Cinnamon Tree in HPP

[macuu222]

I bought a 6 foot tall cinnamon tree at Rossetts Nursey and couldn't find any information about how to grow it. Is it a full sun plant? How big does it get? What kind of soil? Does it grow well here in lower Puna?...

Does anyone have any success stories with this tree that they care to share? I'd like to get it out of the bag and into the ground asap

Thanks

[carmel123]

I found this. I hope it helps.

Instructions
1. Plant your cinnamon tree in rich, well draining soil. Dig the hole deep enough so that the top of the root ball of the tree is just below the surface of the soil. Cover the top of the roots with about 1/4 to 1/2 inches of soil. Press soil in around the roots so that there are no air pockets. Fill in around the tree roots until the hole is filled and the roots are covered. Tamp the soil down with your foot to pack it in.

2. Place cinnamon trees in at least partial sun. They do well in full sun or partial, but never in full shade.


3. Water the cinnamon tree just enough to keep the soil damp. Do not ever soak or allow the soil to get soggy. Check the soil every few days to see if it needs water. If the soil is damp to the touch or wet down at least 2 inches into the soil, do not water it. If you feel no moisture at a 2-inch depth, water the tree. How often you water it depends on the climate such as whether or not it is in or out doors, humidity levels and rain amounts. Generally, trees kept indoors will need water at least once a week, but outdoor trees will vary greatly based on conditions.

4. Cut down the plant every couple of years down to a few inches from the soil. Wait for it to grow new shoots.

5. Peel off the outer edge of the new shoots to obtain the cinnamon, then let it continue to grow into a new tree.

[Carey]

Cinnamon trees grow nicely in lower Puna, Have a friend with a full sun one in upper HPP & we had a full sun one that was taking off, but then got ringed by the weedwhacker.... woulda been good if we had noticed it early, as you are supposed to coppice the plant to harvest the cinnamon stems, but we did not noticed it until it was too late....

There 2 main types you may encounter & the harvesting is slightly different in each. The finer plant is the Cinnamomum zeylonicum and Cassia cinnamon that produces a thicker, tougher inner bark. Ours was from PantIt Hawaii, and looking at the plant photos, may have been the Cassia cinnamon.

Anyhoo, un-coppiced they can grow over 65' in height.... but for harvesting the cinnamon bark a two year old plant is cut all the way back, then harvested every 2 -3 years by cutting all the way back.

Production link:
http://www.appropedia.org/Cinnamon_Proce...cal_Brief)

(ETA For some reason the whole link is not hypertexting, so just copy & paste it...sorry!)

YouTube link of zeylonicum (Ceylon) production:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbZfc0lJ1q4

and why it might not be terrible that it got 'whacked' as I am not sure if it was a cassia;
http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/hortwe...cinbur.htm

[macuu222]

Thanks. I thought it had to be cut back after a while to produce more stalks and harvest the cinnamin. Didn't know it was grown in full sun. But that works for me...since I live in lower HPP.

[Rene Siracusa]

My friends on 8th St. in HPP have a cinnamon tree about 15 ft tall in full sun. It looks healthy and happy. I tried to take a cutting to root, but it didn't take. Maybe wrong time of year...