How to Grow Cinnamomum Verum in Florida

Select an appropriate growing site in full sun. The soil should be free of stones, roots and other obstructions.

Amend the soil in the area where cinnamon trees are to be planted by digging in one part composted manure per two parts of native soil to a depth of 15 to 20 inches. Cinnamon is tolerant of relatively poor soils, and prefers sandy locations enriched with organic matter.

Sow five to eight seeds in sealable plastic bags filled with an equal mixture of composted manure, peat moss, sand and potting soil. Seeds germinate in 10 to 20 days at temperatures between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, and require consistent moisture during the germination period.

Thin seedlings to four or five per bag after sprouting occurs. After two months, select the strongest seedlings for transplant.

Transplant seedlings by digging a hole large enough to accommodate the seedling’s roots and cover the root ball completely with amended soil. Space young trees 9 feet apart if you plan on growing more than one cinnamon tree.

Provide shade for the first six months of growth by assembling a temporary shade structure out of shade cloth and rigid wire or PVC pipe. Insert the wire or piping in the ground at four points around the young plant, then connect the points with horizontal lengths of wire or pipe to form a frame. Fasten a square of shade cloth at each corner using paper clips, clothes pins or shorter pieces of wire.

Harden off the seedlings when they are six to 10 months old. Adjust them to full sunlight by removing the shade cloth for several hours at first and gradually increase the time seedlings are in full sun over two or three weeks.

Fertilize young trees after concluding the initial shading period. Apply 4 teaspoons per seedling of an all-purpose fertilizer with a balanced ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium and water in well. Fertilize in May and again in September. Fertilize trees older than 3 years at a rate of 12 tablespoons per plant.

Closely monitor water and fertilization of your young tree for three years as it grows to maturity. Provide daily deep waterings of an inch or more during summer in years when rainfall is below average. In its native habitat, annual rainfall averages 72 inches or more, compared with Florida’s annual average precipitation of between 45 and 65 inches.

Cut trees back to the ground after they are 3 years old. Harvest the multiple new shoots that appear from the stump in succeeding years for production of spice.