Silica and cannabis

tboner1

Member
I just started using Dyna-Gro Protekt silica @$15. Been using it in res., foliar, and soiless for 2=3= weeks now. I too haave heard the buzz and thought since the dread mites can attack at any moment and any weapon is apprreciated!
 

medicalmary

Active Member
I use pro-tekt at extremely high levels. I triple the recommended dose, because I believe silica is not a micro nutrient, but more like calcium and magnesium. Pro-tekt is derived from potassium silicate. It is 3% potash and 7.8% silicone. Last application I believe I use 1 1/2 tsp pro-tekt. It has a ppm of about 90-110 (1 tsp: 1 gallon).

DE is not in a usable form for plants. It is derived from sea creatures exoskeletons and is used primarily for pest control (as stated earlier). i know this because my first piece of cast metal was a silver necklace which I cast inside of a crayfish shell, which primarily composed of silica. Those little skeletons can withstand tremendous heat (1000s F).

rhino skin... these names never cease to amaze me. I grind up rhino horns because it makes my plants female and sex crazed.

mm

btw, check out riddleme's journal posts about it (above). Good stuff. He knows what he is talking about. Also, i like potassium silicate b/c I don't like adding more sodium to my substrate (why purify your water if you are going to poison it down the line).
 

KlosetKing

Well-Known Member
i use Diatomaceous Earth for aphid issues, and it so happens that it contains a good deal of silica (not as much as something specifically FOR silica supplement, but still). kind of a 2 birds one stone deal =D
 

Dr.StickyFingers

Well-Known Member
Thread seems dead but I'll put my 2 cents in.

Think of a concrete wall that is made out of individual hollow cinder blocks, this represents the cell walls. These walls are almost always reinforced with pieces of rebar metal rods. The silica are the metal rods that reinforce the wall. The walls grow and stretch. Hormones such as auxin, gibberellin, and cytokenin accelerates this process.

I use kelp extract that is abundant in trace minerals, vitamin, aand hormones.... paired w/ silica I think its really made a difference in my plants.
 

cottee

Well-Known Member
Thread seems dead but I'll put my 2 cents in.

Think of a concrete wall that is made out of individual hollow cinder blocks, this represents the cell walls. These walls are almost always reinforced with pieces of rebar metal rods. The silica are the metal rods that reinforce the wall. The walls grow and stretch. Hormones such as auxin, gibberellin, and cytokenin accelerates this process.

I use kelp extract that is abundant in trace minerals, vitamin, aand hormones.... paired w/ silica I think its really made a difference in my plants.
What kelp product u using
 

Cali.Grown>408

Well-Known Member
Pretty sure there is silica in tap water..and to much is suppose to be bad for plants. I've never done any testing really but I do use Silica Blast about once a month..i start using it once I put clones into the soil
 

stemkey

Member
This thread could use this...

An Element Too Good to Pass Up: The Benefits of Silicon

July 2013
Written by David Kessler


An Element Too Good to Pass Up: The Benefits of Silicon

All-miracle cures for the garden are snake oils, right? Well, what if we were to tell you that one of those marvels is real, as well as the second most abundant element on the surface of the earth?

Would you use a product that would increase your harvest weight by as much as 80%? What if it also provided increased tolerance to environmental stressors such as drought and high temperatures, provided resistance to insect attacks, and additionally had been proven to protect your crop from powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca fulginea), root rot (Fusarium oxysporum), damping off (Pythium), and gray mold (botrytis cinerea)? Now, what if I told you this product is real, that it is available, and that the above list of accolades does not even scratch the surface of what it has been proven to do?
This miracle product happens to be the second most abundant element on the surface of the earth: silicon. Although not regarded as one of the 16 essential nutrients that plants must have to grow, silicon may prove to be the best addition to your fertilizer regimen you can make. Plants have certainly been shown to grow in hydroponic solution devoid of silicon, but when the same plants are grown with silicon, tissue analysis has shown that silicon accounts for as much as 10% of the dry weight of the plant. Everyone wants bigger harvests, and using silicon could be the key. A study conducted by the University of Florida found that silicon-responsive plants had "dry weight increases (which)...ranged from 6 to 80% depending on the species."
So how does this "non-essential" element have such a huge impact on so many facets of your plants' existence? Silicon performs its multitude of functions in two ways: by the polymerization of silicic acid leading to the formation of solid amorphous, hydrated silica, and by being instrumental in the formation of organic defense compounds. To simplify, silicon is actively transported into the plant similarly to macronutrients like potassium. From there it moves up the xylem and is distributed out to the growing shoots. There, the silicon forms larger polymer chains (polymerization) that allows plants to deposit silicon in the form of solid amorphous (non crystalline), hydrated silica which is then incorporated into the plant's cell walls, thereby armoring the plant's cells against rasping and sucking insects. If you are growing leafy greens, think about how much better the texture of the leaves will be when every one of the millions of plant cells has thicker cell walls from the added silicon.
Additionally, silicon is deposited in the trichomes of plants, according to studies, it is the silica in trichomes that lends leaves and awns (stiff bristle or hair-like appendages in plants) the roughness and the toughness that impede the penetration of herbivores and pathogens through the cell walls. It acts as a physical barrier.
The other way silicon benefits your plants is in its ability to promote the synthesis of organic defense compounds. When a plant is under attack by insects or pathogens it sends out chemical messages, triggering the plant's natural defenses. A study conducted on cucumbers yielded conclusive proof the plants were protected from fungal pathogens by the presence of silicon in the hydroponic solution.
Another benefit of the use of silicon is that it balances the nutrient absorption of your plants. Silicon can balance nutrient elements in plant tissue through the suppression of Al, Mn and Na, and by mediating the uptake of other elements like P, Mg, K, Fe, Cu and Zn. When used with peat-based or bark-based soil/soilless mixes, silicon prevents the over-acidification of the mix, which can lead to pH-induced nutrient lockout, as well as inhibiting the absorption of toxic elements like aluminum. When anthuriums were grown in soil with available aluminum, the tissue tested had 150 ppm of aluminum while the plants grown in the same soil, but fed silicon, tested at only 41 ppm.
If you're considering introducing silicon additives into your feeding program, remember that silicon products must be the first thing added to a fresh reservoir of water, even before base nutrients. By their inherent chemical properties, silicon additives are alkali, and because most fertilizers are acidic, they must be diluted before they are added to a hydroponic reservoir or any water fertilizer mixture. This will allow for the concentrated alkali silicon solution to diffuse, thus preventing localized chemical reactions from causing the formation of undesirable nutrient precipitates.
Silicon can be a cure, a booster, a medicine and a messenger. It can counteract damage to your plants from extreme temperatures, or prevent the absorption of toxins that would otherwise destroy your plants. It can send insects to more inviting hosts, and it can increase the weight of your harvest. Silicon truly is a multipurpose, beneficial element that should be in every gardener's toolbox. Think of it as the best, and cheapest, plant insurance you can buy!

David Kessler heads research and development at Atlantis Hydroponics and writes for their popular blog. David has over two decades of experience and multiple degrees from the State University of New York. He's also an accredited judge for the American Orchid Society and travels the world judging orchid event.

Your welcome :)
 

Clown Baby

Well-Known Member
In my experience, silica's going to, amongst other things, make your stalks more rigid. It's good for big-budded plants, in the sense that they're less likely to fall under their own weight. However, it does make the stems more susceptible to snapping. They have less "flex."
 

Cannasutraorganics

Well-Known Member
Ill try it out and see if i croak or feel sick. I think you'll be fine. i don't think silica combusts and it is in a compound with the plant cells and not by itself. Thinking about it makes me wonder if it effects burning properties though. Hmmmmmmm

yone is still here after smoking silica infused budness. its Probably ok
Me and a lot of people I know add silica to water and drink daily. It helps muscle and tendon tructure. Can work out harder and recover faster. Many athletes ue it.
 

Cannasutraorganics

Well-Known Member
Diatomaceous earth (pronounced /ˌdaɪ.ətɵˌmeɪʃəs ˈɜrθ/) also known as diatomite or kieselgur, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It has a particle size ranging from less than 1 micron to more than 1 millimeter, but typically 10 to 200 microns.[1] This powder has an abrasive feel, similar to pumice powder, and is very light, due to its high porosity. The typical chemical composition of oven dried diatomaceous earth is 80 to 90% silica, with 2 to 4% alumina (attributed mostly to clay minerals) and 0.5 to 2% iron oxide.[1]

:dunce: Diatomaceous earth is mostly silica
Then the plant has to slowly break it down. That why we use liquid silica.
 

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
I hit my girls with some Dutch Master silica at 200% of recommended strength a couple weeks back. Oops.... I waited for the disaster.

And all that happened was that they grew a bit faster and they turned greener. Most likely because there's potash in it. But I won't do that again. LOL

Been using it properly for a couple weeks since and yep... everything seems stronger and the stems more brittle....
 
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