How Soon To Add Silica

[LiberalThinker]

Silicon usage instructions tell you to adjust pH after adding it to the water BEFORE adding the rest. It likely reacts with the nutes if not neutralised first. Keep it off your skin... it stings!

Usage instructions:

Silicon MAX is a highly-concentrated silicon additive which is strongly alkaline. You should add it to the water first, mix, then add your nutrients. Adjust the pH using VitaLink Essentials pH Down before adding your base nutrients and additives, as Silicon MAX raises the pH. Recommended pH range 5.8-6.5.

Use 1ml/L alongside your main nutrients When topping up nutrient solution dilute Silicon MAX well in water before adding it to existing solution. Shake well before use.

Dosage: it suggests 1/2ml /gallon for seedlings rising to 1ml/gallon for mature plants.

 

[LiberalThinker]

Just adding a note to my post in case you didn't realize that this means you have to adjust your pH twice; once after the silicon then again after the nutes.

 

[farside05]

Silicon usage instructions tell you to adjust pH after adding it to the water BEFORE adding the rest. It likely reacts with the nutes if not neutralised first. Keep it off your skin... it stings!

Usage instructions:

Silicon MAX is a highly-concentrated silicon additive which is strongly alkaline. You should add it to the water first, mix, then add your nutrients. Adjust the pH using VitaLink Essentials pH Down before adding your base nutrients and additives, as Silicon MAX raises the pH. Recommended pH range 5.8-6.5.

Use 1ml/L alongside your main nutrients When topping up nutrient solution dilute Silicon MAX well in water before adding it to existing solution. Shake well before use.

Dosage: it suggests 1/2ml /gallon for seedlings rising to 1ml/gallon for mature plants.

I've used Dyna Gro Pro Tekt and Growtek Silica Pro, neither say to pH after adding silica and before base nutes. They just note to add silica before base nutes.

 

[LiberalThinker]

I've used Dyna Gro Pro Tekt and Growtek Silica Pro, neither say to pH after adding silica and before base nutes. They just note to add silica before base nutes.

They might be weak enough not to matter. The stuff I use is very caustic and will likely react on contact. It does no harm to err on the safe side.

 

[Lowrider72]

H&G Amino is Silica additive as well as aminos, so if ya use that dont add silica.
That gets added second last.... Doesnt matter where you add it, ph will need to be adjusted down after its all mixed.
Go make a cuppa, smoke a joint, after that... Adjust ph. Give it time to settle.
Does make plants go nuts, but go easy, less is more.
LR72.

 

[farside05]

They might be weak enough not to matter. The stuff I use is very caustic and will likely react on contact. It does no harm to err on the safe side.

I was unfamiliar with Silica Max so I went and looked into it. It's 6% silica (SiO2). Dyna Gro Pro-Tekt is 7.8% and GroTek Pro-Silicate is 7.5%, so actually they are stronger. I can say that the Pro-Tekt is more stable than the Pro-Silicate. I used Pro-Tekt for years but Amazon was out of quarts of it when I needed resupply so I tried the Pro-Silicate. With Pro-Tekt, I could use the same syringe to dose all my nutes. With Pro-Silicate I have to use a separate syringe for that product only. Even trace amounts of anything else in the syringe turns it into a big congealed blob. So there is definitely a difference in how these companies formulate things. I still have a pint left of Pro-Silicate, and it works as well as Pro-Tekt. Just have to keep it's syringe separated. When I run out though, I'll most likely return to Pro-Tekt, unless quarts are sold out again at Amazon.

 

[Barney86]

Just editing out a rant that was a misunderstanding.

 

[Barney86]

Just adding a note to my post in case you didn't realize that this means you have to adjust your pH twice; once after the silicon then again after the nutes.

Ahh, ignore my last comment then mate lol. Didn't see this. Just struck a nerve and off I went. Don't need to ph it twice though. Completely pointless. Just do it at the end.

 

[RookieJuana]

Ahh, ignore my last comment then mate lol. Didn't see this. Just struck a nerve and off I went. Don't need to ph it twice though. Completely pointless. Just do it at the end.

Thank you so much! I tend to agree with you!!

 

[Barney86]

Thank you so much! I tend to agree with you!!

It's a surprisingly common mistake for people to pH first then add things. Happens all the time and you end up with people posting things like.
"Help, my pH goes in at 5.3 and runs off at 9.2 what am I doing wrong"
With a picture of a plant that looks like it's been drinking vodka lol.
Struck a nerve when I seen it but he corrected himself so just deleted my rant before it was taken the wrong way.

 

[GrizzWald]

I was unfamiliar with Silica Max so I went and looked into it. It's 6% silica (SiO2). Dyna Gro Pro-Tekt is 7.8% and GroTek Pro-Silicate is 7.5%, so actually they are stronger. I can say that the Pro-Tekt is more stable than the Pro-Silicate. I used Pro-Tekt for years but Amazon was out of quarts of it when I needed resupply so I tried the Pro-Silicate. With Pro-Tekt, I could use the same syringe to dose all my nutes. With Pro-Silicate I have to use a separate syringe for that product only. Even trace amounts of anything else in the syringe turns it into a big congealed blob. So there is definitely a difference in how these companies formulate things. I still have a pint left of Pro-Silicate, and it works as well as Pro-Tekt. Just have to keep it's syringe separated. When I run out though, I'll most likely return to Pro-Tekt, unless quarts are sold out again at Amazon.

I can't like this enough to a new grower or somebody unfamiliar with the relationship between the nutes they are using or wanting to use..

 

[GrizzWald]

It's a surprisingly common mistake for people to pH first then add things. Happens all the time and you end up with people posting things like.
"Help, my pH goes in at 5.3 and runs off at 9.2 what am I doing wrong"
With a picture of a plant that looks like it's been drinking vodka lol.
Struck a nerve when I seen it but he corrected himself so just deleted my rant before it was taken the wrong way.

Vodka maybe an overall summary of the intoxicant but labelling had effect, especially in The alcohol trade..now if you had said look like been drinking Smirnoff.., id agree

 

[LiberalThinker]

Ahh, ignore my last comment then mate lol. Didn't see this. Just struck a nerve and off I went. Don't need to ph it twice though. Completely pointless. Just do it at the end.

Are you a chemist? My guess is that there's too many hydroxl ions that may lock up some of the nute ingredients if they are not brought into equilibrium first.

Edited to add: Here's a warning from an agricultural product using Potassium Silicate:

Warnings

SILISEC-K incompatibilities are due to its alkaline character. If possible, it should be used alone. In case of using it in mixtures, the pH should be measured after the incorporation of SILISEC-K to the tank and before adding the rest of products. Afterwards, the mixture should be brought to neutral pH through a pH regulator.

 

[LiberalThinker]

deleted

 

[Nickystickybuds]

Thank you so much! I tend to agree with you!!

Any pics of your plants?

 

[LiberalThinker]

OK. Here's the chemistry explanation of why it''s necessary to do it twice. It's worth reading the whole article at the link:

Silica In Hydroponics | Manic Botanix

Silica and Hydroponics For myself, I do not see silica as a beneficial additive but, more so, as a must (an essential element) in any balanced/optimized nutrient regime. Silica (Si) is the second most…

medteknutrients.com.au

Click on writing to enlarge.

TLDR: The short explanation is that: because the pH is pushed beyond pH8, the silicate changes from a non-reactive species to to a reactive one, and this is why it must be done twice.

 

[Barney86]

Are you a chemist? My guess is that there's too many hydroxl ions that may lock up some of the nute ingredients if they are not brought into equilibrium first.

Edited to add: Here's a warning from an agricultural product using Potassium Silicate:

Warnings

SILISEC-K incompatibilities are due to its alkaline character. If possible, it should be used alone. In case of using it in mixtures, the pH should be measured after the incorporation of SILISEC-K to the tank and before adding the rest of products. Afterwards, the mixture should be brought to neutral pH through a pH regulator.

Sorry mate, I'm sure science has all the answer but I can assure you it makes absolutely no difference if you don't pH the mix before adding the rest. I've been using it for 3 years. All you're doing by ph'ing twice is needlessly adding more phosphoric acid to your Res. Can literally clean the oven with that stuff. It's also why coca cola is really good at cleaning toilets. Mix it with the pH down and it turns into boiling acid. You think that stuff helps your plants grow?
Ask any hydro grower and they'll tell you you don't pH it twice mate. The majority of us use it.

 

[LiberalThinker]

Sorry mate, I'm sure science has all the answer but I can assure you it makes absolutely no difference if you don't pH the mix before adding the rest. I've been using it for 3 years. All you're doing by ph'ing twice is needlessly adding more phosphoric acid to your Res. Can literally clean the oven with that stuff. It's also why coca cola is really good at cleaning toilets. Mix it with the pH down and it turns into boiling acid. You think that stuff helps your plants grow?
Ask any hydro grower and they'll tell you you don't pH it twice mate. The majority of us use it.

I'll stick with science mate. It's my other hobby. It does actually say that you need to consider what else these things are adding and to compensate accordingly in your nutes. There's more than one way to skin a cat, so I''ll leave it at that.

 

[farside05]

OK. Here's the chemistry explanation of why it''s necessary to do it twice. It's worth reading the whole article at the link:

Silica In Hydroponics | Manic Botanix

Silica and Hydroponics For myself, I do not see silica as a beneficial additive but, more so, as a must (an essential element) in any balanced/optimized nutrient regime. Silica (Si) is the second most…

medteknutrients.com.au

Click on writing to enlarge.

TLDR: The short explanation is that: because the pH is pushed beyond pH8, the silicate changes from a non-reactive species to to a reactive one, and this is why it must be done twice.

I find the last sentence interesting, "While no research exists to support this position..."

My experience has been, silica, then nutes, then pH once at the end. No chunks. That's the directions on the products I've used and it's worked for me and I'll continue to follow the labels directions. If I did do silica, then balance, I'd end up using pH down because silica is a base. Then when I add my acidic nutes, then I'd be adding pH up to get back to the desired pH level again. So I just added 2 products, pH Up and pH Down. When I just pH at the end, actually I don't even have to. My acidy nutes counteract the base of the silica and I'm right on my desired pH of 6.5 (I grow in a soil-less mix) without having to add a drop of pH Up or Down.

 

[LiberalThinker]

I find the last sentence interesting, "While no research exists to support this position..."

My experience has been, silica, then nutes, then pH once at the end. No chunks. That's the directions on the products I've used and it's worked for me and I'll continue to follow the labels directions. If I did do silica, then balance, I'd end up using pH down because silica is a base. Then when I add my acidic nutes, then I'd be adding pH up to get back to the desired pH level again. So I just added 2 products, pH Up and pH Down. When I just pH at the end, actually I don't even have to. My acidy nutes counteract the base of the silica and I'm right on my desired pH of 6.5 (I grow in a soil-less mix) without having to add a drop of pH Up or Down.

That specifically relates to adding the silica in stages to avoid any undesirable reactions. This indicates how reactive it can be and the care required using this stuff.

Whatever works for you mate.