The Sauga Ends Here

[Amy Gardner]

Airtitan T3

I reckon you can use an S4 or S6 with that, and just leave out the manual controller that comes with it . That’s the same controller, it looks like. Would have to confirm with AC Infinity of course, because I might be wrong. It’s only a reckoning after all

 

[Bmensi]

Hope its not the mc and its just light on these very bottom leaves that get like no light

 

[MrSauga]

I agree the controller is a bit primitive if you’re trying to get it to do multiple things.

I use the high RH and high temp features on the fan controller. When used with a humidifier inside the tent, and a dehumidifier outside the tent, the controller really is amazing. The only thing I'd like to see, and Amy mentioned this, is to disable the alarm noise if you don't want to hear it.

Hope its not the mc and its just light on these very bottom leaves that get like no light

There's not enough leaves there to be blocking the light. The plant is hungry and wants to be fed. How much have you fed her so far?
Here's a link again to get you started on a journal started Bmensi. It's really in your best interest to get one going if you really want to learn about growing cannabis

How to Make a Grow Journal

Follow These Steps to Create Your Grow Journal With enough setup information in the beginning, your grow journal will be seen and supported by growers from all over the world. The more pride and effort you put into your journal, the more response, interaction and support you will receive from...

www.420magazine.com

 

[MrSauga]

@Bmensi
Nice job on getting your journal going!

White Widow Autoflower Grow Journal 2020

So I started this white widow auto flower in my shed about 6 or 7 weeks ago. It is in its flower stage i believe about bugging of week 2. Its an outdoor grow in my shed with heater for night time . I'm using crazy frog soil in a 2.5 gallon pot. Temperature normally stays at 70 to 75 at night...

www.420magazine.com

 

[StRoostifer]

Afternoon MrS! How goes the day?

 

[MrSauga]

Afternoon MrS! How goes the day?

Doing good Roosti. Learning lots today my friend, all of which will most likely be forgotten tomorrow.

How's my favorite South Sider doing?

 

[StRoostifer]

Learning always good! Keeps the mind from wasting away. That’s why your my favorite little blue jay!

All is good today. Watered some ladies a little while ago and now I’m out in the sun getting ripped.

 

[MrSauga]

That’s why your my favorite little blue jay!

I can't help but love the baseball connection you made there!

 

[StRoostifer]

I can't help but love the baseball connection you made there!

In the immortal baseball words of Joe Garagiola “ Atta Boy”!

 

[MrSauga]

Hey everybody!
Guess what day it is? That's right all you high schoolers itz edumacation day!
Today's topic was inspired by fellow member InTheShed, who made a point about Silica that he heard from another member. It caught my attention right away and although I was familiar with parts of the following topic there was lots I didn't know. So I've tried to summarize what I now know and what many of you may like to know too!

As a disclaimer, I don't endorse any of the items mentioned below. I don't see any sponsors here that sell the product so I did post product names, but no links.

SILICON

What is silicon?
Silicon is a naturally occurring chemical element. Silicon is everywhere but is generally unavailable to plants. It readily bonds with oxygen and is rarely found in nature in its purest form. Silicon is typically seen as silicon dioxide or silica, better known as quartz, which is the most common component of sand. The silica component is what we’ll be discussing below.

What are the benefits of using silica?
Although silica is not essential for plant growth and development, it can provide many benefits. It has been found to improve drought tolerance and delay wilting in certain crops lacking irrigation. It guards against environmental stress, improves the uptake of water and minerals, and adds an extra level of protection against fungal diseases such as powdery mildew. Researchers found that powdery mildew was delayed in silicon treated zinnia, rose, sunflower, and cucumber, and phytophthora was delayed in gerbera. However, after 1-3 weeks both silicon treated and untreated plants had the same amount of disease.
Silicon appears to benefit certain plants when they are under stress, and it has also been found to help increase stem strength by strengthening cell walls. One study found when rice and wheat are silicon deficient their stems weaken and easily collapse in wind or rain, a condition called lodging. Another study on poinsettias treated with silicon had also shown reduced stem breakage.

How do plants uptake silicon?
In nature, microbes convert unavailable forms of silicon into silicic acid, also known as monosilicic acid(MSA). MSA is the only bioavailable form of silicon for plants, and the microbial process of converting it is slow and depends on many factors. In its most common forms silicon is not readily absorbed into biological tissues. Take potassium silicates as an example. Its molecules are too large to penetrate the plants cell walls. Microbes will have to convert it into silicic acid before the roots can take up the silicon. This process is called silicification, and it can take weeks or months before it occurs in any meaningful amount.

Silicic acid is therefore the most effective silicon additive since it is 100% bioavailable. But not all silicic acid is the same. In nature, silica exists in polymer form because it is stable. These are long chains of molecules, and in order for plants to use silicic acid it must be in monomer form, a single molecule which is monosilicic acid.
Soluble silica is also absorbed by plants. The ability of the plants to absorb silicon from soil, along with the amount of silicon that can be taken up by plants, depends on the concentration of silicic acid in the soil solution rather than the total silicon concentration of the soil.

What brand of silica should I be using?
Potassium silicate is a good soluble form of silica, but it is not compatible with many other fertilisers and must often be applied as a standalone. One way out of this limitation is to use a pre-formulated potassium silicate-based fertiliser which includes other synergists. I believe Pro-tekt would be a good example of this.
Although it’s listed as using potassium silicate, it appears to be soluble silicon. Below is a snippet from their PDF product data-sheet. I mention this product simply because more seem to use it over other brands.

DYNA-GRO'S unique Pro-TeKt® formula is an easy to use liquid concentrate that provides supplemental potassium (3.7%) and silicon (7.8%). Silicon is rapidly bound in leaf tissue and deposited in a non-translocatable form within 24 hours of uptake. Therefore a continuous source of soluble silicon is very important to combat pathogens. This can be from constant feeding in hydroponics or from retention in the growing medium. The surfactant characteristics of Pro-TeKt® result in better uptake of water and the minerals dissolved in it for better nutrition and growth.

Cost of 1L Pro-Tekt: $25.99 CAD

The brand I use is called Cyco Silica. It is a source of monosilicic acid, which as I mentioned is a 100% soluble source of silica. Did I know that before I bought it? No! I’m learning all this too and I just happened to get lucky. There were three brands on the shelf, and this was the prettiest one so it had to be the best.

Cost of 1L Cyco: $27.99 CAD

Conclusion
There are many benefits in adding silica to your plants diet. It’s the primary component in the formation of cell walls in plants, and it adds an extra level of protection against fungal diseases such as powdery mildew. It can also reduce heat stress by preventing plant transpiration, it builds strong stems, stalks, and thick leaves, it aids in the development of new vegetation and flowering, and it improves the uptake of water and minerals such as calcium.

In my opinion, unless a company doesn’t want to provide you the information, there is no need to spend high amounts of money for a product listed as having monosilicic acid over potassium silicate. It would appear that they know this already and they have ways around it, but if you look at the brands mentioned above I’d be buying the Cyco Silica. They claim they use monosilicic acid, and for $2.00 more there is no reason not to continue to use it.

Class dismissed, and please take your roaches with you.

 

[InTheShed]

Excellent, again! Another post to bookmark.

For anyone interested in a straight monosilicic acid product (with no potassium), there is Alchemist Stout MSA:

Alchemist® Stout™ MSA | Hawthorne Gardening Company

Monosilicic acid (H4SiO4 aka ortho-silicic acid), the form found in Stout™ MSA, is the most bioavailable form of silicon. Stout™ MSA is immediately available to your plants and is stable over a larger pH range when compared to other silicon sources like potassium or sodium silicates (ex: will...

www.hawthornegc.com

For anyone interested in reading about how to use up their potassium silicate for something else, here is a bit of science from the NIH on silica sprays:

The Effects of Foliar Sprays with Different Silicon Compounds

The use of foliar sprays with silicon compounds is relatively new. Initially (in 1990) foliar sprays with silicates were used. In 2003, foliar sprays with (stabilized) silicic acid were introduced, and more recently foliar sprays with silica nanoparticles ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[MrSauga]

For anyone interested in a straight monosilicic acid product (with no potassium), there is Alchemist Stout MSA:

It's always nice to have products that are isolated from the main elements of N-P-K. I'm not so sure leaving out the K is such a big factor since it's been in most silica products for quite some time. Even MC and Pro-tekt work well together, and the K levels are not dramatically changed to cause any noticeable imbalance.
Thanks Shed.

 

[oldsmokey]

Thanks Mr.S nicely put!

 

[MrSauga]

Thanks Mr.S nicely put!

Thanks Smokey! I hope things are good on your side.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Did I know that before I bought it? No! I’m learning all this too and I just happened to get lucky.

I enjoyed imagining the look on your face when, after researching, you read the label on yours and had the good stuff!

Nice write up thanks

bit of science from the NIH on silica sprays:
The Effects of Foliar Sprays with Different Silicon Compounds

And thanks you too.

 

[Mr. Krip]

Take potassium silicates as an example. Its molecules are too large to penetrate the plants cell walls. Microbes will have to convert it into silicic acid before the roots can take up the silicon. This process is called silicification, and it can take weeks or months before it occurs in any meaningful amount.

Silicic acid is therefore the most effective silicon additive since it is 100% bioavailable.

While I haven't researched this, I would think that any Silica product made for hydro will be in a form that's immediately available to the plants.

 

[MrSauga]

I enjoyed imagining the look on your face when, after researching, you read the label on yours and had the good stuff!

While I haven't researched this, I would think that any Silica product made for hydro will be in a form that's immediately available to the plants.

That's correct. The biggest issue that hydro systems have is balancing the pH. I've left a link below on a great article on the use of Silica in hydro and the recommended levels. It also goes on to describe the antagonisms that happen when using too much.

Silica In Hydroponics | Med-Tek Nutrients

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

.

I enjoyed imagining the look on your face when, after researching, you read the label on yours and had the good stuff!

IKR! I wish I could have seen it too!!

 

[oldsmokey]

Thanks Smokey! I hope things are good on your side.

Hi Mr.S things are good except the snow we got last night. I have be debating on witch brand of silica too use for sometime now. Was trying to find monosilic acid here in Canada not alot available and what is available is super expensive. So I was planning on ordering some z9 witch I did but was a few dollars short for free shipping so I added a bottle of Cyco silica going to start at next res change.

Also bookmarked your last link for future reading. Hope you have a fantastic day!

 

[MrSauga]

Hi Mr.S things are good except the snow we got last night.

Oof, the 'S' word.

so I added a bottle of Cyco silica going to start at next res change.

It seems to be the best option dollar for dollar. It will be good to hear your thoughts if you find any difference. I swear that using silica stops PM though on indoor grows. I'm seeing the odd leaf now getting it, and each grow I don't use the stuff it appears.
Last grow I used the last of my Pro-tekt and didn't have a problem with PM. The grow before that I didn't use it and had PM. This grow I didn't use it and have PM. That to me is enough proof in the pudding that it helps prevent PM on indoor plants. I've never tried it on my outdoor girls.

Also bookmarked your last link for future reading. Hope you have a fantastic day!

The important parts are in the middle for hydro grows.

 

[syenite]

Great write-up on the silicon, Mr S!

I was sold on at least the concept since day 1, and it's been good to gather more understanding since.

Also might explain why it may be hard to see the benefits of diatomaceous earth, beyond the mechanical ones.