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: 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 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.

The evidence

Evidence: not yet confirmed. It is cited to 1 source, which a person has yet to read.

What this rests on - one pointer

extension.usu.edu

Damping-off Utah State University Extension

The most important and most efficient control strategy to manage damping-off is sanitization.

What we can actually defend

Seedlings raised in cool, wet, or reused growing medium can collapse from damping-off, where soil-borne fungi rot the seed or girdle the young stem at the soil line before the plant establishes.

When do I plant chamomile? ›

Cite this page

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

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