Did you know that cinnamon is great for plants? Yes, this kitchen spice is SUPER plant friendly and offers some nice benefits.
Here are the top reasons why I like using it.
Benefit #1: cinnamon encourages new root growth. It’s not as effective as rooting hormones that you can purchase at the store, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. I like to use cinnamon on all my plant cuttings before sticking them in soil.
Just dab the roots in water and then roll them around in cinnamon. Alternatively, I suppose you could sprinkle powder on the roots.
Benefit #2: cinnamon prevents infections and decay on plants. If your plant has an open wound, apply some cinnamon to that area. Again, this is excellent for fresh cuttings. It prevents further damage when there’s a rip or tear on a leaf, too.
Benefit #3: cinnamon prevents fungus and pests. Regular moisture and warm temperatures leads to fungus growth in flower pots. You might recognize the white fuzz that appears on the top soil.
Not only does the fuzz compete for nutrients, but it might also invite unwelcome bugs (like gnats) that love to feed on it.
Sprinkling cinnamon over the soil is an effective way to prevent fungus and also stop bugs from snooping around.
I’m sure there might be other perks not mentioned here, but we don’t need to go that far. You get the idea: spice is nice. Some gardners use other spices like tumeric and cumin, but I haven’t experimented with those myself.
The cinnamon doesn’t need to be a fancy kind. Any cinnamon from the grocery store would do.
At this point, you might be wondering, “Why is cinnamon so magical and effective? Why do plants like a spicy life?”
The answer has to do with the spice’s origins and chemical composition.
The spice comes from the inner bark of certain tree species. Yes, cinnamon is nothing more than ground up tree bark. Yum.
My guess is that the bark’s original purpose is to protect the tree from harm and pests, right? Its composition and oils evolved in that special way. Those protective properties happen to be great for other plants, too.
Besides talking about it, I thought I’d show you the spice in action.
Last year, my coworker brought a lot of aloes to share at the office. Here’s a picture of some leftover aloes. She had quite a bunch! So I took these ones home.
She swaddled them in wet paper towels for the tranfer to and from work, which I thought that was a clever method for transporting them. I think they sat at the workplace for a couple days before I adopted these guys.
I happened to have some small pots available. The two smallest pots used to hold cacti. The other three were plastic containers that came with store plants. I always save containers for situations like these.
First I added rocks, then the soil. I had some nice, smooth river rocks this time.
I decided to go with mostly cactus soil and added a small handful of potting soil because it had fertilizer. I mixed them together in a container. This is my first time owning aloe plants, so I was hoping the mix would be okay.
They are succulents and thrive in dry conditions, but they still need a good drink of water occasionally. I heard someone call this the “drought and flood” method? Let the soil dry completely between each watering, then drench the soil with water.
I unwrapped the aloes from the paper towel. Right away, I noticed that they had very small roots. They were recently cut away from the mother plant and hadn’t developed a good root system yet.
As mentioned earlier, dip the root section in water for dampness, then roll them in cinnamon for full coverage. I usually pour cinnamon into a saucer for this activity.
The aloes are planted in their new homes. They look very bright and fresh.
Here’s a close up of the cinnamon sprinkled over the soil. In addition to protecting the plant, it also smells nice.
The aloe in the yellow pot was my favorite combo. I used a spray bottle for this plant’s first watering.
I didn’t want to flood the soil out of the tiny pot, so the spray bottle was an easy way to add water. It wasn’t necessary after that. The soil became more settled.
All the aloes look really cute together. They now have cinnamon on the soil.
Here’s an example of cinnamon on other cuttings. This photo is of fresh cut Peperomia obtusifolia. I used cinnamon on the stems to encourage roots. I also sprinkled cinnamon at the base to prevent rotting.
The pep leaves are so close to the soil. I used to have problems with them becoming waterlogged. I don’t have that trouble anymore with the help of cinnamon.
Here is an older batch of pep cuttings that developed roots. I’m really proud of these ones. They are growing so many new leaves in the middle! You’ll notice cinnamon at the base of these plants, too.
Finally, here’s an example of a mother pep plant that I cut the stem from. It’s hard to see, but you’ll notice cinnamon covering the wound. It healed over very nicely.
I cut the stem from four plants recently. Each plant has a new stem and leaf starting to grow right above the old wounds. I’m excited to watch their progress.
In conclusion, there are many benefits to adding cinnamon to your plant care routine. This spice is great for the home and garden.
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