When you think of cinnamon, you probably think of desserts and food – after all its a common household ingredient. However, the spice also has uses elsewhere.
Did you know you can actually use the spice in your garden for multiple hacks? It’s actually a great way to kill off fungus-based problems and deter pests.
White mould is a fungal disease that affects more than 360 plant species, including beans, peas, lettuce, and various cabbage family members.
Symptoms of white mould appear as water-soaked spots on blossoms, stems, leaves, and pods, causing the leaves to wilt, yellow, and eventually die.
To treat plants affected by this condition, experts at GardeningknowHow recommend using cinnamon, which can also help address other common garden issues.
Another issue cinnamon can help with is pest control. The experts state: “If you have a problem with ants in your home or greenhouse, cinnamon is a good deterrent. Ants don’t like to walk where cinnamon powder lays, so summer ant problems will be decreased.”
The experts recommend using the spice for pests both inside and outside the house. You can sprinkle the powder where you notice them entering from.
Cinnamon can be picked up from local supermarkets such as at Aldi for 65p and at Asda for 70p.
Another kitchen staple gardeners can use around the garden are coffee grounds – they are an “essential” according to the pros.
The grounds can work magic in the garden and in a variety of ways. So rather than chucking them in the food waste, start saving so you can use them this winter.
Firstly, coffee grounds are an excellent compost ingredient and are fine to apply directly onto the soil around most garden plants if used with care and moderation.
They also contain nutrients that plants use for growth. The grounds are relatively high in nitrogen and also contain potassium and phosphorus, as well as being a source of organic matter.
According to Gardenersworld.com: “The safest way to use coffee grounds in the garden is to add them to compost containers or worm bins. Used grounds rot down well, and homemade compost is superb for improving soil and growing healthy plants.
“While applying coffee grounds directly onto the soil around most plants is usually fine, this should be done with care and moderation as using grounds in this way is never a one-method-fits-all approach.
“The chief potential problem is that if applied in quantity to the soil surface, the fine particles clog together to form a barrier that prevents water and air from reaching plant roots.”
