Purpose of Silica for feed & insecticide?

[WthAmIDoing]

ive seen silica pop up often when it comes to feeding and spraying your plants. What is the purpose of this?

I grow outdoors with organic soil, beginning feed with fox farm trio & General Hydroponic pH kit.

I’m beginning to have a bug problem so I’ve been told to use neem oil and silica as an insecticide. Am i mixing with the oil or??? Help please lol. First grow ever

 

[Mr. Krip]

Yes, you mix them together. Need to shake sprayer very well so they don't separate and shake/mix frequently during spraying. Best to spray at first lights on and spray until there's a good amount of run-off with the finest mist possible. I hope that helps!



K

 

[GrizzWald]

Never heard of silica as insecticide but I haven't heard it all.. diatomaceous Earth is about 90℅silica and can be used to fight many bugs.. it also acts as a plant micronutrient beneficial, as silica is used for branches and flowers. Mortar and pesel if using for this...

 

[WthAmIDoing]

Never heard of silica as insecticide but I haven't heard it all.. diatomaceous Earth is about 90℅silica and can be used to fight many bugs.. it also acts as a plant micronutrient beneficial, as silica is used for branches and flowers. Mortar and pesel if using for this...

What would be the benefits of feeding my plant silica via soil? Assuming I’m using it in addition with fox farm trio

 

[WthAmIDoing]

Yes, you mix them together. Need to shake sprayer very well so they don't separate and shake/mix frequently during spraying. Best to spray at first lights on and spray until there's a good amount of run-off with the finest mist possible. I hope that helps!



K

I’m curiious as to what the silica is for. But yes this is very helpful. However, I’ve been told to spray the plants at night?

 

[GrizzWald]

I mix it in with soil, more so than feed it... Sprinkle on top and allow to feed in when watering.... Silica is used by plant more than is recognised, 60℅ Earth and 95℅ (thanks wiki ) of rocks are silica, yet only few nutrient lines have any focus on it...

 

[WthAmIDoing]

Let me also add that i am in the 2nd week of flower

 

[GrizzWald]

as of late I'm not big on neem use, not on flowers I'm going to smoke, as systemic, so not in flowers I'm going to smoke is it dry where you are? Throw handfulls of d.e over her....Plant looks like it's going to be to big for the pot (from photo)... If so, look at changing in couple of weeks, wait until strech has finished, as there's no deficiencies yet...

 

[WthAmIDoing]

as of late I'm not big on neem use, not on flowers I'm going to smoke, as systemic, so not in flowers I'm going to smoke is it dry where you are? Throw handfulls of d.e over her....Plant looks like it's going to be to big for the pot (from photo)... If so, look at changing in couple of weeks, wait until strech has finished, as there's no deficiencies yet...

I’ve heard folks talk about Neem being problematic... haven’t done my own research just yet. Also, that’s what a lot of folks told me. I thought keeping it in a 5gal smart pot was enough but i guess i need bigger.. i don’t really want a huge plant, though. And i would also hate to disturb the plant.

What would happen if i kept it in the same pot it’s in?

 

[GrizzWald]

If you know how to garden, itll be fine.. if early into growing, your every chance of running into various problems but deficiencies being most likely, as all soil will be used and you'll need to replace with nutrient what plant wants. Its basic but good to know what various nutrient effect is on plants...

 

[WthAmIDoing]

I’m getting in the car now and buying bigger smart pots. Looking 10 gallons.. then buy some happy frog. I’m scared because it’s not recommended to transplant during flower!! Also I’m scared to transplant plants so big

 

[GrizzWald]

Moon dictates the transplant.. last quarter to New moon, energy pushing down wards to roots..transplant day 23, if possible or close as moon allows. when transplanting, let plant dry out, roots will hold together and will do as little disturbance as possible.. quarter fill New bag, place plant on top fill sides and top with fresh soil, water in with weak nutrient mix, added seaweed...

 

[WthAmIDoing]

Moon dictates the transplant.. last quarter to New moon, energy pushing down wards to roots..transplant day 23, if possible or close as moon allows. when transplanting, let plant dry out, roots will hold together and will do as little disturbance as possible.. quarter fill New bag, place plant on top fill sides and top with fresh soil, water in with weak nutrient mix, added seaweed...

Thanks for the tip!! Not familiar with energy and moon cycles but i would look in to it. Any chance you would know when that would be? Lol.

Also I’m at a Home Depot now and they have Black Magic potting soil. No fox farm or happy frog here.. any reviews for this brand?

 

[GrizzWald]

I'm in Australia, I'm not sure if the moon phase is the same... Start Next month here... Goggle is friend with soil, always a review somewhere..

 

[natureman]

What would be the benefits of feeding my plant silica via soil? Assuming I’m using it in addition with fox farm trio

Here is some helpful information on silica.
Why Your Plants Need More Silica

 

[Mr. Krip]

I mix it in with soil, more so than feed it... Sprinkle on top and allow to feed in when watering.... Silica is used by plant more than is recognised, 60℅ Earth and 95℅ (thanks wiki ) of rocks are silica, yet only few nutrient lines have any focus on it...

Silica can be either watered in or used as a foliar but, when using to treat pests, I do believe it should be applied as a foliar. I used to add it to my res when doing hydro to strengthen the cell walls of the plant which helps grow sturdy stalks.

Let me also add that i am in the 2nd week of flower

as of late I'm not big on neem use, not on flowers I'm going to smoke, as systemic, so not in flowers I'm going to smoke is it dry where you are? Throw handfulls of d.e over her....Plant looks like it's going to be to big for the pot (from photo)... If so, look at changing in couple of weeks, wait until strech has finished, as there's no deficiencies yet...

I’ve heard folks talk about Neem being problematic... haven’t done my own research just yet. Also, that’s what a lot of folks told me. I thought keeping it in a 5gal smart pot was enough but i guess i need bigger.. i don’t really want a huge plant, though. And i would also hate to disturb the plant.

What would happen if i kept it in the same pot it’s in?

Do NOT use neem in flower, if you can avoid it. It's an oil that lingers on the buds! Have you ID'd the type of pest you have???

 

[WthAmIDoing]

Anphids forsure, spider mites (first stage), and I’m trying to figure out what these are. They resemble small seeds or bug eggs. Usually find one sitting on a leaf

 

[Mr. Krip]

Anphids forsure, spider mites (first stage), and I’m trying to figure out what these are. They resemble small seeds or bug eggs. Usually find one sitting on a leaf

Wow, you've got your hands full, huh?

OK...You've got some options for dealing with it organically but since you've got different issues, I'd probably combine several things to get rid of them.

First, since you're growing outdoors, I would blast the plants, especially the underside of the leaves with some H2O - and I mean BLAST under some high pressure. Don't defoliate the poor girls, but give 'em about as much as they can take for 3-5 days in a row.

It will knock a lot of the stuff, especially the spider mites & webs, off the leaves. Once off your plants, the spider mites end up dying from lack of food.

I'd also mix up a foliar spray of cayenne pepper, and some "onion/garlic" water with some dish soap (also, if you really want to "kick it up a notch", add some nicotene tea!) and spray that as a foliar.

Also, if you unleash some lady bugs in the garden, they will have a feast.

Here's some details to help....

The Cayenne pepper and nicotene tea are good for dealing with the spider mites; the onion/garlic water and nicotene tea are good for dealing with the aphids. The dish soap will help the water not for droplets and dry up the carcasses of the aphids.

To make the onion/garlic water, finely chop an onion & two garlic cloves, and blend them with two c's water. Strain and add to the spray bottle.

For a mixture, I'd put something like 9 parts of the onion garlic water with 1 part dish soap, and 1 TBSP of cayenne powder in a 1 qt. sprayer.

I hope that helps!

 

[WthAmIDoing]

Wow, you've got your hands full, huh?

OK...You've got some options for dealing with it organically but since you've got different issues, I'd probably combine several things to get rid of them.

First, since you're growing outdoors, I would blast the plants, especially the underside of the leaves with some H2O - and I mean BLAST under some high pressure. Don't defoliate the poor girls, but give 'em about as much as they can take for 3-5 days in a row.

It will knock a lot of the stuff, especially the spider mites & webs, off the leaves. Once off your plants, the spider mites end up dying from lack of food.

I'd also mix up a foliar spray of cayenne pepper, and some "onion/garlic" water with some dish soap (also, if you really want to "kick it up a notch", add some nicotene tea!) and spray that as a foliar.

Also, if you unleash some lady bugs in the garden, they will have a feast.

Here's some details to help....

The Cayenne pepper and nicotene tea are good for dealing with the spider mites; the onion/garlic water and nicotene tea are good for dealing with the aphids. The dish soap will help the water not for droplets and dry up the carcasses of the aphids.

To make the onion/garlic water, finely chop an onion & two garlic cloves, and blend them with two c's water. Strain and add to the spray bottle.

For a mixture, I'd put something like 9 parts of the onion garlic water with 1 part dish soap, and 1 TBSP of cayenne powder in a 1 qt. sprayer.

I hope that helps!

YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER!!!! I want to do this 100% organically as this will be medicine! I was afraid of using soap on the flower but i will give it a try. Best to spray at night or day?

 

[Mr. Krip]

Usually best to spray at first light when the stoma are open and, by the end of day, anything not absorbed will evaporate and reduce possibilities of mold from the moisture sitting over-night.