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Cinnamon or chamomile tea prevents damping-off in seedlings.

Contested

Cinnamon and chamomile tea are popular anti-damping-off remedies because cinnamon is antifungal in a lab dish - but there's no good evidence either one saves a seed tray. What prevents damping-off is the setup, not a topping: fresh sterile mix, clean pots with drainage, warmth and airflow, and going easy on the water.

What is actually known

Cinnamon contains compounds with antifungal activity in a lab dish, which is where this remedy comes from, but there is no reliable evidence that dusting cinnamon - or watering with chamomile tea - prevents damping-off on a seed tray. What prevents damping-off is not a topical additive but the setup: fresh sterile mix, clean containers with drainage, warmth and airflow, and not overwatering. A remedy sprinkled on top does not fix a cold, wet, overwatered tray, which is where damping-off comes from.

Evidence: not yet confirmed against any source.

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Milpa Gardens. "Cinnamon or chamomile tea prevents damping-off in seedlings." Evidence grade: Contested. https://milpa.garden/beliefs/cinnamon-chamomile/

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