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djlen
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Fungus Gnats & Cinnamon

I am told that Cinnamon sprinkled on the surface of the soil of my indoor pots will kill the fungus that the larvae of Fungus Gnats feed off of, thereby starving and eventually killing off the little critters.
Has anyone tried this technique and if so how did it work? Also, how much Cinnamon is needed to do the job without harming the plants in the pot? Do you just sprinkle it on and water.
Any feedback here would be appreciated. :wink:

dustyrivergardens
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Never heard that one let us know if it works. I just spray the soil with BT a few times that seems to keep them at bay.

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djlen
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Well I've tried the mild soap/neem oil spray that works but just keeps them at bay as well, but needs to be done repeatedly. Sprinkling the surface with cinnamon is supposed to last for weeks or a month before it needs to be re-treated (I think). That's why I'm asking here. Trying to get a consensus on this topic.
The dang things are biting me when I sit in my plant/computer room...lol.

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rainbowgardener
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Cinnamon is an anti-fungal that kills the fungus that the fungus gnats eat, so helps get rid of them. I just keep a pinch of cinnamon (and some chamomile, another anti-fungal) in the pitcher of water I use for watering seedlings. That has worked very well for me in preventing fungus gnat outbreaks. (The year before I started doing that, I had a major fungus gnat infestation in my seed starting/ seedling operation.) It also helps prevent damping off, a fungal infection that little seedlings are very vulnerable to. Since it kills the fungus, not the insects, it is better in the water, so that it gets into all the soil, not just staying on the surface.

If cinnamon gets directly on the leaves, it can burn them.

If you are talking about house plants, not seedlings, it helps just to be sure that you let the soil dry out thoroughly between waterings. If it dries the fungus and gnats die. I never have any fungus gnat problems with my house plants and I don't treat them with cinnamon or anything, but I only water full size house plants every other week. Can't do that with seedlings though, they have to stay damp. Improving the air circulation helps too.

If you put a shallow dish of soapy water next to your house plants the fungus gnats will drown them selves in it. The soapy water (real soap, not detergent) also works against them as a soil drench.

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djlen
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Now this chamomile, do you use that as a form of tea or do they sell that in the super-market, in say the spice section?
I really need to get rid of these buggers. :) I will be using both if I can get them, in my watering cans. BTW, one can is about 1 gal. and the other about 1/2 gal. Can I use a pinch of both of them in either can?

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rainbowgardener
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Yup a pinch of both in either can. They sell pure chamomile in tea bags in the tea section of the grocery, not as a spice.

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djlen
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Well, not being a tea person I would not have known that but I will head out tomorrow and check out the chamomile tea to mix in with the cinnamon.
Thank you. :D :roll:

dustyrivergardens
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very nice I have had problems with fungus gnats in the past. I like to go as natural as possible dealing with the problem. thanks.

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djlen
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Ok, just gave them the first dose of the Cinnamon/Chamomile this morning.
I have another question regarding these ingredients:
I have 3 gal. (cat "Fresh Step") containers that I use, one for regular plant food and one for Acid-loving plant feeding. I'm wondering if it would do any harm to drop a Chamomile tea bag into each container, thereby circumventing having to add it to each individual watering can full. I think that that would better absorb the tea into the water.
I guess I'm just a little worried about over dosing if I use a teabag in the 3 gals. of water. Seems like it should be OK since both of them are natural ingredients. I would probably drop a 1/16 -1/8 tsp. of Cinnamon into each container as well.
Thoughts?

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rainbowgardener
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I don't have any idea how it would work to mix them in with your fertilizer. But it is pretty much impossible to "overdose" anything with chamomile. The cinnamon is a bit stronger and can burn plants a little bit in too high of quantities or if the powder is directly on the leaves. But even then what happens is the leaf that got cinnamon on it bleaches out a bit at that point, but the plant is fine.

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djlen
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I'm OK with dosing ferts. and the anti-fungals together. I will go lightly with the cinnamon and the chamomile initially and see how that affects the bugs. I just want to get rid of them with the minimums of both.

Here are the culprits in their current state. A little sad looking but they are going to look better.....hopefully soon:

Image
[img]https://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c145/djlen/IMG_3693a.jpg[/img][/img]



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