How to Make Cinnamon
To make cinnamon, find a mature cinnamon tree or grow one for at least 2 years. Chop down mature shoots and divide them into 3-inch long pieces. Use a sharp pruning knife to score the bark horizontally, then make a long vertical cut to connect the score marks. Carefully slide the edge of the knife into the long, vertical cut you made, and gently pull the knife back to peel the bark from the shoot. Lay the bark out in the sun to dry for up to a week, then store the dried cinnamon in a sealed container for up to a year.
Grow cinnamon in warm climates with hot summers. Cinnamon trees are common sights in areas like Indonesia, Sri Lanka, China, and Vietnam. In the U.S., they can also grow successfully in Hawaii and Florida. To harvest cinnamon from outdoor trees, the weather must stay above 60 °F (16 °C) year round. Cinnamon trees can easily be grown indoors or in warm greenhouses. This is usually the best option for harvesting your own cinnamon. Choose a planting spot that gets 6 hours of sunlight a day. Cinnamon trees do best in full sunlight. The more sunlight you can provide, the better off your plant will be. For cinnamon trees grown indoors, try using grow lights if you can't find a spot that gets adequate sunlight. Cinnamon trees generally will survive in partial sunlight, which is areas exposed to direct sunlight for 3 to 6 hours a day. Purchase cinnamon tree seeds to plant right away. Cinnamon trees are most commonly grown through seeds. Many online stores sell the seeds, but you may also be able to find them at your local gardening center. Seeds need to be planted in soil within about a week of receiving them, or else they may no longer be viable. Mature cinnamon trees produce seeds. You can pick the seeds when they turn black and plant them in suitable soil. Rarely, you may find cuttings for sale. Another way to get a cutting is to take a stem and root system from a growing cinnamon tree. Plant cinnamon trees in acidic, well-drained soil. Cinnamon trees are susceptible to root rot, so avoid soil that retains lots of water. Plant the tree in sandy soil outdoors. In addition, the soil needs to have a pH level between 4.5 and 5.5. Test the soil before planting to keep your cinnamon tree healthy. For indoor plants, get an acidic potting mix from your local gardening center. You can also make your own mix by combining 1 part sphagnum peat moss and 1 part perlite. Put the mix in a glazed pot with drainage holes on the bottom. To test outdoor soil, watch the soil after a heavy rain or watering session. If water pools on the soil for hours, it is too damp. Mixing in paver sand may help. Use a test kit to test the soil's pH. Make the soil more acidic by adding organic compost and sulfur if necessary. Plant the seeds at least 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) deep in the soil. You will need to plant 15 to 20 seeds on average to get a strong cinnamon tree. Dig a single hole for each cluster of seeds. Space the seeds about ⁄ 2  in (1.3 cm) apart. If you're planting the seeds indoors, put them in pots at least 18 in (46 cm) wide and 20 in (51 cm) deep. The best time to plant new seeds is in early spring, right after the frost fades from the ground. If you plan on planting seeds in the ground, make holes about 12 in (30 cm) wide and deep. Leave about 4 in (10 cm) between each cluster. Cuttings are planted similarly to seeds. Dig a small hole, then position the root end in it and backfill it with soil. Water the seeds once a week until the soil is moist 2 in (5.1 cm) deep. Water cinnamon trees immediately after planting them, then sparingly as needed. The hardest part about harvesting cinnamon may be preventing the trees from rotting. Cinnamon trees do best in dry soil. Test the soil by pushing your finger or a metal pole in the ground. Add water if the soil is dry more than 2 in (5.1 cm) down from the surface. You may need to water your trees more than once a week. They need more water during particularly hot, dry conditions. After the trees mature, which takes about 2 years, you may not need to water them as frequently. Continue testing the soil and add water when it dries sufficiently. Mix a balanced fertilizer into the soil about once a week after watering it. Fertilizer only needs to be added while the tree grows actively from late winter to fall. Follow the directions on the fertilizer to apply the correct dosage. Spread the fertilizer about 10 in (25 cm) around the tree, if possible. Adding fertilizer to the soil keeps the trees healthy so they produce lots of delicious cinnamon for you to harvest. A balanced fertilizer will have a label like 10-10-10, which represents the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in it. When the trees mature after 2 to 3 years of growth, double the amount of fertilizer to keep them healthy. Replant potted cinnamon trees once they grow too large for their pots. If the tree is allowed to grow, its leaves will eventually bunch up against the sides of the pot. The roots may also poke out of the pot's bottom. When this happens, the tree needs to be moved to a bigger pot filled with fresh acidic soil mix. Get the next pot size up, which is usually 14 in (36 cm). To move your tree, loosen the edges of the soil with a gardening trowel and pull the plant out carefully. Gradually increase the pot size as the tree grows. Cinnamon trees can need pots as wide as 24 in (61 cm). The trees can grow up to 8 ft (2.4 m) tall if you don't trim them. You can keep your cinnamon tree in its original pot longer by trimming it constantly to about 3 ft (0.91 m) in height. You will end up with less cinnamon but a more manageable tree. Spray the bark with pesticides if you notice holes in the bark. Some insects, including plant lice, mites, and borers, may dig into the bark. When you notice holes in the bark, load an organic pesticide like Neem oil into a pump or spray bottle. Spray a light coating over all of the bark and branches, not just the damaged areas. Treatments like Permethrin often work well, but read the label to make sure it targets insects inside tree bark. For your safety, wear protective gear, including long clothing, rubber gloves, and a respirator mask. If your plant is indoors, make sure the pesticide you use is labeled as safe for indoor use. To help keep insects away, make sure other plants do not grow around the base of the tree. Dig out any weeds or use a mild herbicide to kill them. Apply a fungicide to treat cinnamon trees with spots. You may see gray or yellow spots form because of diseases like blight or stripe canker. The spots can form on tree stems and leaves. Treat these by spraying a fungicide around the diseased area as soon as possible. Selectively pruning your tree is also useful for preventing the spread of damage. Cut off the damaged areas with a pruning knife and shears. Brown spots from root rot are due to too much water. Prune the damage off if possible, then cut back on the amount of water you add to the soil each week. Make sure the soil drains well. Dig up the tree and either move it or amend the soil with gardening sand. Cut the tree to stump size after 2 years of growth. Use a sharp knife or ax to chop down the tree. Position the blade about 1 ⁄ 10  in (4.1 cm) from the ground. Cut down diagonally at a 30-degree angle for an easier time severing the stem. Doing this causes the tree to grow shoots that produce more cinnamon. The cut stem will have cinnamon in it, so don't throw it away! Harvest it by scoring the bark and peeling it off with a pruning knife. You can prune cinnamon trees whenever you want. Use a sharp knife or shears to snip off side branches and keep the tree within its designated planting area. Maintain the plant for 2 years until the shoots are 5 ft (1.5 m) tall. You will need to continue watering the plant sparingly and adding fertilizer every week as usual. Eventually, a series of new shoots grow up around the stem you cut. They look like smaller versions of the old stem and will grow over time. After they reach full size, you can then harvest their bark for cinnamon. Be sure to collect black seeds if you plan on growing more cinnamon trees. They don't last for very long, so plant them as soon as possible. Then you can make cinnamon every year. Chop down mature shoots and divide them into pieces 3 in (7.6 cm) long. Use a pruning knife or another tool to cut the shoot near the soil. Do this only after allowing the tree to grow for 2 years. For the highest quality cinnamon, make sure the tree is at least 5 ft (1.5 m) tall before harvesting it. Score the bark horizontally, then make a vertical cut. Use a sharp pruning knife to make the cuts. You will need to cut all the way around the sticks at both ends. Cut down through the hard, outer layer of bark, stopping when your knife reaches the spongier, whiter layer of wood beneath it. Then, make a long cut lengthwise, connecting the score marks. To make harvesting the bark as easy as possible, make long cuts on both sides of the stick so you can scrape the bark off in 2 even pieces. Scrape the bark off with a knife. Slide the edge of the knife into the long, vertical cut you made on the bark. Carefully pull the knife back to peel the bark back from the shoot. If the shoot is young, the bark will peel off without much trouble. Set the bark aside in a safe spot. Mature shoots, which are at least 3 years old, are much harder to peel. Keep working at it until the bark is free. Scrape off any of the light-colored wood that sticks to the bark. Lay the bark out in the sun to dry for up to a week. The brown bark is cinnamon. Put it in a warm spot with plenty of air circulation, such as on a countertop. Leave it in direct sunlight if possible to make it dry faster. The bark will turn orange and curl up as it dries. You can leave the bark outdoors during warm, dry days. After about 3 hours, consider bringing the bark indoors to finish drying. Store cinnamon sticks in an airtight container for up to 1 year. Move the cinnamon into a glass container or spice jar if you have them available. Make sure the container is sealed tightly so the cinnamon doesn't lose potency. To keep the cinnamon as fresh as possible, store it in a cool, dry place like a pantry cupboard. Use the cinnamon while its flavor is strong. You can grind up the cinnamon sticks with a microplane, but keep in mind ground cinnamon loses its flavor faster than stick cinnamon. Try keeping the cinnamon in stick form until you need it. 
Grow cinnamon in warm climates with hot summers. Choose a planting spot that gets 6 hours of sunlight a day. Purchase cinnamon tree seeds to plant right away. Plant cinnamon trees in acidic, well-drained soil. Plant the seeds at least 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) deep in the soil. Water the seeds once a week until the soil is moist 2 in (5.1 cm) deep. Mix a balanced fertilizer into the soil about once a week after watering it. Replant potted cinnamon trees once they grow too large for their pots. Spray the bark with pesticides if you notice holes in the bark. Apply a fungicide to treat cinnamon trees with spots. Cut the tree to stump size after 2 years of growth. Maintain the plant for 2 years until the shoots are 5 ft (1.5 m) tall. Chop down mature shoots and divide them into pieces 3 in (7.6 cm) long. Score the bark horizontally, then make a vertical cut. Scrape the bark off with a knife. Lay the bark out in the sun to dry for up to a week. Store cinnamon sticks in an airtight container for up to 1 year. 