Silicon for your plants!

Huel Perkins said:

I might have to try going full strength with the silica on my next grow, we'll see if it helps the branches hold up the massive buds without the plants falling all over each other.

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Silicon is the second most abundant element in soils, the mineral substrate for most of the world's plant life. The soil water, or the "soil solution," contains silicon, mainly as silicic acid, H4SiO4, at 0.1-0.6 mM--concentrations on the order of those of potassium, calcium, and other major plant nutrients, and well in excess of those of phosphate. Silicon is readily absorbed so that terrestrial plants contain it in appreciable concentrations, ranging from a fraction of 1% of the dry matter to several percent, and in some plants to 10% or even higher. In spite of this prominence of silicon as a mineral constituent of plants, it is not counted among the elements defined as "essential," or nutrients, for any terrestrial higher plants except members of the Equisitaceae. For that reason it is not included in the formulation of any of the commonly used nutrient solutions. The plant physiologist's solution-cultured plants are thus anomalous, containing only what silicon is derived as a contaminant of their environment. Ample evidence is presented that silicon, when readily available to plants, plays a large role in their growth, mineral nutrition, mechanical strength, and resistance to fungal diseases, herbivory, and adverse chemical conditions of the medium. Plants grown in conventional nutrient solutions are thus to an extent experimental artifacts. Omission of silicon from solution cultures may lead to distorted results in experiments on inorganic plant nutrition, growth and development, and responses to environmental stress.

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Studies in Plant Science | Chapter 7 | Effect of silicon on plant growth and crop yield
Integrated management of six macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) as well as the seven micronutrients iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), boron (B), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), and chloride (Cl) are the ones that most agronomists only consider as essential for sustainable crop yields. However, under special crop/soil agriculture conditions there are some “non-essential” elements, like silicon (Si) that will enhance crop yield by promoting several desirable plant physiological processes.
Due to the desilication process, Si in the soil is continuously lost as a result of leaching process. Subtropical and tropical soils are generally low in plant-available Si and would benefit from Si fertilization. Siliconcontent in some regions might be limited to sustainable crop production. The need for proper Si management to increase yield and sustain crop productivity appears to be necessary in temperate as well in tropical countries. In addition, Si diminution in the soil can occur in intensive cultivation practices and continuous monoculture of high-yielding cultivars. As a result, these soils are generally low in plant-available Si (Juo and Sanchez, 1986; Foy, 1992). Rice and sugarcane grown in rotation on organic and sandy soils have shown positive agronomic responses to pre-plant applications of calcium silicate slag (Anderson, 1991).

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eDude said:

Yup, if you DON'T have this problem then you might not need it. But let's all hope we all have this problem.

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superstoner1 said:

some will raise ph considerably and some will lower.

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eDude said:

Yeah maybe I got it backwards.. Protek I think pushes up?

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eDude said:

Yeah maybe I got it backwards.. Protek I think pushes up?

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Silicon is similar to carbon in that it can make four bonds with another molecule or molecules. Scientists hypothesize that this allows silicon to take on an active role in plant
defense by mimicking bioactive molecules and thus activating or speeding up pathogen
defense responses. Though the exact mechanism is still unknown, it has been
demonstrated that silicon supplementation decreases black spot occurrence in nursery
grown shrub roses and reduces pythium occurrence in poinsettia. In addition silicon
supplementation slowed leaf miner activity in chrysanthemum and herbivory in other crops
such as wheat and rice.
While silicon may take an active role in plant defense responses, it has a better
understood passive role in improving tolerance of abiotic stresses such as drought. After
uptake by the plant, silicic acid forms solid amorphous, hydrated silica (silica gel) between
the cuticle and cell wall, and between the cell membrane and cell wall. These layers are
thought to act as physical barriers, something like silica armor, to evaporation and other
stresses. Both corn and rice when supplemented with silicon, show marked increases in
drought and heat tolerance compared to unamended plants.

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Leonardo de Garden said:

Ground quartz etc. that's the stuff, it's where a lot of "normal" plants get it from. Liquid form is good for non glass hydroponics (like coir) though, so go with the highest % and lowest cost you can find.

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eDude said:

Apparently the AN silicon will not lower your pH like protek. That can be good or bad depending on what you are use to. Wonder what it is about Dyna-gro's protek that make it lower the pH..

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