Tap to Read ➤

Things to Take Care of When Growing Cinnamon Plants

Vijith Menon
Tired of your house smelling weird? Drop that air freshener and get a cinnamon plant instead. Still a gardening amateur? Fear not, 'cause here are steps that will guide you about how to take care of a cinnamon plant, in a few easy steps.

Burn it for Love!

Emperor Nero burned a year's worth of cinnamon for his wife's funeral.
If you can smell the potpourri from the living room, it's probably the sweet smell of cinnamon. It will give you year-round comfort, and the room will smell like Christmas.
Before we know how to grow cinnamon, here's a brief history. Cinnamon was imported by all from Egypt. It was regarded as a royal gift fit for monarchs and gods. It was regularly used at the temples of Apollo. The origins of cinnamon remained a mystery for the western world until 16th century, when Portuguese traders landed in Sri Lanka, then Ceylon.
Later on, the Dutch East India Company conquered Ceylon and kicked out the Portuguese. They took over their network and continued to export cinnamon all over the world. As the cinnamon tree spread over, the demand fell through, and was replaced with coffee, tea, sugar, and chocolate.
People often think cinnamon came from China, although its origins are in the Mediterranean. Let's take a look at this fascinating plant, and how we could cultivate it in our own backyard.

Species

A number of types often sold as cinnamon:

☞ Cinnamon verum (True cinnamon)
☞ C.burmanii (Korintje, Padang cassia or Indonesian cinnamon)
☞ C.loureiroi (Saigon cinnamon, Vietnamese cassia, Vietnamese cinnamon)
☞ C.cassia (Chinese cinnamon)

Identification

Cinnamon comes in 2 forms, namely, cinnamon verum, known as true cinnamon, and cassia cinnamon, which is popular in the United States. Cassia cinnamon is preferred because of its sweet aroma, but leaves a bitter aftertaste.

How to Grow a Cinnamon plant

Growing Indoors

☞ Put the plant in a container with drainer holes, and place it in an area with full or partial sunlight.

☞ Water the seeds enough, so that it is moist and not submerged in water. Wait until the soil is dry before you pour more water, as it can lead to root rot.

☞ Spray it with water if the climate is too dry.
Growing Outdoors

☞ Plant the cinnamon tree in sandy soil, at least 10 feet away from other shrubs.

☞ Add an ounce of fertilizer to the soil. Proper fertilizer provides phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. Mulch the soil heavily with compost.
☞ Cover your plant with a cloth if the temperature falls, as it flourishes best in humid conditions.

☞ Water the tree twice during the day and spray it water during winter. Spray with a neem oil solution if you see any pests.

Harvest

☞ Cinnamon is cultivated by growing trees for two years, and cutting them at stem levels. A dozen new shoots will form from the roots, replacing the cut ones.

☞ The stems must be processed immediately.

☞ The outer bark is stripped and beaten with a hammer to even it, and the inner bark curls in itself, that resembles a cigar (in case of Ceylon cinnamon).
☞ In the case of cinnamon cassia , the outer bark is torn away, and the inner bark curls in on itself, and resembles a chocolate stick. The difference is that, true cinnamon has a single spiral curl, while cinnamon cassia has a double curl.

☞ The inner bark is dried completely for 4 to 6 hours. Once dry, the bark is cut into 5 - 10 cm strips.
☞ A less-than-ideal environment calls for fumigation of pests. A fumigated bark doesn't have the same quality as a premium bark. The older barks are ground into cinnamon powder in factories.

Uses Of Cinnamon
☞ Used as a spice in kitchens.
☞ Famous for making chocolate in Mexico.
☞ Along with garlic, cinnamon is used a preservative for fish and meat.

☞ True cinnamon, rather than cassia, is more suitable for sweet dishes.
☞ In the future, it will be used as an inner layer of plastic, as it has antimicrobial properties up to 120 degree Celsius.
Today, it might not be known for its economic impact, but cinnamon still holds value for being important for cooking.
Though growing a cinnamon tree can be taken up as a hobby, if you're serious, keep it in humid whether conditions indoors or outdoors, and let the good times roll.