11 Cinnamon Benefits For Plants And Gardening

Cinnamon gives that delicious flavor to many cooking recipes. It is a spice that is made from the inner bark of the aromatic tree Cinnamomum. It is a versatile spice and even a small dash of Cinnamon gives that distinct taste to your homemade pie. It is also a very powerful substance with many medicinal properties and has a strong anti-diabetic effect. 

But, it can be just widely used in your garden, and you put this spice to care for your veggies and flowers, similar to baking soda and vinegar. Try to be an organic farmer and try to use this spice for some gardening problems and see immediate results!

It is not a secret that natural fertilizers are always preferred to the chemicals and pesticides you use to solve your garden problems. It is an effective anti-fungal treatment, not expensive, and very easy to apply. (1)

How Do You Use Cinnamon Powder On Plants?

We will try to explain how you can use Cinnamon in your garden and you will see that it has many gardening applications. 

1. Natural Rooting Agent 

Many gardeners confirm that it is a great and effective rooting agent when applied to a plant’s stem while planting the cutting. It can stimulate the growth of any plant you are growing and you have to apply it only once. It is a great substitute for synthetic rooting stimulants and hormones. 

How can it stimulate plant growth with cinnamon powder?

• Pour a spoonful of cinnamon powder on a paper towel
• Fold it and shake it so you can spread it all over evenly
• Moisten the cutting ends and wrap them with the towel 
• Plant the cutting in potting soil and start a regular care
• This will boost their rooting

Cinnamaldehyde, its key ingredient, helps the root branching by regulating hydrogen sulfide that comes from the cutting itself. (2)

2. Cinnamon For Treating Rust 

Rust is a common infection and is a soil-borne disease is spread by spores from the fungus Puccinia distincta.

If you have rust-infected plants, a common fungal infection in the garden, you can sprinkle some cinnamon powder in the soil while planting. Then adhere to usual guidelines for plant care. In addition, you can space out your plants and water them regularly to keep them healthy.

3. Cinnamon As A Fungicide Agent

Cinnamon is a great anti-fungal agent and you can use them to fight mold and mildew on plants. Cinnamon can also be used as an anti-molding agent for soil as well. In this case, you can replace the soil with a fresh one, but Cinnamon also comes to the rescue.

All you need is just to sprinkle Cinnamon to the ground and restore health and good appearance to the soil.

You can even make an anti-fungal foliar spray to prevent fungal infections from coming.

How to make it?

• Mix 4 tbsp. cinnamon powder to a half-gallon of water
• Shake it and leave it for some time (a few hours)
• Strain the solution through a sieve
• Put it in a spray bottle and spray the affected leaves and stem of the plant
• You can even spray the base of the plant

4. Cinnamon For Deterring Furry Pests

Cinnamon is a very strong scented spice, and it can confuse the scent instincts of animals and will scare them away. If furry pests like rabbits, squirrels, or moles make problems in your garden and you are concerned about the damage they can make, just sprinkle a few pinches of Cinnamon around the perimeter and solve your problem.

5. Use Cinnamon To Deter Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are very bothersome and annoying creatures, and you can use Cinnamon to deter them. It might not be the best natural repellent, but it can be rather helpful when combined with other repellents. You can just apply a bit of Cinnamon around your garden, and one study found that cinnamon oil can kill a mosquito, and it is an effective environmentally–friendly pesticide. (3)

6. Cinnamon to Treat Indoor plants

You can use it for indoor plants as well as for the plants in the greenhouses to kill spider mites, whiteflies, and other common pests. All you need is to sprinkle the cinnamon powder around your plants and on the affected areas.

7. Cinnamon For Treating Fungus Gnats

Fungus plants are harmful pests most commonly known as soil gnats. They live in areas with heavy fumes of CO2 and grow up to about 1/8 inch long when they reach their adult life.

Mature gnats do not usually do any harm compared to larvae that suck the lap of the roots and damage the plant. If you notice plenty of grey or white worms that are shiny and translucent, it is very likely that your plant is fighting with a larvae infestation. They develop rapidly and it is essential to tackle the problem immediately.

Cinnamon is a great natural remedy for fighting gnats. Just mix cinnamon powder with water and sprinkle the solution on the topsoil. This will fix the problem very quickly. 

8. Cinnamon for Deterring Ants

Cinnamon can be a powerful insecticide and repel ants and other small insects by creating a protective barrier that keeps them off, and they usually avoid its smell. 

Just sprinkle on the tracks or on the place they usually gather and it tends to be a problem. You can sprinkle it inside and outside as well and prevent them from coming. 

9. Use Cinnamon to Deter Mushrooms

Mushrooms are great, but not the wild ones that grow in your garden. Sprinkle some cinnamon powder on the places they grow and usually pop up and deter their growth and do not worry they might hurt other garden plants. 

10. Cinnamon to Prevent Damping-off Disease 

This fungal disease attacks small seedlings when they start to grow. Simply sprinkle some cinnamon powder on the soil and prevent it even before it gets any chance to grow on the small, vulnerable seedlings.

11. Cinnamon To Heal Plant Wounds

Sometimes your plants can get infections from dirty tools used for plant trimming. If Cinnamon is applied to a fresh plant wound, it can promote healing and prevent other fungal infections from developing and worsening. 

How Much Cinnamon Can We Put On Plants?

If you have this problem, just sprinkle the infected areas with ground cinnamon, which will prevent the disease from progressing.

Cinnamon, along with pepper and turmeric, has proved to be more effective than the commercial products on the market. (4)

Is Cinnamon Powder Good For Plants?

Cinnamon can be used for many gardening problems, and it is a relatively inexpensive natural anti-fungal remedy, so it is good for plants. Still, many garden uses are not scientifically backed up and are based on anecdotal evidence. 

Nevertheless, one study found that it can act on pests as a repellent and if used in high doses, it can act to prevent egg-laying. (5)  

You can use it in your garden, in moderation,  but just do not forget to combine it with regular care like watering, fertilizing, and rotating your plants.