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I Use Cinnamon. What About You?

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Grey Fox

Grey Fox

Rising Star
I like to sprinkle cinnamon on cactus after it has been cut as a preventative measure against rot and infection. This is something that I learned from more experienced growers. I am in a climate that is quite dry for most of the year. So sometimes I dont bother with the cinnamon. But if the humidity is high or if there could be rain, then I always sprinkle cinnamon on the cut. I think it is a good practice, and I would encourage others to try it too.

Here is some bridgesii that fell over. Time for cinnamon.
 
Its very important to allow a cutting to form a strong callus before planting it. Weather conditions affect how long the callus takes to form. It could take 1 to 2 weeks. It could take longer than that. Cinnamon forms a protective layer that is an added safeguard during that time when the callus has not fully formed yet.

Forming a strong callus and not overwatering are probably the two most important factors in avoiding rot.

Its also a good idea to sprinkle cinnamon on the mother plant's cut when taking cuttings or doing pruning. That gives the mother plant some additional protection during its callus formation time.
 
if it works better than sulfur or whatever that stuff commonly used is, im more behind cinnamon now than ever. and im generally behind cinnamon
 
I've never used this before, and haven't experienced rot in several dozens cuttings. But it's dry here, too. In the cold season, if its required to cut, I bring everything inside so that it dries very quickly. Aand I always see that I disinfect the knife beforehand - with boiling water or 99% alcohol.
 
Those sound like good practices. There are times of the year when humidity and chance of rain increase in my area, and thats when I use the cinnamon. But for some people in more humid environments it can be a real problem with cut or damaged cacti developing rot before a good callus can form. I've been impatient before and not allowed cuttings to callus properly before planting. It sucks when rot gets into a plant and causes a lot of damage. Cinnamon is just another tool in the shed, especially for people who dont want to use sulphur on their plants.
 
Sulfur or cinnamon... whatever floats your boat on this one. Either way, you should have good success. My personal preference is to place my cuttings where they can get direct contact with the air. Preferably with a fan blowing on them to speed the callous formation. Adding sulfur or cinnamon certainly won't hurt and yes... will often help. I've rooted a great many cacti without ever using cinnamon or sulfur. Air drying seems to suffice, yet I will still utilize sulfur most days when I make cuttings as I like something to speed things up a bit and provide that little extra bit of reassurance. Why not throw in more safeguards than are needed after all? One never knows when they might be needed.
 
I've had good success with placing cuttings outdoors to callus as long as the weather is dry. They go in a shady spot with the breeze blowing on them all day. As long as the temps are not hot they can last a long time that way looking healthy and they seldom have any problems. Its crazy to think about how long they can survive as cuttings compared to other plants, and how long they can survive without water.
 
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