Cinnamon

[2009zohsix]

I see many people suggesting the use of cinnamon as a fungicide. There are two basic kinds of cinnamon sold as "Cinnamon", cassia cinnamon (common household) and Ceylon cinnamon (true cinnamon).

Which cinnamon is used as a fungicide for orchids?
Thanks!

[fredfarmer]

Ceylon Cinnamon is the best fungicide/dessicant. I've read that in a few places. I use it and it certainly works.

[Leafmite]

Cassia cinnamon works just fine. I have not used the other type though I grow a small tree of it in a container.

[2009zohsix]

Thank you! I use Ceylon cinnamon for cooking and have that in the house, so I'll give that a try.

[Ray]

Both contain cinnamaldehyde, so are pretty effective bactericides and fungicides. However, in powdered form, they, are tremendous desiccants, so care should be taken to keep it away from roots.

You may extract the active ingredient by soaking in rubbing alcohol (1 TBSP/quart seems good) overnight, or in water for several days. A paper towel or coffee filter works well to filter out the sediment.

I have also made a thick paste by mixing it with Elmer’s (casein-based) glue, allowing it to adhere to surfaces better when overhead watering is employed.

That said, if you want a really powerful fungicide, look for cinnamon leaf oil from Sri Lanka. That contains eugenol, and a few drops in alcohol is quite effective.

[2009zohsix]

Originally Posted by Ray

Both contain cinnamaldehyde, so are pretty effective bactericides and fungicides. However, in powdered form, they, are tremendous desiccants, so care should be taken to keep it away from roots.

You may extract the active ingredient by soaking in rubbing alcohol (1 TBSP/quart seems good) overnight, or in water for several days. A paper towel or coffee filter works well to filter out the sediment.

I have also made a thick paste by mixing it with Elmer’s (casein-based) glue, allowing it to adhere to surfaces better when overhead watering is employed.

That said, if you want a really powerful fungicide, look for cinnamon leaf oil from Sri Lanka. That contains eugenol, and a few drops in alcohol is quite effective.

Thank you Ray! The Ceylon Leaf oil sounds like a good way to use on a very specific area of an orchid. The oil I found is 75% eugenol, so how much alcohol would I use to a few drops of oil?

[Ray]

1%-2% oil seems to be the ticket.

As an aside here, I have used cinnamon leaf oil (straight) applied to a toenail with a q-tip, then covered with a band-aid to protect it from sock rub-off, to cure a nail fungus.

And...after surgery a while back, bandages and heat and humidity led to a yeast infection. I put a drop of the oil in 200 ml of liquid lanolin, and it was cured in a day.

[2009zohsix]

Another example of Mother Nature giving us everything we need.
Thanks.