Silica article: Looking for others' knowledge on silica

[JointVentures]

Never used Silica plants do just fine.

 

[LEDBud]

If you want better then just fine plants use a Silicate product ! , I use a Potassium Silicate gel concentrate from Canna Labs that costs $10 500 ml and mine are pretty kick ass 8 and 12 oz plants.

The Silicate *helps* I have done alright without as well

Never used Silica plants do just fine.

 

[Fullyspectrum]

Got me some potsil to try. See how the little girl likes it

 

[LEDBud]

Good things are coming your way !

Make sure to mix the silicate in first and after adding in the other nutrients adjust the PH

I bet you notice a change / improvement in 1 week

 

[Fullyspectrum]

Good things are coming your way !

Make sure to mix the silicate in first and after adding in the other nutrients adjust the PH

I bet you notice a change / improvement in 1 week

Will add it to my round leaf grow and keep everyone posted on here as well with anything I notice.

 

[Tomula]

For silica you can use Diatomaceous Earth, food grade should work just fine. And even your body will see the benefits

 

[Komatchi]

Yeah it costs a lot of money too. I'm plotting on refining some horsetails for silica instead of buying more of those expensive bottles I have on the shelf. I'll post if I have any success. Probably it's not rocket science. I'm thinking I'll dry and powder some and do a side by side test with it.

I've used both dry (KSi) and Liquid (KSi, SiO2, and some form of Silicic acid). They all help although a lot of it is the potassium content (helps the immune system). Si helps strengthen the cell wall (From my understanding, it helps lignin somehow). KSi has the added benefit of being a surfactant making over watering harder.

I didn't notice a difference with dry vs liquid.

 

[Fullyspectrum]

Been running potsil and bloody hell the stem since starting is massive compared to stem that grew prior to treatment. Silica has helped plant resist locust attack as well.

 

[LEDBud]

I notice the same healthy growth of seedlings when using Silica , currently the plants are at about 8 weeks flower and the Buds are still standing up tall firm and with no droop

 

[skoondawg]

Any tips/guidance on how to feed silica to plants grown in coco? Heard something about silica only being soluble at higher phs which is outside he range of coco. Could someone please clear this up for me

My little girls are starting week 3 tomorrow. When is the right time to get start supplementing with silica?

 

[Weaselcracker]

Coco uses the same ph range as any other soilless (5.8-ish) and yes you can use silica. It does like to precipitate out of the mix if you add it to something acidic. I usually add it to the nutrient mix first, for whatever difference it makes (not much as far as I can tell). It's easy to tell whether or not its working because of its effect on the stems.
I just start adding it from the beginning of veg really. May as well make those little stems stronger.

 

[Pat999]

Coco uses the same ph range as any other soilless (5.8-ish) and yes you can use silica. It does like to precipitate out of the mix if you add it to something acidic. I usually add it to the nutrient mix first, for whatever difference it makes (not much as far as I can tell). It's easy to tell whether ir not its working because of its effect on the stems.

Blessing Weasel, me and Skoon have been discussing it to add to our grows. So you say add all the nutes in, then the silica and after that ph it down to 5.8?

 

[Weaselcracker]

Well I usually add the silica to the water first. Everything else after. But not very fussy about doing it that way every time. I often add the calmag first too.

My botanicare nutes are very acidic. Silica is the only nutrient I have on the shelf that is alkaline. If I add the silica to the acidic nutrient/water mix last I see quite a lot of it turn into a cloud of solid white material and fall to the bottom of the bucket.

It's very highly possible that it does this -anyway even if you add the silica first and then the acidic stuff after. But I've read that you should add the silica first for this reason.
I've also read that silica cannot stay in solution at all in the hydro ph ranges. I don't believe this is true because - for one thing I can tell that it's working, and another- my ppm goes up when I add it.

I wouldn't worry all that much about when to add it- just pay attention and you'll see what I mean about the precipitation that happens.
For example- if you added silica to the concentrated nutrients straight from the bottle, before mixing with water, you would see the silica turn instantly into hard flakes and precipitate out to the bottom of the cup.

 

[Integrum Stultus]

You can foliar feed silica. I foliar feed and use as an additive with my nutrient solution. It will actually form a coating over the leaves and stems after the water evaporates leaving behind a thin layer of silica. Thus helping to withstand many common ailments; heat stress, drought, pests/parasites, fungus/mokd etc...

 

[blue rust]

Just bought protekt so the new girls will all get a dose of it.

 

[Fullyspectrum]

Nah silica does stay in solution in hydro. I use potsil and never had it come out of solution or form white crust

 

[Weaselcracker]

I read through a few scholarly articles on how ph affects silica solubility, trying to find a straightforward relationship between ph and solubility, and - it's a very complicated subject. Yes some silica does condense in an acidic environment- but not all of it does. So yeah- it still works.

It can't exist in solution when mixed with strong nutrients. Which is why it's sold separately and not found mixed with other bottled nutes. It tends to have reactions with other minerals in the mix and precipitates under various conditions including - high ppm mixes, low ph, and high ph.

Silica is quite an insoluble mineral to begin with and you're unlikely to see it at more than about 150 ppm in solution. The articles I read suggested adding it slowly and to water only (before the other nutrients).

 

[Pat999]

You are a blessing Weasel, I also add the calmag before I add my grow nutes and anything else. Guess it would be a good thing to add the silica, then the calmag and then the base nutes. Would you say day 21-28 of vegging would be too early or too late to start adding silica to feedings?

 

[Weaselcracker]

Honestly I'd just use it anytime from early veg onwards. But I'm not a silica expert or anything. I used to add it to every nute mix - now I'm kind of sporadic with my silica use. Partly because I'm running out and it's sort of expensive here.
I do miss it when I don't use it though- I break a lot more stems.

 

[Pat999]

Honestly I'd just use it anytime from early veg onwards. But I'm not a silica expert or anything. I used to add it to every nute mix - now I'm kind of sporadic with my silica use. Partly because I'm running out and it's sort of expensive here.
I do miss it when I don't use it though- I break a lot more stems.

I guess a good thing to add it to every 3/4 feed, we are growing in coco so perhaps every 3 days would be a good addition? Yeah man I have heard alot of good things of silica and how people that never used it before now can't go "without" it. Makes sense if the plant growth and resistance to pests are increased