Using Cinnamon to avoid damping off

jenvacc · March 17, 2017

Has anyone tried sprinkling ground cinnamon around seedlings to prevent/combat damping off? Did it work, or cause more problems. Would like to hear you about this or any other tricks. Just transplanted seedlings to larger pots, worried I will have some fatalities.

Worth1 · March 17, 2017

Cinnamon is expensive use a one part hydrogen peroxide to 9 or 10 parts water and spray the soil.
It doesn't have to be exact.
Yes Cinnamon has some antibiotic/microbial properties but as far as I am concerned leave it for the food.

jenvacc · March 17, 2017

will try the H2O2 spray. wish me luck. trying a bunch of different heirlooms this year, in grow bags since we moved to a condo. want a good start for these guys.

**carolyn137** · March 17, 2017

Damping off of tomatoes is caused by several genera and species of FUNGi.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tomato_diseases

Scroll down to fungal diseases and look for damping off.

The only way to prevent it is by sowing seeds in artificial mix where there's no soil,aka dirt. You can also sterilize other mixes in the oven but hardly anyone does that these days.All b/c those fungal pathogens are soil borne pathogens.

I posted last week here that while the brown constricted area at the soil line occurs with newly germinated plants is well known that it can occur up to seedlings 4 to 6 inches tall as well.There's a nice picture of that in one of my tomato disease monographs.

Yes cinnamon has some antibacterial properties,I never used it, and here's why.

Back in the early 80's when I started at the AOL tomato forum there was a woman who posted there who was a technician at some company, I can't remember which one,and the use of cinnamon for damping off came up.

She asked her boss if she could do some experiments with that,used CONTROLS, she did doit and it clearly showed that cinnamon was not effective in preventing damping off.

Consider England who controlled the spice trade in the mideast and south sea islands. When they brought all those spices back, yes,they were used in baking and otherwise,but also to help preserve especially meats of all kinds by coating them with cinnamon and allspice,etc. to help preserve them.

One of the History magazines I sub to is published by the BBC in England and they always publish some recipes from way back.

Just what I've always wanted to taste,eels preserved in spices.

Summery,use the correct seed starting mix and you won't have damping off.

Carolyn

**carolyn137** · March 20, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Damping off of tomatoes is caused by several genera and species of FUNGi.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tomato_diseases

Scroll down to fungal diseases and look for damping off.

The only way to prevent it is by sowing seeds in artificial mix where there's no soil,aka dirt. You can also sterilize other mixes in the oven but hardly anyone does that these days.All b/c those fungal pathogens are soil borne pathogens.

I posted last week here that while the brown constricted area at the soil line occurs with newly germinated plants is well known that it can occur up to seedlings 4 to 6 inches tall as well.There's a nice picture of that in one of my tomato disease monographs.

Yes cinnamon has some antibacterial properties,I never used it, and here's why.

Back in the early 80's when I started at the AOL tomato forum there was a woman who posted there who was a technician at some company, I can't remember which one,and the use of cinnamon for damping off came up.

She asked her boss if she could do some experiments with that,used CONTROLS, she did doit and it clearly showed that cinnamon was not effective in preventing damping off.

Consider England who controlled the spice trade in the mideast and south sea islands. When they brought all those spices back, yes,they were used in baking and otherwise,but also to help preserve especially meats of all kinds by coating them with cinnamon and allspice,etc. to help preserve them.

One of the History magazines I sub to is published by the BBC in England and they always publish some recipes from way back.

Just what I've always wanted to taste,eels preserved in spices.

Summery,use the correct seed starting mix and you won't have damping off.

Carolyn

I hope the above helps especially since the woman who did the experiments used the proper CONTROLS.

Carolyn

gorbelly · March 17, 2017

As Carolyn says, use a sterile mix. In addition, don't keep seedlings in cold, damp conditions. Cool temps aren't necessarily bad in and of themselves, but be extra careful to not overwater if your seedling starting area is on the cold side. I pretty much keep the first 1/2" of soil as dry as possible and only water from the bottom and don't let the water wick up all the way to the surface when I do.

I've tried cinnamon in the past to ward off fungus gnats and prevent damping off. It wasn't effective.

Also, be aware that cinnamon can kill very young sprouts. Not sure whether the essential oils in it burns them or the powder itself dessicates them, but don't sprinkle on top of new sprouts. They seem fine if you put the cinnamon down before the sprouts break the surface. Once they get a little more robust, they cope fine... but as I said, the cinnamon doesn't do much. It does make the seedling area of your house smell really nice, though.

bower · March 18, 2017

Ah, cinnamon!!

I got a big tub of it for only 5 bucks one year, and I diligently used it to try to prevent fungal disease in the greenhouse that horrible damp cold year. Smelled fantastic!

Didn't work for any of our blights, though.
What the heck, it was worth doing for the smell alone.

jenvacc · March 22, 2017

Thanks for all replies. Needless to say, I did the H202 spray like Worth suggested. So far, so good. Saving the cinnamon for breakfast!!

On a side note-am growing big green dwarf and sleeping lady dwarf. I like that they have pretty stout stems starting out. Can't wait to see how they do in the grow bags here in Colorado.

I am so glad I found this website. Glad to know there are other tomato-freaks like me in the world!!

seaeagle · March 20, 2018

Sometimes I wonder how these poor little seedlings make it all on their own out in the wild battling the wind and rain all the bad fungi and stuff.

Maybe the wind and the rainwater help.

I use Farfard Outdoor Planting Mix (Purple Bag) to start all my seeds and potting up. It is 7 dollars for a huge bag,(the one that feels like it weighs over 50 pounds) and never had a problem with damping off. Never bleach containers. It doesn't say sterile but I guess is has no soil like most mixes.

Don't over water, (I use rainwater), don't fertilize until they have true leaves and then a very dilute fish emulsion. Maybe Miracle Grow but I have never used it. Take them outside on pretty days or put a fan on them to provide circulation or shake them.These seedlings are a lot tougher then a lot of gardeners think they are.

I love cinnamon on sweet potatoes

brownrexx · March 20, 2018

As Carolyn has said fungal spores are contained in SOIL so I use a sterile, soiless mix and brand new plastic cells. I don't grow hundreds of plants so one sheet of plastic cells is all I need each year so I buy a new one.

Some spores can travel through the air so I don't give them attractive growing conditions which would be cool and damp. I grow my tomato seedlings in my sunroom which is about 72 degrees. I don't worry about watering from the bottom like many recommend. I think that the combination of sterile, soiless mix and warm temperatures do the trick for me. I have never lost any seedlings to damping off.

To prevent fungus gnats I freeze my seed starting mix for several days before use to kill any possible gnat eggs that might be in the mix and it seems to work.

oakley · March 20, 2018

I don't believe freezing does much to kill any eggs. As soon as the ground thaws from
winter, all the bugs and mosquitoes and ticks come alive.

Freezing will kill some mold spores but not much else.

Only heat at around 180º will take care of that.

Those that have had years of success better get out your drum sticks and bang some
wood. And cross some fingers.

Household pests can enter so many ways. In birdseed, spices, pet food, a bouquet of flowers, or just opening a door.

Last year this time I had fungus gnats and later aphids having never experienced it
before. Jury still out what the original cause was but I took care of it quick and now
know how to monitor it. Either old stock potting mix or my Meyer lemon that spends
the summer outside...who knows.

brownrexx · March 20, 2018

Freezing is a well known organic method to kill many pests. No it does not kill ticks or mosquitoes but beekeepers commonly freeze their hive equipment because it kills the eggs of the wax moth without using chemicals and many gardeners freeze their dry beans and peas before long term storage to kill the eggs of bean weevils which would destroy their stored crops.

Indian Meal Moths (pantry moths) can also be killed in all life stages by putting the grain, seed or other food in the freezer at 0 degrees for 4-7 days.

I don't know for sure that freezing kills the eggs of the fungus gnat but I used to have fungus gnats every year around my seedlings and since I have been placing the seed starting mix in the freezer for several days before using it, I have not had any fungus gnats at all. Maybe I have just been lucky but my mix is in the freezer right now just in case.

oakley · March 23, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownrexx

Freezing is a well known organic method to kill many pests. No it does not kill ticks or mosquitoes but beekeepers commonly freeze their hive equipment because it kills the eggs of the wax moth without using chemicals and many gardeners freeze their dry beans and peas before long term storage to kill the eggs of bean weevils which would destroy their stored crops.

Indian Meal Moths (pantry moths) can also be killed in all life stages by putting the grain, seed or other food in the freezer at 0 degrees for 4-7 days.

I don't know for sure that freezing kills the eggs of the fungus gnat but I used to have fungus gnats every year around my seedlings and since I have been placing the seed starting mix in the freezer for several days before using it, I have not had any fungus gnats at all. Maybe I have just been lucky but my mix is in the freezer right now just in case.

Hibernating insects have antifreeze proteins.
http://www.sitnews.us/0509news/05210...k_science.html

Worth1 · March 23, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by oakley

Hibernating insects have antifreeze proteins.
http://www.sitnews.us/0509news/05210...k_science.html

As long as they stay asleep till I cook them.

Worth

brownrexx · March 23, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by oakley

Hibernating insects have antifreeze proteins.
http://www.sitnews.us/0509news/05210...k_science.html

Many insects, including the brown marmorated stinkbug in my area use this tactic to survive freezing temperatures.

However there are at least 65 different species of fungus gnats so I am not sure that they all can survive freezing like the one studied in Alaska.

Additionally the study does not include eggs which I think is what gets into these soil mixes and hatches when conditions become favorable such as when we begin watering the mix.

I have not seen any scientific studies for reference saying that freezing will kill fungus gnat eggs but for the past 2 years after freezing my soiless potting mix before using it, I have had zero fungus gnats in my tomato seedlings.

Possibly I have just been really lucky but every year prior to freezing my media, I had the gnats.

I am starting my seeds today so we shall see if my luck holds.

March 17, 2017	#1
jenvacc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Lafayette, CO Posts: 9	Using Cinnamon to avoid damping off Has anyone tried sprinkling ground cinnamon around seedlings to prevent/combat damping off? Did it work, or cause more problems. Would like to hear you about this or any other tricks. Just transplanted seedlings to larger pots, worried I will have some fatalities.

March 17, 2017	#4
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Damping off of tomatoes is caused by several genera and species of FUNGi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tomato_diseases Scroll down to fungal diseases and look for damping off. The only way to prevent it is by sowing seeds in artificial mix where there's no soil,aka dirt. You can also sterilize other mixes in the oven but hardly anyone does that these days.All b/c those fungal pathogens are soil borne pathogens. I posted last week here that while the brown constricted area at the soil line occurs with newly germinated plants is well known that it can occur up to seedlings 4 to 6 inches tall as well.There's a nice picture of that in one of my tomato disease monographs. Yes cinnamon has some antibacterial properties,I never used it, and here's why. Back in the early 80's when I started at the AOL tomato forum there was a woman who posted there who was a technician at some company, I can't remember which one,and the use of cinnamon for damping off came up. She asked her boss if she could do some experiments with that,used CONTROLS, she did doit and it clearly showed that cinnamon was not effective in preventing damping off. Consider England who controlled the spice trade in the mideast and south sea islands. When they brought all those spices back, yes,they were used in baking and otherwise,but also to help preserve especially meats of all kinds by coating them with cinnamon and allspice,etc. to help preserve them. One of the History magazines I sub to is published by the BBC in England and they always publish some recipes from way back. Just what I've always wanted to taste,eels preserved in spices. Summery,use the correct seed starting mix and you won't have damping off. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

March 22, 2017	#8
jenvacc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Lafayette, CO Posts: 9	Forgoing cinnamon treatment Thanks for all replies. Needless to say, I did the H202 spray like Worth suggested. So far, so good. Saving the cinnamon for breakfast!! On a side note-am growing big green dwarf and sleeping lady dwarf. I like that they have pretty stout stems starting out. Can't wait to see how they do in the grow bags here in Colorado. I am so glad I found this website. Glad to know there are other tomato-freaks like me in the world!!

March 20, 2018	#10
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	As Carolyn has said fungal spores are contained in SOIL so I use a sterile, soiless mix and brand new plastic cells. I don't grow hundreds of plants so one sheet of plastic cells is all I need each year so I buy a new one. Some spores can travel through the air so I don't give them attractive growing conditions which would be cool and damp. I grow my tomato seedlings in my sunroom which is about 72 degrees. I don't worry about watering from the bottom like many recommend. I think that the combination of sterile, soiless mix and warm temperatures do the trick for me. I have never lost any seedlings to damping off. To prevent fungus gnats I freeze my seed starting mix for several days before use to kill any possible gnat eggs that might be in the mix and it seems to work. Last edited by brownrexx; March 20, 2018 at 02:35 PM.

March 17, 2017	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Cinnamon is expensive use a one part hydrogen peroxide to 9 or 10 parts water and spray the soil. It doesn't have to be exact. Yes Cinnamon has some antibiotic/microbial properties but as far as I am concerned leave it for the food.

March 17, 2017	#6
gorbelly Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Posts: 1,069	As Carolyn says, use a sterile mix. In addition, don't keep seedlings in cold, damp conditions. Cool temps aren't necessarily bad in and of themselves, but be extra careful to not overwater if your seedling starting area is on the cold side. I pretty much keep the first 1/2" of soil as dry as possible and only water from the bottom and don't let the water wick up all the way to the surface when I do. I've tried cinnamon in the past to ward off fungus gnats and prevent damping off. It wasn't effective. Also, be aware that cinnamon can kill very young sprouts. Not sure whether the essential oils in it burns them or the powder itself dessicates them, but don't sprinkle on top of new sprouts. They seem fine if you put the cinnamon down before the sprouts break the surface. Once they get a little more robust, they cope fine... but as I said, the cinnamon doesn't do much. It does make the seedling area of your house smell really nice, though.

March 18, 2017	#7
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	Ah, cinnamon!! I got a big tub of it for only 5 bucks one year, and I diligently used it to try to prevent fungal disease in the greenhouse that horrible damp cold year. Smelled fantastic! Didn't work for any of our blights, though. What the heck, it was worth doing for the smell alone.

March 20, 2018	#9
seaeagle Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: virginia Posts: 743	Sometimes I wonder how these poor little seedlings make it all on their own out in the wild battling the wind and rain all the bad fungi and stuff. Maybe the wind and the rainwater help. I use Farfard Outdoor Planting Mix (Purple Bag) to start all my seeds and potting up. It is 7 dollars for a huge bag,(the one that feels like it weighs over 50 pounds) and never had a problem with damping off. Never bleach containers. It doesn't say sterile but I guess is has no soil like most mixes. Don't over water, (I use rainwater), don't fertilize until they have true leaves and then a very dilute fish emulsion. Maybe Miracle Grow but I have never used it. Take them outside on pretty days or put a fan on them to provide circulation or shake them.These seedlings are a lot tougher then a lot of gardeners think they are. I love cinnamon on sweet potatoes

March 20, 2018	#11
oakley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: NewYork 5a Posts: 2,303	I don't believe freezing does much to kill any eggs. As soon as the ground thaws from winter, all the bugs and mosquitoes and ticks come alive. Freezing will kill some mold spores but not much else. Only heat at around 180º will take care of that. Those that have had years of success better get out your drum sticks and bang some wood. And cross some fingers. Household pests can enter so many ways. In birdseed, spices, pet food, a bouquet of flowers, or just opening a door. Last year this time I had fungus gnats and later aphids having never experienced it before. Jury still out what the original cause was but I took care of it quick and now know how to monitor it. Either old stock potting mix or my Meyer lemon that spends the summer outside...who knows.