Holy Basil: Diseases and Remedies (Explained for Beginners)

NOTE: In this article, Holy Basil and Ocimum tenuiflorum may be used interchangeably; in fact, Ocimum tenuiflorum is the botanical name for Holy Basil.

The basil doesn’t make the pesto divine. Holy Basil is not the same species as sweet basil used in Italian dishes. The Queen of Herbs, holy basil, is a native of Southeast Asia and is used in traditional medicine in India to make healing teas, oils, and poultices.

Why does my Ocimum tenuiflorum roots have rot?

If left untreated, root rot on your Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) can be fatal. For this reason, if the symptoms appear, we highly advise that you adhere to our recommendations to keep your plant alive: Blackened and softened roots.
Holy

Why does my Holy Basil have gray mold spots?

A particular fungus that frequently affects flowers and spreads quickly is known as gray mold spots. This fungus is most likely to blame if you see any brown (or gray) spots. Don’t ignore these signs because doing so could cause your plant to die.

Our Solution

The answer is obvious once you recognize the cause of the problem. Most frequently, it results from the Ocimum tenuiflorum being overwatered. We strongly advise you to remove the damaged plant parts, cut off the diseased roots and leaves, and then repot your plant in a new container with sterile potting soil.

Why does my Holy Basil have leaf spots?

Leaf We provide you with all the information you need to identify and save your plants if they display signs like leaves that suddenly change color or wilt/droop. This sort of sickness is one of the most aggravating for Holy Basil owners.

Why are my Holy Basil leaves turning yellow?

This is probably the most common problem in the gardening world, yellowing leaves. There are 2 main reasons for this phenomenon, overwatering, or a lack of nutrients.

Whether you think your plants are getting too much water, cut back on how often you water them, and take the following measures to see if they might be nutritionally deficient:

Here are some signs of yellowing caused by the many deficiencies on the Ocimum tenuiflorum in question:

  • The first symptom of a magnesium deficiency is yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves. The leaf’s core turns yellow while the veins stay green. The edges of the leaf yellow last.
  • Iron deficiency also shows as yellowing between leaf veins, but it hits young leaves on plant tops and branch tips first.
  • Sulfur shortage first affects the youngest leaves, turning them entirely yellow.
  • Leaf edges turning bright yellow but inside leaf remaining green are signs of potassium insufficiency. The symptoms first appear on older leaves, and the leaf edges quickly become dark.
  • A broad yellowing indicates a nitrogen deficiency. Yellowing starts with older, inner leaves. Yellowing spreads as it advances, eventually touching new leaves as well.

Our Solution

According to the symptoms mentioned above, you just have to act accordingly. You can reduce your watering frequency, or fix a deficiency in Potassium, or Nitrogen, for that, you just have to buy a special soil for your deficiency, a consultant in a gardening store will know perfectly well how to inform you.

Is my Holy Basil sunburned?

It is simple to determine whether your Holy Basil (your Ocimum tenuiflorum) has sunburn. Your plant will change color in this instance, beginning to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.

Sunburned

As we saw above, the leaves of your Holy Basil can also change color if it receives too much water or insufficient light.

The bottom of the yellow leaves with a shaded area closer to the base can be examined to determine if they have been sunburned. If this part remains greener, the yellow leaf is most likely sunburned and not something else.

Why are my Holy Basil leaves turning brown?

The classic sign that a plant has been overexposed to direct sunlight and sunburned is the development of browning leaves. Rest assured that while this may probably save your plant from dying, it will adversely affect its growth.

Should I leave my Ocimum tenuiflorum in direct sunlight?

No! If your Ocimum tenuiflorum (or Holy Basil) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your Holy Basil is in such a state!

Our Solution

The remedy, as said in the paragraph above, is simple: just move your plant’s Holy Basil out of direct sunlight. Your plant should swiftly re-grow with this strategy and appropriate watering.

Why are my Ocimum tenuiflorum leaves drooping or wilting ?

When you become dehydrated, this usually happens. Large plants are more vulnerable since they need more water on a regular basis than smaller plants.

Drooping

You may quickly determine if your Ocimum tenuiflorum plant needs water by under-weighing its pot; if it seems light, the soil and roots are probably fairly dry and require water.

Our Solution

If the soil in the container is completely dry, you must first moisten it to guarantee that your plant’s roots absorb the benefits of the water. One common mistake is to drown the Holy Basil right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.

This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Ocimum tenuiflorum

Water Occasionally

Your plant needs water to survive, but it’s crucial to balance the amount and timing of watering. As we previously mentioned, overwatering could be catastrophic for your Ocimum tenuiflorum.

Touching the soil will let you know whether your plant needs water or not; if it still feels damp, it’s generally best to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

Maintaining a consistent temperature for your Ocimum tenuiflorum is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your Ocimum tenuiflorum close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.

Keep your Holy Basil Dust-Free

This one concerns indoor plants, just like on your furniture, dust is also deposited on the leaves of your indoor plants, the problem is that it can prevent them from receiving the necessary light, this would slow down (or even stop) the photosynthesis process, and eventually, they would lose their colors.

This would also make the pests happy, a real descent into hell for your Holy Basil.

Take a microfiber cloth and gently massage the plant’s leaves to get rid of the dust. Use a damp cloth to make dust removal easier, but avoid using corrosive materials like rubbing alcohol!

Keep drainage in mind

If you have a tendency to overwater, you need to keep an eye on your drainage, we advise you to opt for a pot with drainage holes if it is not already the case and a saucer.

If your pots don’t already have holes in them, you can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the meantime. This will assist in creating a channel and keep the water from pooling there for an extended period of time, protecting the roots from decay.