Can cinamon harm venus fly traps and sundews?

[cally]

Hi this is my first post.... ;D
and my first time trying to grow CP from seed

So i sprinkled cinnamon a bit too vigorously to stop the peat from going green and it's now on some of the plants.....

Can someone tell me if they will b ok??
oh they are only 3 weeks old.. ;D

[peterhewitt]

Should not be a problem, Orchid enthusiasts often use it as an anti bacterial and anti fungal agent.

[John Brittnacher]

I did some experiments with cinnamon a few years ago. I found it not to harm Sarracenia, Drosera, and Dionaea although it didn't do any good as far as I could tell. It kills Mexican Pinguicula which are killed by other fungicides as well. I didn't try it with Nepenthes or temperate Pinguicula.

Cinnamon is generally effective only for dry molds. So you would use it storing tubers and bulbs. For plants just spraying them with water helps for dry molds if you ever have that problem.

You are better off using finely chopped sphagnum moss and sand for starting seeds of Pinguicula, Sarracenia, Drosera, and Dionaea. For Nepenthes I use coir--they don't like it as well as sphagnum but I don't have to transplant them as often. Avoiding peat will help a lot. I am always amazed by all the nasty things that grow out of peat.

[Not a Number]

Were you using "true' cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum or one of the "cassia" such as Cinnamomum cassia or Korintje cassia. The "cassia" more commonly available in the US than Cinnamonum zeylancium. Since there are apparently noticeable taste differences there is speculation that the anti-fungal properties may differ too.

[John Brittnacher]

I used the typical US cassia cinnamon available in stores. I presume because I got no germination of the Pinguicula seeds in the experimental pot and good germination in the control that it is an effective fungicide.

[cally]

thanks....

unfortunately live sphagnum is virtually impossible to get here and too expensive over the net.
I've had an explosion of little slugs from the peat and have been fighting them ever since germination of my venus fly traps and sundews.

First time seed growing is really nerve recking...