Cinnamon extract for misting? - Orchid Board

FairyInTheFlowers · #1 10-26-2016, 12:34 AM

So I have a 1 G hand misting pump, and in the past I have used this to gently mist my plants to try to increase the humidity. However, the two times I did this, several of my Phals came down with decimating leaf rot over night, even though the plants where well dried off before then. However, I use this all the time for spraying the top of the media for light watering or even for mounts, and I have never had this problem.

I have read in multiple places that cinnamon extract or cinnamon leaf oil can be used as a disinfectant. I was wondering if I could possibly use it in small enough amounts that it would work as a preventative that, when used chronically, won't harm the plants. Something like adding a few drops of the extract per gallon of water.

estación seca · #2 10-26-2016, 03:09 AM

I don't think it's a good idea to mist most orchid leaves for the reason you described.

FairyInTheFlowers · #3 10-26-2016, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by estación seca

I don't think it's a good idea to mist most orchid leaves for the reason you described.

I was doing it to raise humidity, as I can't quite mist the walls of my closet. Is this not the same as any other misting system in vivariums or greenhouses? I think the problem has always been that I don't have enough air movement. Thus, I thought maybe adding a small amount of cinnamon would kill any fungal spores before they even got to the plants, but not enough to dry out the plants. Or am I better off using some other anti-fungals?

Ray · #4 10-26-2016, 10:17 AM

Misting plants is a very poor - and as you have discovered first hand - a damaging way to raise humidity.

A mist is made up of very fine droplets, which altogether, have an amazingly high surface area for evaporation to occur. Once those droplets hit the leaves, they form a surface film that has several orders of magnitude less surface area, so the water just sits there and allows final spores to germinate and infect your plant.

If you need to raise the humidity, find a way to mist the air, not the plant.

Orchid Whisperer · #5 10-26-2016, 10:46 AM

Instead of misting, try growing companion plants with a lot of leaf area near your orchids. Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum sp.) and other very leafy houseplants are good for this and transpire a lot of water.

Tindomul · #6 10-26-2016, 11:29 AM

Hi,

I was using the stuff and found out it can kill soft leaves very easily. Orchid leaves are not the kind of soft I am talking about though. So if you have other plants that have thin soft leaves, be careful with it's use. Also, I was curious about the product's safety and was alarmed that there are many websites that state Cinnamon leaf oil if inhaled can lead to lung damage. The problem is there really isn't any good research on this and therefore cannot be backed up. On the other hand, there is no real evidence that it is completely safe. I wonder if anyone here knows more??
Here is the MSDS. When I do a google search today I can't find anything to back me up, but when I searched about three months ago I saw tons of stuff. Not sure what that is about.

---------- Post added at 10:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 AM ----------

Update, ok, so Cinnamon leaf oil is 75% Eugenol. That's the one we have to be careful about. Read this,

The Darker Side Of Eugenol Oil | Pest Cemetery

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3242449