im4satori
Well-Known Member
there where some statements that where ridiculous and some reasonable misconceptions based on myth
the high times article @Dr. Who posted said it best
in my experience;
adding silica to soil will have less of an effect then adding it to a hydro style grow likely from the buffering ability of the plant while in soil...where in hydro you've a bit more ability to force feed
in soil I see no reason to be adding silica to soil unless your in need of additional K or your soil is depleted in silica because you've not recycled it in eons
in hydro adding an adequate amount of silica to create a response is usually or almost always prohibited by the ph increase associated with that high of an amount of silica added to a reservoir
foliar feeding silicate is bar far the best option and creates the most significant response
foliar feeding will actually provide additionally added benefits you don't get from root applications not yet mentioned (unless I missed it)
I mix 1.25 grams of potassium silicate powder and 1/2 oz to 1 oz neem oil or azamax to 1 gallon water
spray away
this not only provides the added benefits of silica but it also protects against insects and powder mildew
it works by the same method as another well known product called green cure in its ability to control mildew
green cure is basically ph up and soap
it works by spraying the surface of the plant with a solution with a very high ph that will inhibit mildew growth.... along with the soap
potassium silicate can be used in the same way... the silica raises the ph and the neem acts like a sticker and protects against insects making it more effective as a broader spectrum pest management system than green cure alone.....plus you get the benefits of the silica at high enough levels to make a noticeable visual impact on growth
keeping the silica product out of the root zone will make lockout issues related to the cation between potassium magnesium and calcium, it will eliminate the ph issues associated with the reservoir
things I read that I find to be incorrect
silica doesn't directly increase yield in pot in my experience
(but studies have shown it does increase yields in some plants such as rice when used at extremely high levels)
it doesn't create more dense buds
silica doesn't make weed burn better... that's just silly
silica doesn't eliminate bugs but it might make your plants more resilient to death or slowed growth if bugs are munching on them
it does help with drought tolerance
and it will make your stems more turgid
it does make the branches more turgid and difficult to bend without snapping the branches if used frequently over a long period or if used in large amounts ... there may or may not be some argument that it will help support larger colas and I would agree with that statement ... but it can also make it more difficult to do LST if its required
the reason why the bottle liquid fertilizers sold by "brands" is shady is because
they take a few grams of a basic mineral, add it to water and market it with false claims and sell it for outrages amounts of money to consumers many of whom are suffering from chronic illness
don't get caught up in the hype and advertising
if you want to use it the way I do
this is the product I use
https://customhydronutrients.com/potassium-silicate-fertilizer-c-1_60_68.html?zenid=e70aa5b2590859a512afb45378554af2
one pound of this will produce 4 gallons of silica blast
I believe 1 gram per gallon of potassium silicate powder is close to equal to 1 oz per gallon silica blast in the Si content
silica as a foliar spray is a staple in my garden and I would say its one of the best additives
but I only subscrribe to a few potential additives
when I say "additive" to me by definition that means something not required or even needed, so you can grow great weed without it
I would suggest aminos in veg on a rare occasion , kelp, and silica all of which are foliar fed
enzymes
and mycos and bacteria if in soil
that's about it
I get much of that from
kelp4less.com
and there products are far superior and cost less compared to the liquids offered at the hydro store
I also like ot spray on occasion with peters micro mix s.t.e.m.
at 0.1 gram per gallon
https://customhydronutrients.com/soluble-trace-element-mix-c-1_50_51_32.html?zenid=ec62e0211439998c7914bd7e3408f07a
the high times article @Dr. Who posted said it best
in my experience;
adding silica to soil will have less of an effect then adding it to a hydro style grow likely from the buffering ability of the plant while in soil...where in hydro you've a bit more ability to force feed
in soil I see no reason to be adding silica to soil unless your in need of additional K or your soil is depleted in silica because you've not recycled it in eons
in hydro adding an adequate amount of silica to create a response is usually or almost always prohibited by the ph increase associated with that high of an amount of silica added to a reservoir
foliar feeding silicate is bar far the best option and creates the most significant response
foliar feeding will actually provide additionally added benefits you don't get from root applications not yet mentioned (unless I missed it)
I mix 1.25 grams of potassium silicate powder and 1/2 oz to 1 oz neem oil or azamax to 1 gallon water
spray away
this not only provides the added benefits of silica but it also protects against insects and powder mildew
it works by the same method as another well known product called green cure in its ability to control mildew
green cure is basically ph up and soap
it works by spraying the surface of the plant with a solution with a very high ph that will inhibit mildew growth.... along with the soap
potassium silicate can be used in the same way... the silica raises the ph and the neem acts like a sticker and protects against insects making it more effective as a broader spectrum pest management system than green cure alone.....plus you get the benefits of the silica at high enough levels to make a noticeable visual impact on growth
keeping the silica product out of the root zone will make lockout issues related to the cation between potassium magnesium and calcium, it will eliminate the ph issues associated with the reservoir
things I read that I find to be incorrect
silica doesn't directly increase yield in pot in my experience
(but studies have shown it does increase yields in some plants such as rice when used at extremely high levels)
it doesn't create more dense buds
silica doesn't make weed burn better... that's just silly
silica doesn't eliminate bugs but it might make your plants more resilient to death or slowed growth if bugs are munching on them
it does help with drought tolerance
and it will make your stems more turgid
it does make the branches more turgid and difficult to bend without snapping the branches if used frequently over a long period or if used in large amounts ... there may or may not be some argument that it will help support larger colas and I would agree with that statement ... but it can also make it more difficult to do LST if its required
the reason why the bottle liquid fertilizers sold by "brands" is shady is because
they take a few grams of a basic mineral, add it to water and market it with false claims and sell it for outrages amounts of money to consumers many of whom are suffering from chronic illness
don't get caught up in the hype and advertising
if you want to use it the way I do
this is the product I use
https://customhydronutrients.com/potassium-silicate-fertilizer-c-1_60_68.html?zenid=e70aa5b2590859a512afb45378554af2
one pound of this will produce 4 gallons of silica blast
I believe 1 gram per gallon of potassium silicate powder is close to equal to 1 oz per gallon silica blast in the Si content
silica as a foliar spray is a staple in my garden and I would say its one of the best additives
but I only subscrribe to a few potential additives
when I say "additive" to me by definition that means something not required or even needed, so you can grow great weed without it
I would suggest aminos in veg on a rare occasion , kelp, and silica all of which are foliar fed
enzymes
and mycos and bacteria if in soil
that's about it
I get much of that from
kelp4less.com
and there products are far superior and cost less compared to the liquids offered at the hydro store
I also like ot spray on occasion with peters micro mix s.t.e.m.
at 0.1 gram per gallon
https://customhydronutrients.com/soluble-trace-element-mix-c-1_50_51_32.html?zenid=ec62e0211439998c7914bd7e3408f07a
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