8 Reasons why plants love cinnamon (These really work!)

Did you know that plain old kitchen cinnamon is an amazing fungicide? Not only that, but cinnamon can be used in the garden so many different ways. I've discovered 8 different ways to use cinnamon for plants. From fungus killer to rooting hormone, cinnamon has got ya covered!

Using cinnamon in the garden

There are 2 things that I'm sure you know about me by now.

1) I'm frugal
2) I prefer to do things as natural as possible.

Pretty simple right? I try to do things the way my great-grandma did. She lived on a farm in the 1920's, and raised 6 kids on 1 income! Everything did double duty and it was done the cheapest way possible. I'm just like her! 

So I'm often looking for simple solutions instead of the expensive commercial crap the media tries to convince us we need now.

That type of search is exactly what led me to cinnamon as a remedy for what ails my plants. I mostly use cinnamon for seedlings since cinnamon prevents dampening off disease, but it can be used several other ways. 

Here are my most common uses for cinnamon in the home & garden.

How to use cinnamon in your garden


1) Cinnamon saves seedlings.
The term dampening off covers a range of diseases that attack a seed/seedling either before or after germination and cause the seedling to die. They can be caused by several different fungus and soil conditions. 

A few years back I read that if you dust the soil of seedlings with cinnamon, it will prevent dampening off. I've been doing it since with great results! This makes a lot of sense too, since cinnamon has antifungal properties. 

This also gets rid of those little fungus gnats that somehow appear around seedling trays. Cinnamon kills the fungus they feed off of. 

Cinnamon dusted on seedlings


2) Prevent wild mushrooms.
Nothing worse then having to waste a beautiful day pulling mushrooms from the mulch in my flower beds. Mushrooms are fungus and luckily cinnamon has antifungal properties. 

By dusting cinnamon all over the garden mulch, it helps to control mushroom growth. Don't worry, it won't hurt your plants.

3) Cinnamon as rooting hormone.
Cinnamon is much cheaper than the chemical rooting hormone they sell in the big box store and just as effective! Just allow the cutting to dry slightly then apply cinnamon powder to the stem before you plant the cutting.

cinnamon in the garden


4) Cinnamon as ant deterrent.
Ants do not like cinnamon! Sprinkle cinnamon in your greenhouse or around your garden beds to deter garden pests. It will not kill the ants, but they will stay away from it. 

Sprinkle a line of it in front of your doors if ants are coming into your house. They really hate to cross a line of cinnamon!

5) Cinnamon heals plant wounds.
Overzealous pruning or a slip of the weed whacker and you'll have a plant with a wound that needs fixed up. Simply dust cinnamon on the wound to encourage healing and prevent fungal infection at the same time. 

6) Deters furry pests.
Dust cinnamon along the outside of the garden to deter rabbits, squirrels and even moles. Small critters are close enough to the ground that as they walk through the cinnamon they will get it on their face and breathe it in. 

Cinnamon will irritate the mucous membranes of their nose and mouth without causing permanent harm, but will deter them from visiting again.

7) Flying bug deterrent.
Cinnamon oil is known to be a deterrent for flying bugs like mosquitoes. When dusted around the garden, cinnamon powder can have the same effect. Also see #8 for more flying bug info... 

8) Cinnamon for house plants.
Cinnamon gets rid of molds and mildew in house plants too. Simply sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on the soil. Fungus shows up as discolored spots on the soil.

It will also get rid of gnats if you happen to have them buzzing around your house plants. These are the same gnats seedlings get. The cinnamon destroys the fungus they feed on and the gnats will die.
Jar of cinnamon in garden


Cinnamon for plant rust?
I've also read that cinnamon may help to control rust in plants, but since I've never experienced it I'm not positive. It certainly won't hurt to try.

Can you use cinnamon sticks in the garden?

As much as I want to be able to use cinnamon sticks in my garden it has a very low effectiveness. Powdered cinnamon is best. The only things cinnamon sticks help with is to prevent mushrooms and in that case they need to be broken up into smaller pieces and scattered among the mulch.

I used a rubber mallet to break them up, as they are pretty hard.

disclosure

Other uses for cinnamon


Cinnamon also has some amazing health benefits for us so it's great to have on hand and best of all, I always find it at the dollar store! Check out these 13 Proven health benefits of cinnamon! from Dr Axe and these 9 Things you didn't know cinnamon could do from Readers Digest.

If your dollar store doesn't carry it or you just use a whole lot, you can get the 'restaurant sized' jar of it here for about $5. (cheapest I've found it online) At that price and with these uses, what's not to love about cinnamon? 

Oh, and don't worry about buying 'true' cinnamon, it makes no difference at all for these uses. Either one will work just fine.

Want more frugal gardening tips? Check out my other posts on saving money in the garden.

~L

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101 comments:

  1. Wow! So many uses! Thanks for sharing- I have a few places in the garden that needs a dash of cinnamon! Added bonus- your garden will smell even more amazing!

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    1. You're right! This is especially true for seed starting trays....they now smell great when in the house! Thanks for stopping by!

      ~L

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    2. just make sure you buy "real" cinnamon- some have fillers like sawdust

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    3. Oh boy I didn’t know that

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    4. That’s a misconception. It’s not like sawdust from the floor of lumber mills. It’s wood pulp which is plant cellulose, a plant fiber from wood. Cellulose “Generally Recognized As Safe” by the FDA in 1973, and is in a lot of food. “Sawdust” usually contains about 40 percent cellulose. The stuff added to today's food is purified and safe to eat, but it doesn't have any lasting health benefits.

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  2. Hi! Stopping by from KarenLynn's From the Farm Blog Hop. Thanks for all the great info on cinnamon + plants! I do organic gardening and am always looking for new tips :)

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    1. I'm always looking to do stuff as naturally as possible. I'm heading over to check out your blog!
      Thanks for stopping by!

      ~L

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  3. Coolio...love the natural way with my veggies too :) thanks for sharing.

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    1. I try to use as few chemicals as possible too!
      Thanks for stopping by!

      ~L

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  4. I had no idea cinnamon was a good remedy for the garden. Thanks for sharing this info with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  5. Had no idea it did all that! I'm gonna try it for rooting cuttings, since I've been doing a lot of that lately. Thanks for sharing on The Maple Hill Hop!

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    1. Give it a try, it's much cheaper then rooting hormone!

      ~Lisa

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    2. It definitely works as a rooting hormone!! Worked on my Rubber Tree plant!! Tomorrow morning I'm gonna sprinkle it around my tiny garden!!

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    3. Awesome! I use it all around my garden also. Glad to hear about your plant!

      Lisa

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  6. Good Morning Lisa... Thank you so much for sharing on my Mountain Woman Rendezvous last week at TrayerWilderness.com. I greatly appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day to pop over. I LOVED your post... Not only do I personally LOVE cinnamon, you taught me a thing or two as well in regard to cinnamon and the plants. Here is a little information too - if you get honey bees, the cinnamon works great as a deterrent for ants there as well and will not harm the bees. Blessings to you and yours and I look forward to seeing what you may have to share next.. Tammy Trayer... <3

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    1. Oh wow...thank you so very much! I've been researching bees lately, really want to get started. Thanks for the tip!

      ~L

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  7. We've had problems with damping off before. This is so good to know. Thanks for sharing this at the HomeAcre Hop!

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    1. It really works! I had that problem too, and was super surprised that something so simple worked so well.

      ~L

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  8. I knew of a couple of those, but most were new to me. Very exciting. I am also a frugal lady. Thank you for sharing on Green Thumb Thursday. I hope you swing by today with some more great stuff.

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  9. Awesome! I had no idea, but now I will use cinnamon a little more often! Thanks for the tips!

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  10. I love cinnamon and knew it was healthful for humans. I guess why not plants! Thanks for this amazing post. Please stop by our #theWeekendSocial next Thursday at 9:00 PM EST. I'm off to pin your link!

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    1. Thanks for the invite! I'll stop by your hop tomorrow and link up!

      ~L

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  11. Thanks so much for sharing on the Country Fair Blog Party. I will be headed to buy cinnamon next time I am at the dollar store. As wet as we are I am sure I am about to have a fungus infestation in the garden.

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    1. I also like to buy mine at the dollar store. The containers are huge!

      ~Lisa

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  12. This is wonderful!!!!! I use cinnamon for so many things but this is new to me.... I google+ this article. Thank you. :)

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    1. I'm glad you liked the post! Thanks for the Google+!

      ~Lisa

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  13. I'm sold. I'm going to buy a big bottle of cinnamon next time I'm at the store.

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    1. I pick it up at the dollar store. Much cheaper there!

      ~Lisa

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  14. Fantastic! We blog our garden adventures at wildwestgardeners.blogspot.com, and this is just what our Wild West garden is going to get dusted with this year! Thanks for the tips! Does it work to deter squash beetles?

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    1. I will head over and check out your blog! I don't know about squash beetles since we don't get many of them. Give it a try though...it can't hurt!

      ~Lisa

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  15. This is amazing - I hate those gnats on my seedlings, I'm going to go sprinkle cinnamon on them right away! Thanks so much for sharing at the Tuesday Garden Party.

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    1. Those gnats are the worst, aren't they? Where do they come from? They just appear in the house sometimes! ugh! Give it a try, it's worked for me!

      ~Lisa

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  16. Great, I'm going to try some experiment s with this once I get back to work at the greenhouse! We like to keep it natural and frugal,also, so this was all be an excellent method to try :)

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    1. Much cheaper then rooting hormone, that's for sure! Let me know how it works for you!

      ~Lisa

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  17. Caution cat owners! Cats love cinnamon and may roll around in it similar to the catnip & they could destroy your plants!

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    1. Hmmmm, my cat doesn't pay attention to my plants so I haven't noticed a problem. Thanks for the tip!

      ~lisa

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  18. My houseplants started to get a fungus on the soil and I sprinkled cinnamon and it made it worse! Had to repot every one of them that had it. Maybe this works if you put it on before there is mold, but definitely not after it has started!

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    1. Maybe it depends on the type of fungus? I know when my seedlings get that green tinged mold this clears it right up. I hope your plants are ok!

      Lisa

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  19. I have a few outdoor plants that have some sort of ick...was wondering if I would sprinkle the plant with the cinnamon. Have you tried anything like that before??

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    1. It depends what type of ick. If it's fungal it should help! If it doesn't shoot me a message with some details and maybe we can figure it out!

      Lisa

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  20. Great post! Do you think I could spray a cinnamon water mix on Camilias to get rid of black soot/honeydew/aphids?

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    1. Thanks. Have you tried a jet of water from the garden hose? That usually knocks the aphids off and cleans the plant off a bit. Without the aphids the honeydew/black soot shouldn't come back. Hope that helps!

      Lisa

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    2. Just reading your wuestion...I collect cigarette buts in an old can with water...keep it outside, it stinks, then sift it thru coffeefilter and put this "tea" in a old spraybottle and spray the infested plants...you can watch falling them down...the rest of this solution you can water your flowers who intake the tobaccojuice in the rootsystem...
      Not good for edible plants!

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    3. Cigarettes are toxic. They also would be harboring lots of mold and bacteria if sitting in a wet can. Tobacco is poisonous to most plants. This is not a good idea, toxic and spreads disease. Not to mention gross.

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    4. Kinda makes sense as nicotine was originally a pesticide. I would wonder what all the other additives would contribute.

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    5. I use cinnamon for root hormone and it works great. Also, use cinnamon on flowers and in the garden. It is useful in many ways.
      Evidently, the negative comments about tobacco juice. Those people didn't grow up on a farm especially a tobacco farm. Tobacco is useful on a bug, wasp, or bee bite, it takes the poison out. It is also good for all kinds of plants. Maybe if some of these people grew up working hard on a farm they would understand the benefits of nature and its uses better.

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  21. Thanks so much for info. I have spent many an hour looking for solutions to the gnat in seedling problem. I have tried heating the soil before use, thinking that the eggs might be in the soil. Last year I tried hanging a blue light( mosquito catcher) and Sticky tape, but the gnats just on coming. Now I am really looking forward to next years sowing season. Thanks from Denmark

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  22. I like this. I always have lots of cinnamon, but do I put it on the soil on my house plants every time I water them?

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  23. Amazing! I can't wait to try some of these ideas.

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  24. What do you think about cinnamon getting rid of cockroaches

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  25. Hi! Do you know if cinnamon works to kill or keep away the aphids from my herbs, mainly basil and celery? I tried whit garlic and also chilli! But doesn't works!!!

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  26. I love the post, and love Cinnamon - had seen a PIN earlier on using for rooting hormone - but word of warning to the lady who uses cigarette "tea" - that is VERY TOXIC to BEES ! Don't use ANYWHERE that Bees might wander / hover - BEES are in trouble, and we need to *bee* aware of what we are putting out that might harm them ~

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    1. I agree 100%
      However, It may be worth noting the original commenter was probably referring to *house*plants. An environment that Bees, generally, do not inhabit.
      ....With that said it may also be worth noting, that same environment is , generally , not an appropriate environment to envelope with the fragrance of said cigarette butt “tea” .�� In fact, the idea alone should warrant a reaction of disgust.��

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  27. I be never heard of using cinnamon in my garden l do appreciate the tip and will get back to you after I try it out. Thanks Lisa.

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  28. Lisa do you think this might help with a white fly problem I have out here in Northern CA????

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    1. Hi Colleen,
      I don't know, but it's worth a try! Let me know if it works!
      Lisa

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  29. Hi, I used cinnamon tea instead or powder cinnamon, will the tea hurt my moringa plants? I have green algae on my potted moringa, also yellow leaves, I read on a website to use Epsom salt?

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    1. Cinnamon tea won't work the same way. Better to just pick up some cinnamon from the dollar store or grocery! I don't think epsom salts will help.

      Lisa

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  30. wow, very nice and cost effctive information cinnamum can change my thinking of palant growing tricks.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the article! Happy gardening!

      Lisa

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  31. Thank you for this information. I have a cutting of a rose new growth so I'm hoping this works. I'm going to try the cinnamon and honey and see if it works. Thank you

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    1. Let me know how it goes. I have used cinnamon as rooting hormone before but never on roses, so I'd love to hear how it works.

      Lisa

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  32. My tomatoes and green beans have had a fungus this summer. I am about to pull the plants since I live in Minnesota and our season is short. Can I sprinkle cinnamon on the bed after I have destroyed the plants to get the bed ready for next spring. I also add compost and manure in the fall.

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    1. Yes, you can add cinnamon now. I would do it now and on spring just in case. Good luck, dealing with fungus is the worst!

      Lisa

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  33. Epsom salt helps with yellow leaves that are caused by magnesium deficiency.

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    1. Jean, it would only help if the plant had a magnesium deficiency which isn't terribly common. Too much salts can harm a plant though, so be careful not to overdo it.

      Lisa

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    2. Epsom salts works great with Rose's to make them bloom like crazy! !!
      I have an orange rosebud that I just acquired at a friends funeral and am gonna use the cinnamon as a rooting hormone to try to root it because have never seen this color orange rose before not even in a Jackson and perkins catakog!!! Wish me luck!
      Got some pink Rose's am trying it on too!

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  34. Nice, I have problems with those tiny flying pests and i hope that they will go away after I sprinkled cinnamon dusts on my soil.

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  35. Woul cinnamun kill any plants around my garden like dafodils or lavender

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    1. Nope. cinnamon is safe for flowers and other plants.

      Lisa

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  36. Hi there. Just want to know do I use the cinnamon everytime I water my indoor plants?

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    1. Hi. It should only take 1 or 2 applications till the problem is gone. If soil gnats keep appearing you might need to improve your drainage or water less often.

      Lisa

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  37. I'm planning on planting potatoes from scrap this year and wonder if dusting the cut sides with cinnamon will help them root better? Have you tried this before? First time raised bed gardening this year!

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    1. I've never tried that, but potatoes root from the eyes not the cut part. That part needs to dry out and kind of scab over before planting. Hope that helps!

      Lisa

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  38. i have baby evergreen trees one inch high will cinnamon affect there growth if used to get rid of ants in baby trees playground ?

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    1. Cinnamon will not hurt your baby evergreens!

      Lisa

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  39. Thank you so much for sharing
    cinnamon is also very good for common cold.
    good for cure most chronic cough and clear the sinuses.
    longevity.Tea made with honey andcinnamon powder when taken regularly arrests the ravages of old age.

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    1. Thanks for the tip, I will try that next time I get a cold!

      Lisa

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  40. Would this work on rose bushes, Cottonwoods and fruit trees as well?

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  41. You talk about cinnamon being a fungicide. Question...
    I have a peach tree with some sort of fungus. Can cinnamon be made into a spray to spray the tree and possibly kill the fungus?

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    1. I don't think so, but I'm not positive. Fruit tree fungus will probably need something a bit stronger.

      Sorry...wish I had a more definite answer for you!
      Lisa

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  42. headed to the dollar store for cinnamon!! thank you!!

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  43. We have a woodchuck inside our enclosed pool area garden. Its eaten every leaf off of my tall phlox. It looks like I have a garden of green sticks! I will definitely try the Dollar Store cinnamon!

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    1. Oh no! I hope the cinnamon helps to keep the woodchuck out of your garden! Let me know how it goes!

      Lisa

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  44. Could not believe how quickly the cinnamon cured my ant problem. Now I'm off to the garden to tackle the fungus. Thanks so much for the info on cinnamon.

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  45. Thanks for the cinnamon tip. I just gave a good solid sprinkle to all of my outdoor potted herbs. On my basil, I noticed that numerous tiny white bugs were getting highly active as I was applying the cinnamon. I check my herbs daily for hijackers as something is nibbling on most all my herbs, and never noticed these tiny white bugs before. I hope the cinnamon has given them their eviction notice ��

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  46. Thank you Lisa for the cinnamon tips, I am trying to use it to root roses and I will give feedback when there is progress. Lizzy Madisha, South Africa

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    1. Roses are notoriously difficult to root....let me know how it goes!

      Lisa

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  47. Lisa , can I use this on my Hibiscus to get rid of the ants that are crawling all over them ? If so where do I apply it, on top of the leaves or at the base of the plant. Thank you in advance for your help! Beth

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    1. You can sprinkle it on the ground around the plant...that should help! Good luck!

      Lisa

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  48. My neighbor in Florida grows orchids & told me to use cinnamon as rooting hormone when transplanting orchids to new pots.

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    1. I never tried it on orchids since they are so delicate, but I'll try it on the one I have now that is struggling!

      Lisa

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  49. can we dilute the cinnamon powder and spray on the plant rather than sprinkling the powder ? thanks!

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    1. Cinnamon won't incorporate into water completely, so you're spray nozzle will clog before you can apply it. I'd stick to applying it to the soil.

      Lisa

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  50. I'm definitely going to try this in my garden. I've used cinnamon against ants in the past, but I am especially interested in seeing how it works as a rooting hormone. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

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    1. You're welcome! Let me know how it works for you!

      Lisa

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  51. I suggest tulips! They grow even after being plucked ! But they are so much 😫

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