I've been working hard to get my lawn looking healthy for summer, which is why I was concerned to spot an unsightly ant hill on it the other day. I decided to try the hack of sprinkling cinnamon on your lawn and I'm not exaggerating when I say I saw instant results.
Ant hills can smother and kill grass, and the tunnels ants make can disrupt grass roots. But, the strong scent of cinnamon naturally deters ants, as well as pests like aphids and mosquitoes. Not only this, but cinnamon also has anti-fungal properties that can aid problems with moss and fungi on lawns.
This means you can achieve a lawn that is green and thick simply by sprinkling this cupboard spice in your yard. Let's take a closer look at how this hack works.
Why should you sprinkle cinnamon on your lawn?
Cinnamon is one of the best spices to deter common garden pests. It's strong scent is too much for many insects to handle, deterring them from the area where it is sprinkled.
When I sprinkled cinnamon in the lawn area where I found an ant hill, I watched them flee immediately. I simply used ground cinnamon (like this from Walmart), but you could also place some cinnamon sticks (from Walmart) in the problem area.
It isn't just ants that are deterred by sprinkling cinnamon on your lawn, this spice can also get rid of aphids (a pest that destroy plants) and it's a scent that deters mosquitoes, among others.
Sprinkling cinnamon on your lawn is therefore an effective, chemical-free solution to repelling a range of nuisance insects and harmful pests without causing harm to your grass and other plants.
Doing so before you spot any pests is an even better way to take precaution against any insects that can hinder the health and appearance of your lawn.
This isn't the only reason to try sprinkling cinnamon on your lawn, however. If you're trying to get rid of moss in lawns, this hack might just do the trick.
This is because cinnamon has anti-fungal properties that can stop the growth of moss in its tracks. For this reason, sprinkling it on your lawn can also prevent the growth of other fungi and mildew.
Although, it's important to note cinnamon won't remove existing moss. To do this, you'll need to use an essential gardening tool (like this thatch rake from Amazon) to physically remove it.
FAQs
Does cinnamon kill insects?
Cinnamon does not directly kill insects. It is rather used for its strong scent, which naturally deters a range of nuisance insects and pests from an area. Although, a larger volume of cinnamon does have the potential to suffocate some insects. This is certainly something to consider when using cinnamon in the yard.
Can you make a cinnamon spray to use in the garden?
Yes, you can make a cinnamon spray to use in the garden, particularly to deter pests and keep fungi at bay. To do this, mix a teaspoon of cinnamon and two cups of warm water. Allow it to steep for a few hours and then optionally strain it. Put your mixture in an empty spray bottle (from Amazon) and use in the garden accordingly.
There's no wonder so many gardeners are using cinnamon on lawns this summer. It's the quickest and most affordable chemical-free pest repellent I've used, and I'm excited to take advantage of it's anti-fungal properties on my lawn, too. You can even try using cinnamon to remove mold from soil in houseplants.
Just be aware that overusing this hack can impact beneficial insects and microorganisms. For this reason, it's best to just lightly sprinkle cinnamon on your lawn, or even target a specific area only.
