Another Experiment Has Been Born

13 years ago

Yesterday, I had to go out and deadhead any remaining blooms on the roses and snow-tip the roses to open up the canopy so that I wouldn't have to deal with any breakage because snow was predicted for today.

Snow at my elevation is wet, gloppy heavy snow.

While getting up the nerve to go out and work in the cold, I was talking on the phone with a friend about my plans for the day. Bobbe is green up to her eyebrows. She asked me why I was concerned about the remaining blooms and I told her I had learned that they were a source of botrytis and the pruning cuts were vulnerable to canker.

She replied, "Yes. Botrytis is a problem in the greenhouse. Just do what my grandmother, my mother and I have always done ... sprinkle some cinnamon on the pruning cuts. I even use it on my seeds. Fungus and mold can't grow through cinnamon."

Blink !

So, while I worked outside all day, yesterday, I sprinkled cinnamon on every pruning cut ... laughing at myself and being very grateful no one could see me.

I wonder if anyone else has heard of using cinnamon this way.

Smiles,
Lyn

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Comments (7)

strawchicago z5
13 years ago
Kim Rupert mentioned cinnammon is used to prevent molds on young seedlings. The Old Heirloom Gardener Blog has another tip of using Elmer Glue to seal pruning cuts so borers can't get in.
roseblush1
Original Author
13 years ago
Hi Strawberry Hill...

I had passed that information to Kim from Bobbe when we were talking about damping off of seedlings.

However, I hadn't thought to use it on pruning cuts. There is no way I was going to mess with glue yesterday. It was too dang cold ... lol. However, I have sealed my pruning cuts with glue during the spring and know it does work.

However, if the cinnamon really works, I'll use that next spring because it's easier to apply.

Smiles,
Lyn
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kittymoonbeam
13 years ago
Yum Cinnamon. I tried twice to grow C. zeylanicum but the dry hot part of summer always got the little trees in the end. Phooey because they are lovely little trees and the sap at the end of the leaf when you break it off and bite on it is full of cinnamon 10x better than cinnamon gum. If I had a big greenhouse I would try again. I just can't bear to lose any more of those precious plants.

I am going to try the cinnamon on the cuts. The usual cinnamon in the spice section is the other cinnamon that they use for decorative cinnamon sticks, etc. If you ever get the zeylanicum cinnamon, its a stronger and richer smelling/tasting cinnamon but it costs more. I hate being so close to being able to grow these wonderful trees.
donaldvancouver
13 years ago
I did a search some time ago for research that might document the effectiveness of cinnamon in killing fungus. I can't find the paper now but there was evidence showing that there is a compound in cinnamon that interferes with the cell walls in fungi.
Orchid growers use it a lot as a fungicide. I have had some luck preventing damping-off fungus by sprinkling the soil surface with cinnamon.
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
13 years ago
It's used a lot by succulent plant afficianados as well--it has some value as a fungicide for freshly cut succulent stems.
seil zone 6b MI
13 years ago
What a great tip, thanks! Cinnamon has a lot of interesting properties and uses but I hadn't heard of this one before.
roseblush1
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you for the feedback. I've used cinnamon sticks to repel ants by taping them to my thresholds and window sills for years. I've even put them in my rose containers to keep the ants from farming aphids, but I've never sprinkled my pruning cuts with cinnamon until the other day.

Smiles,
Lyn