If you’re looking to keep your garden looking its best, there’s one thing you probably use in your kitchen that can be used for a number of things in your garden. And if you don’t, it only costs £1
Ants can be a pain to have in your garden(Image: Jenny Dettrick via Getty Images)
For those seeking to enhance their garden without breaking the bank, there are affordable and straightforward methods available. One such method involves a common kitchen spice – cinnamon.
This spice, sourced from the inner bark of certain trees, is not only delicious in culinary dishes but also offers health benefits like improved blood sugar levels and reduced inflammation. It turns out that cinnamon is also incredibly useful in the garden.
TikTok user @PlantingWithE, who is documenting her journey as she learns about gardening, recently shared some valuable tips with her followers. She expressed her surprise at discovering the various applications of cinnamon in gardening, even describing it as a “game-changer”.
In one of her latest TikTok videos, the budding gardener revealed: “I was today years old when I learned this cinnamon gardening hack. This everyday spice does way more than smell good.”
She went on to suggest using cinnamon by sprinkling it on moist soil to prevent damping off diseases, noting its ability to inhibit fungus growth on seedling.
The gardener in the video recommended using cinnamon not only as a deterrent for ants and fungus gnats—who “hate the smell”—but also sprinkling it around plant bases to keep them at bay. Cinnamon can also aid in protecting cuttings from rot by dipping “fresh cuttings in cinnamon as a natural rooting aid”.
Viewers of the video soon began sharing their own experiences with cinnamon in the horticultural world. One individual remarked:”Most bugs and rodents hate the smell too!”, while another mentioned its utility in deterring stray cats from treating raised beds like litter trays.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
For those who were previously unaware of cinnamon’s gardening potential, the chance to try it out was met with enthusiasm. One person said: “Get outtaaa hereeee! I’m going to do this tonight!!! Appreciate it!”, while another simply said: “I love it! Thanks for sharing!”.
If you find yourself without cinnamon, it is readily available at Tesco and most other supermarkets for around £1. Plantura Magazine has also acknowledged its use as a foundation for ecological plant protection and pest control, citing its efficacy in preventing grey mould and certain water moulds.
Fiona Jenkins, a houseplant specialist at MyJobQuote.co.uk, previously noted that cinnamon serves as a natural fungicide that can be very effective in mending broken stems. Her advice for dealing with a broken stem includes making a clean cut and applying cinnamon powder to prevent infection.
“Mixing cinnamon powder into the soil of your houseplant will also help to prevent mould and fungus,” she added.