Hi all, looking for some advice on my 2 types of basil variants:
1 purple tulsi
1 ram tulsi

I consider myself quite green fingered with a range of houseplants some as old as 30 years. However these 2 basil varients elude me every time I try to grow them.

I have tried:
- Not over watering
- Planting multicompost mix with perlite to ensure well draining.
- garden soil mixed with perlite.
- Given lots of sun during the day
- Originally I made the mistake of overwatering, with this batch I've tried under watering, watching the leaves and soil as indication.
- I've nipped and pruned when needed to encourage bushy growth.

No matter what I try the plants eventually die. We are now going into the darker half of the year here in the UK and I'm worried that these plants have not been supported enough through summer to make it through winter.

Any ideas? Can you see something I'm missing?

The picture above is the ram tulsi variety. In this post I've added the purple tulsi variety I have.

I never have grown that variety. But in my garden my common Genovese types always succome to downey Mildew . Don't make it till frost.

I grow tulsi (Holy Basil) but I am not sure it is the same as yours.
I grow ocimum tenuiflorum.
It self sows in an outdoor pots and I usually have plenty harvested by winter
However I have kept a couple in a small pot under lights overwinter (simply for the smell)
My herbs have a grow light 12 hours a day inside over winter

Sounds like you have tried hard to keep these plants
some plants are just extra difficult
wish I had an answer
don't give up

It looks like the plant in the first picture has spider mite damage.

Second one too though it's harder to tell. If you look closely there are dots on the leaves that are light in color.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

I think I will tackle the potential bug infestation 1st and then bring in the heat light to hopefully see it through winter.

I think after this I will give up on basil for a bit, come back to it later in life!

For those interested these are holy basil varients otherwise known as Ocimum tenuiflorum. Thanks again!

Basils like a deep pot, long tap root, fast draining soil, like water but don't like wet feet.

I grow a LOT of tulsi. The rama tulsi grows and can withstand a LOT drier conditions although it's ok with wet. While I grow a lot of it in containers, it does best in ground for me. It tolerates or got and humid warm season. It also seeds well and I haven't had to replace it in years. I tried Krishna (people) tulsi last year and was provided rama seeds by mistake. I'll be growing purple this year.

We use a lot of it for coming and yes but mainly grow hundreds of them for pollinators who seem to relish it. That's why I have been sitting it around to a number of beds.

What is your climate like? Any microclimates? Potted or in-ground?

Another thing is basils are actually a 1 year plant, when the stems get woody they are getting ready to die. I would up your light hours to 16 - they do need a dark time, and deeper pots, but take cuttings to propagate when possible.

Kat, that solves a mystery. I was just wondering why the pictured basils look like trees.

Deb, many varieties of basils grow 6' high and 6' wide if left to their own devices. Not all varieties, but did I mention they really need a place for a deep root? I still haven't pulled that basils roots yet, did cut it down after it froze and died tho. This one does NOT reseed, is a hybrid.

Six feet even though that's the dying stage?

That is the African Blue basil, I take cuttings in the Fall, plant out in Spring, and they live until a freeze kills the plant. It stays at 6'x6' for 5 or 6 months here, I suppose they might live longer on native soil, but they love and require strong light in 11 hours plus days. I have grown cinnamon basil as well, and it does the same thing. The lime basil and Genovese basils do not get large for me, the p. mildew stunts them.

Kat, thanks for the explanation.
I love the licorice scent of Genovese.
I wish that the fennel in the garden centers had that delicious licorice scent but there's no smell at all. Maybe only wild fennel smells like that.