil aroma will be. The soil should be loose, light, rich in humus, and have excellent water permeability. The plant does not tolerate heavy clay and standing water.

• Watering and care: Ensure regular, moderate watering with warm, settled water directly at the root in the first half of the day, preventing waterlogging of the root system. Golden tip for a bountiful harvest: To encourage maximum branching and bushiness, regularly pinch (top) the tips of the shoots – this will stimulate the growth of new side branches and delay flowering, keeping the leaves exceptionally tender and juicy.