I may or may not be doing this the "Panameno" way, but it seems the results are about half-and-half. That is, the 'tonic', as I call it, undoubtedly kills a good proportion of ants that chomp on my plants; equally, some considerable proportion simply get the hell out of Dodge.
A biologist friend explained part of this to me. Coffee grounds, particularly, are painful for ants to walk over. I asked him why and he retreated to (what sounded to me like) scientific gobbledegook. However, as they say, experimental proof is ALL...and ants -- at least the little buggers around here -- really DO NOT like walking over coffee grounds. I've spent dozens of hours just watching (ok, ok, I'm weird...sigh).
Cinnamon and hot peppers (I use the dried flakes) are detested by ants for apparently other reasons, including scent and the way that these 2 ingredients change the 'natural' water in the soil. Further than that, I cannot say. Not sure exactly what repellent/toxic effect the garlic and black pepper have, sorry.
I use what amounts to a 'tea'; all ingredients into a pot, then heat over low for 10-12 minutes. Then apply freely.
However, the plants, particularly sweet peppers (or pimentones as they're called here) 1) seem to have FAR fewer ants messing with them after application, 2) love the nutrients in coffee grounds (controlled experiment -- limited -- with 12 pepper plants treated and 12 untreated in the same bed for 4 weeks), and 3) are overall benefiting.
I have found it helpful to treat the soil with the 'tonic', then, a day or two later depending on rain, to sprinkle -- generously -- coffee grounds in the same place(s) that were treated.
I have NOT used orange peel at all, but I sort of suspect that ants might actually be attracted by orange peel due to their content of natural sugars. Frankly, I should consider lemon peel to be a more effective idea -- just a guess.
The major ant pest to pepper plants here (probably tomatoes, too, but I don't grow them) are the leaf-cutters, which can denude a plant's leaves 70, 80, 90% overnight. The 'tonic' appears to work quite well in repelling (at least -- I don't count corpses (g!)) these.
Hope this is of some use (and my poor, formerly healthy, salvia plant seems about to give up the ghost; we'll see), and all the best luck with your gardening!
Thank you very much for your consideration and your detailed reply! I’m a horticultural imbecile and look at all things related to gardening with the wonder and amazement of somebody who just got out of 30 years in solitary. Here I am in the country not knowing my head from my elbow lol! Anyway, the “tea” solution and then separate coffee grounds now seem doable. (Better than crawling around in the dirt with the spice shakers!) Now I gotta research ants and coffee grounds. (I’m weird, too.) :)
And I’m very sorry about your salvia plant. :(