Rice hulls and DE are other - natural - sources of plant available silica. The former is an excellent substitute for perlite in growing media while the latter is easily top dressed. Top dressing DE takes less time (work) than adding Pro-Tek with each watering over 6-8 weeks, too
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Good afternoon Growernick i know this is an old thread but I have always used Silica with Cal Mag together with my veg bloom newts. Is that a no no or should I just be mixing and aerate the silica in my reservoir for 30 min before adding Cal Mag or should I do both on separate feedings. Also I have been checking out the new threads and it seems like silica is not as important as once thought or am I getting something wrong? Im growing in Soiless.
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Silica definitely plays a role in cannabis as a stress mitigater, as it does in a number of other plants. The question has always been around mode of action. The best, I can find is that in organic soils(peat) based it increases the amount of air in peat.
The same response is seen with pearlite and a extra course vermiculite. The total numbers of active root hairs incress.
So someone fined me a paper that says sand is plant essential, in all but a small handful of plants or letâs look at it as the promotion more root hairs. Which at this point is the best we can say, with any difinitive facts.
From the voices in my head Ethan
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Nick, just to clear up some confusion on silicates, many of your sources are accurate. However, salicylic acid contain NO silicone at all. Salicylic acids are actually aspirin formulations. I.E. acetylsalicylic acid has the molecular formula C9H8O4. Hope that helps!!
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I like the effects of silica in nutrient free mediums and hydroponics where silica is missing.
I swear by Elite 91 nutrients and their silica product! 4.1% Monosilicic Acid and 1.2% plant available Silicon, 21 different organic L-amino acids, and contains zinc, boron, molybdenum and manganese As micronutrients. Although the harvest gold looks very interesting, and gold has unique exposure effects of its own.
As for outdoor growers, STOP USING SILICA, I would not recommend adding silica where itâs already present, my first ever outdoor harvest when I was youth ended up almost plastic by nature, I over did silica supplementation throughout the grow and it led to flowers developing with much stronger cell walls than usual with higher levels of silica resulting in a much harsher, more carcinogenic product that was a throw away.
Excess nutrients/micronutrients can retain in cannabis even after appropriate flushing and curing and silica is a micronutrient cannabis specifically needs in order to build cell wall strength and vegetative growth vigour.
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I would love to see your product. If I do a pure hydroponic again i will look you up.
Do you having research to Pont to r the efficacy of this type of product. If it works the money will be in the micro green growers. Tons to our pounds in ratio.
From the voices in my head Ethan
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Silica in promix research kinda
Plus most of our water soluble potassium come with silica as an contamination.
K2SiO3
Just kidding here is a nice paper about strawberry Strawberry in aquius production.
Here is one that demistrates foliar application does not work Potassium Silicate as Foliar Spray and Rice Blast Control
All species examined accumulated measurable Si concentrations even when plants did not receive supplemental Si. Trace Si in the substrate and irrigation water may be enough for maximum leaf Si concentration for many cultivars in this study. The increased DW effects on bracteantha, lobelia, and verbena with Si supplementation are noteworthy and suggest further experimentation. Also of interest was that increased Si accumulation (versus control) was not necessary for there to be a measurable effect on morphological parameters. Our study followed only horticultural traits, yet there may be other unobserved abiotic and biotic stress tolerance benefits from Si supplementation, which deserve further inquiry. For example, it is possible that an imposed stress would have had more dramatic effects on the growth characteristics of Si-supplemented plants. Our results demonstrate that a range of floriculture species do absorb Si and that responses may be variable among species and cultivars. >
Here is 1 Gallons for $35 Pro-TeKt 0-0-3 (1:100 ratio) Mix 8-10 fl.oz. per gallon of water to make an injectable concentrate. Apply Pro-TeKt separately when using a single head injector.
So letâs see if I Have the SiO2 is 60.08 gram per Mol 46.743 % Si. So of the top of my head about 200 ppm of Si. In hydroponic solution. I made mistake here 20ppm?
Si makes up about 1.5% of dry mass in cannabis which is on the low end for non grass plants. Normal peat based mixes like Promix BX has lots of plant available SiO2. Hydroponic growth could be a problem in a non peat mix grows. A grow with rock wool might have a problem based on water source. Mid-west Ca and Si are very prevent. Some northwest waters are lower in Ca and Si. Colorado would be based on water from the aquifer. High Ca and Si, Relative to distilled water.
So are you likely to see Si defincency about as often as molibdum deficiency in cannabis. Which seems to collect about .75% by dry weight, of Molibdum.
So depends on the grow. Most growers are just not going to see this as a problem unless you are heavy CLF your plants in the 400 to 600 ppm range. And making the relative availability of micros nutritients to low.
@ron, will you fix my math. I am having a bad memory day. Since you have the best lables I have read on feeds what is your feeling? @Farmer_Dan, can you also find my mistakes.
Silicon
Silicon is not considered an essential element for plant growth and development. It is always found in abundance in the environment and hence if needed it is available. It is found in the structures of plants and improves the health of plants.[31]In plants, silicon has been shown in experiments to strengthen cell walls, improve plant strength, health, and productivity.[32]There have been studies showing evidence of silicon improving drought and frost resistance, decreasing lodging potential and boosting the plantâs natural pest and disease fighting systems.[33]Silicon has also been shown to improve plant vigor and physiology by improving root mass and density, and increasing above ground plant biomass and crop yields.[32]Silicon is currently under consideration by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO) for elevation to the status of a âplant beneficial substanceâ.[34][35]
From the voices in my head Ethan
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For me silica is typically used in the summer grows. otherwise its just a luxuary item. not needed for growing. yes i understand the benefits to the cells. i just use it in my high temp grows. 85+degress with silica and co2
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What are you seeing in the summer that leads you to feel Si is a requirement? Do you have any reference photos? With and without.
I have nice reference photos of timber bamboo with and without supplemental sand from a bamboo grower in Texas. They add like 1/4 inch of sand with a big Ass farm spreader every few years. I think the verity was Phyllostachys vivax You can hear the stuff growing during its 3 week growth season. They always put a hat on one of the stems. The stuff grows 80 to 100 feet. I was there for a 6 plus foot day. Down right scary. Can you hear the grass grow?
From the voices in my head Ethan 
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That Pro-Tekt product provides 26ppm Si02 at 1/4tsp(1.25ml) per gallon
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Thank you! What are your guide lines for silica in a grow?
From the voices in my head Ethan
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I also add green sand during the summer months aswell. the silica basically helps with heat stress. no real pictures to speak of in terms of with or without. but it does work very well.
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I have no guidelines because I donât use it. I have tested multiple products with no noticeable benefit on any of my indoor grows.
My well here at the new place has 55ppm silica in the water. I also saw no benefit in my outdoor garden from it this year as compared to my previous location that had 0ppm in the water. This leads me to believe that they must get all the silica they need from the media and nutrients that I grow with.
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Thank you. Just what I was looking for from the top fertilizer guy on the forum.
Warm regards
Ethan
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I also use Azomite year round. this could be a reason i dont normally see any difference with or with out. since its always with. Usually i add about a cup of azomite to my soil blend. I do notice from using this i tend to have less issues on micro and macro levels.
Most ingredients i use are in powder form. i dont use many pre mixed stuff.
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Guys be cautious what type of silica you feed your plants. Look get close at the ingrediants. I stay away from any silica products that raise TDS, changes pH and if your required to add it 1st to your reservoir thats a sign for me not to use it. Potassium silicate is K not silica or silicon.
Potassium silicate will cloud up your reservoir because it percipitates phosphorus, potassium, and other substrates.
Potassium Silcate is very detrimental to reservoir systems!
Real Silicon from Zeolite and Silicon Dioxide has a direct link with mycorrizia for super strong wood, filters the soil of toxins/heavy metals, stores nutrients, balances pH, and great source of calcium and iron to name a few.
Soluable silicon in silica also strengthens the leaf and xelum vessels.
The xelum walls in your plant are like a bumpy brick road.
Silica will turn xelum walls into a smooth racetrack surface so water and nutrients can move very fast when the plant calls for it like in snap!
Silica is 1 of my favorite soil ammendments. It promotes aeration, better drainage and should be used all the time so that every single cell is hardened with Silica. Big heavy buds needs extra support during flowering and I recommend using Silica all the time, especially heavy for transition and flowrering and transplanting. With real silica you wonât need nets or yoyoâs to support branches. With real silica it creates a 2nd barrier over the cuticle so jaws and fungi can break the skin if the leaf tissue. PM and bugs have no chance. Most definetly use outdoors and indoor as much as you can or as much as your budget allows. If you never expirienced real silica I highly suggest it.
Every single cell wall must be hardened with silica!
For those of you growing with Growstones, your on the right track but donât stop there.
Sand and glass is the way to grow!
K
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NO, letâs do remedial plant physiology.
Cell wall in plants are made of mostly lignin.
This varies between 15 and 40% (age of plant) of the cell wall you will not find Si. Most of the remainder is H2O. There are vary small amounts of other compounds. We have to look at C4 plants to for plants that really use Si in cell walls, here they replaced by a one of the organic chains with Si, carbon hydroxel chains. I forget my organic chemistry to remember what the funny carbon, oxygen, Si chain, is but it funny. I did not care much about C4 plants, I was in floricultue.
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One paper in lignin transfer to cellulose lignin transformation to cellulose in cannabis for fiber no Si in the organic chemistry.
Best comprehensive review of fiber makeup in Hemp Collection of Hemp fiber chemistry
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Ah, with the right type of Silica (zeolite)changes everything.
Silica and Fungi pair up really nice. Some guys are practicing bacteria dominant in grow 2:1 and after transition switch to fungal dominant 2:1 ramping up with Silica when it counts.
This is where Silica comes into play. Silica and Mycrorrizia are my turbo boost I time it and ramp them both up into bloom.
Me, I donât want super strong wood in veg. I want mass roots by being bacteria dominant in veg. 2:1 bacteria/fungus with silica.
Sorry to get off topic, but to truely get the full effect of this type of silica from zeolite, the timing and dominence of bacteria and fungus are very important. I say words like âvery importantâ and âmust beâ because that is how it was taught to me.
My 2 cents into the silica topic is try zeolite.
Pair your silica with mycorrizia and time it to get the full effect.
Silica from zeolite is an affordable soil ammendment and can work in some hydroponics like Ebb, DWC and undercurrent systems.
Merry Xmas Happy Holidays may 2019 be your best year ever.
K
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Silica and Mycorrizia may be in making some nutritional advantage. But Si, as a plant essential nutrient no way.
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