I grow in soil and when I started using a liquid SI supplement I saw a very obvious affect. That's even on top of the dry organic amendment mix I add to the soil that already has New Jersey Greensand.
So, Just what was that
"vary obvious" then? How about you take a minute and look up some information about what I said...... Maybe I should have said something like, "plants will get all the silica it can
need from soil....
The bulk of what you read by goggling on the first several pages of that search. Are simply expounded claims by nutrient makers.
Si does good things for all plants. That's not BS but, nutrient makers over blow the actual results. In my organic farming, we
do add some silica in spring by organic methods - ONCE. The continual use of any Si supplement will not increase the benefits in any way worth the cost of application.
Why?
Si use does increase the ability of the plant to withstand temp extreme's and drought.
Do you have drought or temp extreme's in your grow room?
Si use can/does increase cell wall structure. This provides some very small increased resistance to bug and pathogen attacks. True but, you can still get these problems anyway! As far as bug's go, the biggest effect is on those that actually EAT the plant. The amount of resistance to sucking insects is not increased buy any amount that would include it's use as a resistance factor!
Si use increases the ability of the plant to hold up the branching of fruiting plants, to the weight of the fruit. I find this as one of the most dubious claims made by nutrient makers! Look at it like this. The fruits cell walls are being increased too. The factor is small but, at the same rate as the rest of the plant. Results are going to be the same - You have to support the plant at the same rate as not using Si!
There are other benefits of Si in proper concentrations in the plant. Like it's ability to help regulate P uptake. True but, that is not increased by continual use of supplementing Si, over an initial use, generally in young plants. These "proper concentrations" are supplied by well amended soils or single use Si amended fertilizers - "When soil conditions indicate supplementation."
Lastly; If your doing advanced amending of some select micro nutrients for attempting to increase the THC or CBD production of cannabis. It (Si) should be a part of that concoction to help buffer the possible chance of Fe imbalance or over use, and the effective combination of Mn and Fe to the desired effect. This is part of what could be considered advanced agronomy in attempting specific cannabinoid/terpenoid manipulation. You practice that? Some here do.....Read up on Mel Frank's books on that. He listed a formula that does that. What he didn't know then, was that his formula did more for increasing CBD then THC...
Greensand isn't even available for a long, long time sport......Slow, slow release. Your not getting any real benefit in the first grow, for the most part. The use of greensand is best done by those
organic growers, practicing "No till" methods! Unless you grow organic and use no-till methods (or reuse/re-amend soil). Greensand use is not
recommended!
Lastly: If you have properly built or amended soils...You do not need to supplement Si to gain anything in a properly maintained indoor soil grow. For outdoors, the same holds true by preseason amendment!
If your amending Si with K silicate.....The likely "change" you see in your plant is from the increase in K.....MOST ALL BOTTLED Si supplements are potassium silicate based.... The action of the living soil is what breaks that down to the plant available
silicic acid. That is what the plant actually up-takes through the roots and into the plant. So, if your doing heavy synthetic fertilization/feeding of your plants.....The ability of the soil to process Si into silicic acid
is reduced.....
Leaf cells are best supplemented by FOLIAR applications of a Si....
I believe that confirmation bias is a lot of what your seeing in your plant, or effects from K silicate use.
I would agree it's not needed if you don't care about weight but if you do then it will add some water weight as well as cell wall weight
This idea is so wrong on several levels!
What increase is given, is not a cost effective, if not a shady reason to use Si in growing MJ.
BTW, even High Times states, and I quote exactly:
"One thing to stress here is that silicon will not likely give a cannabis grower an increase in yield in plants that already grow in pristine conditions. Silicon supplementation may increase plant resistance to disease, fungus, insects and extreme environmental conditions. Increased resistance to stress will certainly help sick plants in a way that makes them yield more, but already healthy plants without silicon will not be too noticeably different from plants with silicon."
I'll say it again. Use of Si hydro applications can be a good idea. It's not
needed in soil growing!
