5 Benefits of Using Cinnamon In Your Garden

Many natural ingredients that can be found in your pantry are applicable for use in your container garden.

One of such ingredients is cinnamon.

Cinnamon is a brown, sweet-smelling, aromatic spice gotten from the dried inner bark of the tree native to Sri Lanka and neighboring West Indian regions. In medieval times, it was worth more than gold.

Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde, cinnamate, cinnamic acid, and numerous essential oils. It is a natural fungicide, antibacterial, and antimicrobial agent.

Here are some ways you can apply cinnamon in your garden:

1. As a natural rooting hormone

Cinnamon’s natural fungicide actions allow the plant’s rooting auxins to thrive in a healthy environment, encouraging rooting.

To use, mix the cinnamon with a few drops of water in a paper towel and roll the ends of the stems/leaves in the mix.

2. As ant repellant

This spice has been long used as an ant repellant, and less ants in your container garden means less mealybugs.

Sprinkle cinnamon along the path of your ant problem and they will disappear within hours.

3. To control fungus gnats/flies

Fungus gnats often signal that the soil is too damp - which can eventually lead to root rot of young seedlings.

Sprinkling the soil with cinnamon powder destroys the fungus that sustains the fungus gnat larvae. The smell of the essential oils the spice contains also repels the adult flies.

4. To combat mold, mildew and fungus

We already established that cinnamon is a powerful fungicide. A sprinkle of cinnamon on the top soil can help to combat mold, mildew and other plant fungal infections.

5. To treat plant injuries

Dab plant cuts or the ends of broken stems/leaves with a mix of cinnamon to prevent infections or rot from setting in. This also applies to young cuttings before they are planted/put into water.

Apart from tasty pastries, what other folk applications for cinnamon have you heard about?