As one of the most popular spices in the world, cinnamon has been used in kitchens for thousands of years. While it may be best known for its warming flavor, the ancient spice can also serve an important purpose inside your garden as well.
The scoop
As demonstrated by gardener and TikToker Maddy (@maddy_be_doingstuff), applying a healthy dusting of cinnamon atop your garden just might be the eco-friendly pest control method you’ve been looking for.
@maddy_be_doingstuff The garden pest hate this TikTok dance trend! 🦟🚫 Have you tried the cinnamon trick in your garden?! Apparently sprinkling cinnamon around your garden can keep pest away! This is something new I’m trying after the insane amount of rain we’ve been getting this summer. Fellow gardeners seem to have good luck with cinnamon deterring ants, fungus gnats and other garden pests. Bonus: Your garden will smell like freshly made cinnamon rolls! 🥮😋 How do you care for your garden after a rainstorm? I will update you on if this trick is helpful to my garden! #garden #gardenpests #gardening #ants #fungusgnats #gardentok ♬ original sound – logan
“Apparently sprinkling cinnamon around your garden can keep pests away! This is something new I’m trying after the insane amount of rain we’ve been getting this summer,” wrote the gardening influencer. “Fellow gardeners seem to have good luck with cinnamon deterring ants, fungus gnats and other garden pests.”
How it’s helping
Not only is gardening a great way to get your dose of daily fresh air, but it can also help improve air quality around your home. Cultivating your own garden can also support wildlife and pollinators, encouraging the growth of a healthy ecosystem in your backyard. This makes pest control an important part of your gardening duties.
In a study originally published in the journal Molecules, cinnamon has the ability to act as a natural insect and fungal repellent for plants. The spice is capable of deterring pests like ants, earwigs, and fungus gnats by irritating their senses. Cinnamon can also prevent the growth of fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew and damping off, in seedlings.
This is due to the phytotoxic effects of cinnamon, giving the spice herbicide qualities, meaning it can become a somewhat effective alternative to synthetic chemical pesticides that may contain harmful chemicals. This simple hack can keep your garden free of costly pests while also helping cut down on the demand for traditional pesticides as well.
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You can gently apply cinnamon to your garden plants by sprinkling the spice on top or even by mixing it with water to spray on plants. However, cinnamon should be considered as a deterrent and not a long-term solution, as its effect is temporary and needs reapplication, especially after rain. Cinnamon also has the potential to burn or harm plants when used in high concentrations.
What everyone’s saying
Over in the comments section, a few users offered up their take on the all-natural pest control method.
“Yes, this works!” exclaimed one commenter. “Tried and true.”
However, a second user added a small warning to gardeners itching to try out the hack.
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“Cinnamon suppresses fungus growth. Probably not a big impact once in a while but if done frequently in the same area over a long period of time it’ll probably have noticeable impacts on soil health,” they shared. “Cinnamon wouldn’t just inhibit the pathogenic funguses, it’s also going to inhibit all your decomposers that form symbiotic relationships with your plants.”
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