This food spice is perfect to keeping the soil in your garden healthy, and even has an extra benefit of keeping pests and rats away due to its strong smell
Lawns can be incredibly hard to get green, and even once you’ve got there, it can be a task to keep them that way.
Fluctuating temperatures can see grass strands scorched, leading to unsightly dead patches in hard-to-treat areas. And when the weather isn’t interfering, pests can become a problem, too.
If this sounds a familiar, there’s a simple method that can help revive your spoiled lawn and it’s not in an expensive branded bottle: cinnamon. This household spice, which you can pick-up when food shopping for as little as £1, is a perfect antifungal agent, helping to prevent diseases and stop them from spreading in the garden. Cinnamon draws out the moisture that fungi need to spread. It’s easy to apply and can be a much safer option than using chemicals that may harm your garden.
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Not only that, but it also acts as a natural repellent. Creatures and pests find the scent off-putting and will steer clear of your garden if they detect cinnamon. However, if you overuse cinnamon on your soil, you run the risk of harming the beneficial microorganisms that support soil health.
There are other benefits to using cinnamon on your lawn, such as reducing the number of weeds and helping to manage your soil’s pH levels.
A balanced pH level provides the right conditions for nutrient uptake by grass — such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Without this balance, your lawn may grow more slowly and become more vulnerable to diseases and pests.
How to apply cinnamon
To tackle fungal issues and improve soil quality, apply up to four ounces (approx. 113 grams) per 10 square feet. To deal with pests, a lighter application of 0.25 to 0.5 ounces (7 to 14 grams) per 10 square feet will do the trick.
If you think you may struggle to get the perfect distribution, there’s a handy hack that can help: just mix four to five tablespoons of ground cinnamon into a gallon of water.
Then, using a watering can or sprayer, evenly apply the mixture to your soil or plants. It’s important to make sure you apply it to the soil and not on top of the grass .
By doing this, you ensure the cinnamon comes into direct contact with the areas that need the most attention. Sometimes, reapplication might be necessary — especially in tougher cases — so waiting three to four weeks between treatments is recommended to give your lawn time to absorb the spice and show visible improvement.