Question about cinnamon…

[toynutz]

I’ve read about putting cinnamon on cuts and wounds to help with the healing, act as a fungicide, etc. I know people are referring to ground or powdered cinnamon. My question is, I have a cinnamon leaf essential oil and am wondering if I can use it as a similar treatment?

[cb977]

No, use the regular ground cinnamon. It will seal the wound. I wouldn't put any kind of oil (except possibly neem) on my chids

[toynutz]

I haven't had to use cinnamon yet... I was just curious and thought I better ask BEFORE I did something I'd regret!

[Becky15349]

yeah I agree, oil doesn't sound like a good idea to me - you want the actual physical cinnamon ground up, not the essential oil.

[Orchid126]

Essential oils are used mostly in the craft industry to scent various things like soap, bath products or pot pourii. They are not used on plants.

What you can use though, is cinnamon extract, the kind you get from the grocery store, which is concentrated cinnamon. There is a recipe created by Brookn which calls for 10 drops of dish soap, 1.8ml (about 2t) cinnamon extract to two cups of tepid water. This formula has been successful in cleaning leaves, treating bacteria, fungal infections, as a bug deterrent, and a bug and slug killer.

[RosieC]

I think Ray makes an infusion of Cinnamon and water (or was it alcohol) and uses it as a spray. I remember reading that somewhere on OB.

[Ray]

Both, actually. The water infusion (the active ingredient is cinnamaldehyde) is a good fungicide. In alcohol, a fungicide and insecticide. The "how-to" is about halfway down the page here: First Rays' Home Remedies

But I'd still use the powder to seal a wound.

By the way, cooking oil, emulsified with dish soap in water, is a good insecticide, too.

[orchidexpress]

Follow Ray's lead!
I pick up the ground cinnamon at the dollar store.

Happy Growing!

[Orchid126]

The ground cinnamon from the dollar store is not true cinnamon.