Mould and fungus can cause significant damage to houseplants such as yellowing leaves and stunted growth.
A gardener has shared that sprinkling cinnamon on your houseplants can help protect them against the organisms.
Richard from Sheffield Made Plants said: “Cinnamon is the secret powder the plant professionals have up their sleeves because it has natural anti fungal properties.
“If you’ve got white mould or fungal growth on the surface of the soil that is starting to stench the place out, simply sprinkle some cinnamon powder on top.”
Sprinkling cinnamon on your houseplants helps protect against mould and fungus
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You can put some cinnamon on the roots of your houseplants when you are repotting to “prevent the dreaded root rot”.
Cinnamon can also be used as a deterrent against insects trying to access your plants.
Richard advised: “Try sprinkling on the top of the soil and ants or even mosquitoes should be put off by the strong scent.”
However, it is important to make sure you purchase the correct cinnamon.
The gardener said: “Do not just pop down to your local supermarket and pick up a jar of cinnamon. In lots of cases, you are being sold cassia which is a milder spice.
“It is similar to cinnamon but not as effective in all the antifungal goodness.
“Instead, pop to your local health food shop and ask for some true cinnamon or ceylon cinnamon as it is more potent and works wonders.”
An easy way to spot the difference is that true cinnamon is from Sri Lanka and cassia comes from China.
The household ingredient can be purchased in health food stores to protect houseplants
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In other gardening news, an expert has shared the flowers to plant now to spruce up your garden for summer.
They said: “Sunflowers are a cheerful addition to any garden and perfect for attracting birds and pollinators. Plant in full sun with well-draining soil.
“They are drought-tolerant but will perform best with consistent watering. Stake tall varieties to prevent them from falling over, and see how high you can get them to grow.”
Another option is peonies which are a bit more of a fussier plant but produce beautiful blooms in spring. The flower “requires full sun and well-drained soil” to set it up for growth.
