First time using Silica

Hey guys. I have never supplemented silica before so I wanted to try it out, I am on 4th week veg. I got some General Hydroponics Armor Si, looked at AN Rhino skin and comparing labels it looked like it was EXTREMLLY diluted stuff vs GH and the GH was 1/3 the cost. but the GH is 0-0-4 where the AN was something like 0-0-0.4

GH bottle says to add 1/4 tsp/gal for mild strength. I am using Organic nutes (Botanicare Pure Blend Grow/bloom) with liquid Karma supplement and CalMag (I use RO water @3ppm or 0ppm if i divert through the DI filters

How do I adjust my base Botanicare strength so I don't over nute with Potassium (K)

Here is my current recipe for week 4 feed per gallon water. I am actually breaking up the strength of this solution by 50% going forward with doing feed with every watering twice a week, my Promix HP is drying out in 2-3 days now in the 1.5 gallon pots and I find the plain CalMG water in between is slowing growth, with every nute feeding the plants respond and perk up. I will be doing a transplant to 4 gallon pots tonight as the final transplant for flower. Thoughts on splitting up solution for every feed vs feed-water-feed

Botanicare PBP Grow (3 - 2 - 4) 80ML
Botanicare Liquid Karma (0.1 - 0.1 - 0.4) 40ML
General Organics CaMg+ (1 - 0 - 0) 5ML

This solution gives me a PPM of about 880-900 and I want to add:

General Hydroponics Armor Si (0 - 0 - 4)

At what rate should I add the Silica? or How much should I reduce the base nute for the minimum 1/4 tsp application.

Must be a fire sale on Si this month.

Here is a link where Si is the main topic.
https://www.rollitup.org/t/advanced-nutrients-rhinoskin-anybody-used-it.222631/

It seems most here think it is over hyped by the manufactures.

I have not used it so have no answer to your questions.

Never used it either but for 10 bucks a quart cant hurt trying. I mainly want to see if there is improvement in the stem. I LST bend the main trunk 90 and then 90 and I have to tie them up when flowering or else it seems the stem may break at the base with the odd load on it. Want to see how much this helps this round and see if there is any response/tolerance to the light being at 18" @ 29/30c 22-30% RH

It helps alot, I have fed the rhinoskin on alot of plants, one I was able to tie into a knot without breaking, just to see if I could. I think if you're lst/main lining/manifolding it is a very good addition to your feeding regime, Never used the armor SI so I have no feedback on which is better, but I would do a feed/water/feed, and add the SI on water days only without adjusting my base nute at all just to see how it works.

I've been using it for a couple of years. I'm in soil so I mainly use it as a foliar during veg and early flower. I have had excellent results.

Also, dietemacious earth is made out of silica, has no nutes whatsoever, and kills bugs, soooo I almost feel its better, get 3 birds stoned at the same time.

Jeremy Pivens said:

It helps alot, I have fed the rhinoskin on alot of plants, one I was able to tie into a knot without breaking, just to see if I could. I think if you're lst/main lining/manifolding it is a very good addition to your feeding regime, Never used the armor SI so I have no feedback on which is better, but I would do a feed/water/feed, and add the SI on water days only without adjusting my base nute at all just to see how it works.

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SO with my transplant I didnt want to overnute or anything so I compared both Rhino Skin and Botanicare silica feeds and did a bunch of calculations based on the N and silica %. Though the bottle says mild dose of 1.2ml per gallon with the GH brand I did 0.25ml per gallon (used 2ml in my 8 gal mix) My total nutrient PPM came out to about 820PPM (week 4 veg) with the silica added about 7PPM per gal. I converted a few of the brands down to a PPM value and use it as my guide now =)

1.2 ML of 0-0-4 diluted into 8 gallons gives me 0-0-0.5 like botanicares version. But I think I will try your method out with staying on feed - water - feed cycle. On water days I will add CaMG 1-0-0 + Si 0-0-4 at 1ml/gal PH 5.6 in my ProMix HP to see how that works, this should give my RO water a PPM of ~280

Bought some "Armor Si" off eBay, but at a smaller and repackaged size, does anyone know how diluted or legit these smaller repackaged quantities are?
.
Is Armor Si blue in color?

JSheeze said:

Bought some "Armor Si" off eBay, but at a smaller and repackaged size, does anyone know how diluted or legit these smaller repackaged quantities are?
.
Is Armor Si blue in color?

View attachment 4222010

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Someone buying a gallon or five and repackaging for profit probably. I would just buy from the manufacturer, who knows what’s in there

Mr.Goodtimes said:

Someone buying a gallon or five and repackaging for profit probably. I would just buy from the manufacturer, who knows what’s in there

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Donkey piss. But I fully agree buy from a legit source

Silicon is the second most common element on the planet. You don't need any additional. Silica is silicon dioxide. People claim to see "Fantastic" results. I call it the "Placebo" effect.

If you really want to use it then save yourself a ton of money and just buy some water soluble potassium silicate for $20 a pound. That bottled stuff is a complete rip off like most nutrient additives some idiot salesman on youtube is pushing. It's not hard to add water and make a solution yourself for pennies. $20 and you can make hundreds of gallons.

JSheeze said:

Bought some "Armor Si" off eBay, but at a smaller and repackaged size, does anyone know how diluted or legit these smaller repackaged quantities are?
.
Is Armor Si blue in color?

View attachment 4222010

Click to expand...

Lets get right to the point...
If your in soil....You DON'T need ANY added SI !!! The plant will take ALL it can use from the soil!!!!

Now if your doing hydro,, well then,, it could be a good thing but, it is not required for the plants to grow and function properly......

BIG thing to remember is: Always add the SI AFTER (last) the other nutrients AND you've mixed them well, first.

Especially if you use a Ca/Mg !!! Add the Ca/Mg FIRST!

Dr. Who said:

Always add the SI AFTER (last) the other nutrients AND you've mixed them well, first.

Especially if you use a Ca/Mg !!! Add the Ca/Mg FIRST!

Click to expand...

Would you mind expanding on why this is the case?

Only time I use it is when I need a pH up and in very extreme temps during summer.

it strenthens the cell walls making ur plant resitant to everthing, its very high in ph and can acctually be used as a ph up, i think if im right its the the most abundant thing pn plant earth, some say it ahould be concidered as the 16th (if im right) micronute.

i use potsils potasium silicate .. kill two birds with one stoned and its super concentrated at 5000gallons per 500ml bottle ... £7.99

my stems this time are stiff as shit becuase of this stuff, kinda holding them selves up ... ill see in about a weeks time when they get a little more hevy

Seems like most are saying theres a cheaper route but overall it's a bit of a dual purpose additive (pH up as well as stem strengthener), noted. Thanks for all the replies.
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*The CalMg has a brown precipitate that's fallen out, I wouldn't have noticed the colors (blue armor si) or precipitate if it wasn't in a clear bottle, but anyone else noticed Cal-Mg having a precipitate fall out of solution (or blue Si additive)?



- RDWC coco coir/perlite/neem seed meal, (~70%/29%/1%)
- GH 3part, Floralicious+, HydroGuard, CalMg, RootFarm pH Down
- LED e26 SMD (6x25W @2700k), (4x25W @6500k)
- (2'W x 4'L x 6'H) tent


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Imagine more and bigger 6500k bulbs, and fewer 2700k than shown here just too lazy to take a pic of the current arrangement in this fixture here...

^^^ (2x 40W 2700k, 6x 13W 2700k, 2x 13W 5500k)

Jeremy Pivens said:

Also, dietemacious earth is made out of silica, has no nutes whatsoever, and kills bugs, soooo I almost feel its better, get 3 birds stoned at the same time.

Click to expand...

De earth takes to long to break down to be of use unless you are re using your soil.

xtsho said:

Silicon is the second most common element on the planet. You don't need any additional. Silica is silicon dioxide. People claim to see "Fantastic" results. I call it the "Placebo" effect.

If you really want to use it then save yourself a ton of money and just buy some water soluble potassium silicate for $20 a pound. That bottled stuff is a complete rip off like most nutrient additives some idiot salesman on youtube is pushing. It's not hard to add water and make a solution yourself for pennies. $20 and you can make hundreds of gallons.

Click to expand...

Silica dixoide can not be used or is of no use using with dicot plants which is what we are growing.
Make sure to add silica to the water first as it will not form a solution with water already high in tds. If your suplimenting with ca/mg add it second then base nutes then any other stuff.

Dynamo626 said:

Make sure to add silica to the water FIRST as it will not form a solution with water already high in tds. If your suplimenting with ca/mg add it second then base nutes then any other stuff.

Click to expand...

...

Dr. Who said:

BIG thing to remember is: Always add the SI AFTER (last) the other nutrients AND you've mixed them well, first.

Especially if you use a Ca/Mg !!! Add the Ca/Mg FIRST!

Click to expand...

...

What's the consensus here???..

1- CalMg (calimagic)
2- Si (Armor Si)
3- Nutes (GH 3Part, Flora+)
4- Res Bacteria? (Hydroguard)
5- pH (RootFarm pH down)
???

When i was using a bonch of bottles i mixed si. Then ca/mg. There were a couple times i forgot and did the ca/mg first with no gelling of the si im sure if you wanna do cal mag first thats fine. Actually thats a good experiment. At what ppm does silica gel instead of mix into solution.