Gardeners urged to sprinkle £1 kitchen staple around seedlings immediately

isn’t always the easiest thing, and can sometimes also be pretty demanding on the wallet. Big companies have brought out thousands of products that they say you need if you have any chance of growing healthy plants and flowers, but it turns out that there’s a miracle fix that can tackle several issues at once - and you likely already have it in your cupboard.

Plants can be vulnerable to plenty of issues, with . Instead of risking the health of your plants with chemical-laden products, however, experts say that you can find a cheap and natural solution in your spice cupboard.

Cinnamon is said to be the miracle cure, and there are no intricate steps or preparations you need to take in order to use it. Simply sprinkle ground cinnamon at the base of your plant or mix some into a water spray bottle and you’re good to go. It's also easy for your bank account, at £1 or less for a bottle of ground cinnamon at major including , , , and .

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The sprinkling technique is particularly good at , which don’t like walking through the fragrant powder. Ants are very anti-cinnamon, so likely won’t bother crossing over it to get to your beloved houseplants or potted beds.

The spray comes in handy for fungi, and you just need to mix the cinnamon with water and let it sit overnight to set. Then, strain the mixture and put the results into a spray bottle.

The spice mixture can help fight fungi that threaten to grow on your plants, and can help fight away mushrooms. Fungal diseases and white mould can affect over 360 plant species, including beans, peas, lettuce, and members of the cabbage family.

These diseases are easy to identify by their sad symptoms, which include water-soaked spots on blossoms, stems, leaves, and pods. Eventually, leaves will wilt and turn yellow before dying.

Compared to spraying harsh chemicals around, cinnamon is a great natural product to use - and has the added benefit of its warm, sweet, and comforting smell rather than manmade sprays. If you don’t already have cinnamon in the cupboard and its use for gardening isn’t enough to tempt you to buy some in, you should know that its uses go even beyond treating plants.

Cleaning experts at Lottomart for an even deeper and more pleasant clean. Not only will it smell like cinnamon rolls every time you do a bit of housework, but its antibacterial traits will tackle unseen microbes too.

The gurus explained: "Over time, dust, pet hair, and trapped dirt can create a breeding ground for bacteria and unpleasant odours inside your vac." Instead of buying expensive air fresheners or replacing your hoover, they stress: "Cinnamon isn't just for cooking - it's a powerful, natural deodoriser with antibacterial properties."

All you need to do is dampen a small napkin or cotton pad with warm water, then rub in about two teaspoons of ground cinnamon onto it. Once that's done, put the napkin into your vacuum cleaner's bag or the waste/dustbin compartment, ensuring it doesn't block the suction.

As you vacuum as usual, the cinnamon-laden napkin will work its way through the machine, emitting a delicious, bakery-fresh aroma and tackling unseen bacteria.