Silica and cannabis

Silica is absolutely necessary for optimal plant health and until recently wasnt on the essential element list until now and is considered the 17 element.

I like Botanicare Silica but Advanced Nutrients Rhinoskin is really good product too. Potasssium Silica is also a natural PH buffer and stabilizes and bring your PH up.

And yes silica promotes and builds strong cell walls and reduces the chance of powdery mildew, molds and insects from getting into your stalks, stem and branches. Silicates need to be mixed into your nutrient solution first before anything else otherwise they will clump up when other nutrients are added before forming jelly like balls that wont be absorbed or broken down correctly.

AN Rhinoskin can actually be foliar spray thru 4th week of bloom and works better and more effectively than root drenching it. Run @ 5-8 ML/Gallon 2x per week.

I think that DynaGro also makes a Protekt product that is supposed to be a good form of silicates as well. Im not as familiar with this product but I have heard good things about it as well. And its very inexpensive and I think it also contains other viable nutrients and elements for plant health.

So yes run silicates all way thru 3-4th week of bloom at every feeding. Theres many well made products on market to serve this purpose the ones I mentioned are the better of the bunch and have been voted for best in class.

1.25ml per gal silicablast wk1 veg thru wk8 flower.

JimmyIndica said:

1.25ml per gal silicablast wk1 veg thru wk8 flower.

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Oh I run way more than that. I also use it to balance my PH its a natural buffer and raises acidic nutrients such as PK additives and Cal-Mag which brings PH down alot.

I run it at a tsp or 5 ml/gal whichever conversion you choose to use. If I use Advanced Nutrients than I will run the Rhinoskin at 5 ML per litre in the mondi sprayer and foliar feed with that. Its nice because it also has magnesium in it and helps keep everything nice and green and acts as a fascillitator. Really works well that way. But you can also root drench either way doesnt matter really.

Head grower for mid west for AN told me to use it as a foliar app awhile back and Ive been doing it that way for awhile now and works very well.

Potassium silicate definitely works.....just be sure to add it first as it tends to precipitate the calcium out of solution if added after.

I'm using a clear liquid silica supplement, but as soon as it hits the water, it goes through w reaction and turns into a chunky kind of goo.

Is that normal?

innerG said:

I'm using a clear liquid silica supplement, but as soon as it hits the water, it goes through w reaction and turns into a chunky kind of goo.

Is that normal?

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No, you don't want it to do that. Try diluting it in some water first, then add to your solution. Its reacting with other elements and falling out of suspension. Basically not doing anything but sinking to the bottum of your res.

Pretty much what @thegreensurfer said is what's happening to you.

DirtyMcCurdy said:

No, you don't want it to do that. Try diluting it in some water first, then add to your solution. Its reacting with other elements and falling out of suspension. Basically not doing anything but sinking to the bottum of your res.

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Thanks - I'm in soil so I guess it just clogs up my watering can and sits on the soil lol

I'll try diluting it down or adding it first, I'm usually adding it in with FF nutes, CalMag, water, PH down and molasses

innerG said:

Thanks - I'm in soil so I guess it just clogs up my watering can and sits on the soil lol

I'll try diluting it down or adding it first, I'm usually adding it in with FF nutes, CalMag, water, PH down and molasses

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It will raise pH quite a bit as well.

DirtyMcCurdy said:

It will raise pH quite a bit as well.

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Yeah I've been correcting with PH down

I read the science on this - cos a bunch of the old timers on here are rabid anti silica nazis. Im surprised they aren't in here already.

You guys are using Potassium silicate solutions... which I use as a source of potassium and pH up for titrating hydro tanks. Rhino skin is just diluted K2SiO3, and other brands give you more value per L.

K2SiO3 can be synthesized in the laboratory by reacting Potassium Hydroxide with Silicon Dioxide with stirring at 90 °C

I prefer organic silica, and I add fulvic acid/potassium silicate/seasol kelp extract as my 'organic' pH up and downs.

innerG said:

Yeah I've been correcting with PH down

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I used to use it as pH up. Just add enough to bring my pH up to 5.8-6.0 and called it good.

I one was growing in dirt couldn't you just add sand? It's mostly silica.

texasjack said:

I one was growing in dirt couldn't you just add sand? It's mostly silica.

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yeah but locked up in inorganic minerals/not salt form

Volcanic rock dust, or some plant extracts are my favourite ways of pumping up the glass

green sand is bomb...granite dust and oyster shells..just has to b super fine for uptake...make a tea for a grt k blast!

Inner, just be sure to add the silica first before anything else, mix well....and you'll be good.

There is a very well informed discussion of silica in gardening soil over here:

https://logicalgardener.org/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=174&hilit=organic+silica&start=80

It is a seriously complex topic. I used agsil for a while but it raised my K way high. Now i believe that my soil has enough silica that is accesible through soil biota so i dont add any silica specific product.

innerG said:

Thanks - I'm in soil so I guess it just clogs up my watering can and sits on the soil lol

I'll try diluting it down or adding it first, I'm usually adding it in with FF nutes, CalMag, water, PH down and molasses

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Silica needs to be the first thing you put jnto your res. if you dont it will clump up into like gel balls and be useless.

Silica
Cal mag (if using r/o water, before nutrients to buffer ph)
Base nutrients

*of you use AN nutrients especially ph perfect bases they have to be added first before anything else

*rhinoskin which is their potassium works better foliar sprayed. I usually use about 8 ml in the mondi hand spray pump i think its like 1.5 litres i usually add about 10-12 ml rhinoskin and foliar spray thru week 3/4 bloom. Little secret for anyone interested. Works way better then root drench and u wont need to worry about it clumping up or binding up in your reservoir.

Also use some of the wet betty or any other good surfactant to break it down further and become easily absorbed into the plants tissue and cell walls. Stomata easily can suck it up thru leaves and work instantly! I find it much more efficient and reduces chances for PM, molds and funguses on yor plants. They say you should ph it to around 6.3-6.5 but I just spray it using R/O water around 7.0-7.5 and its fine.

Listen to Wetdog ('Sup wetdog!) I use botanicare silica blast, but almost ANY silica supplement is potassium silicate. You'll get the bennies of silica and some potassium as well. Strengthens cell walls and makes plants more drought, disease and pest resistant. And as someone else said, be certain you add the silica LAST or it will fall out of solution and look like a "snow globe".

Jack Harer said:

Listen to Wetdog ('Sup wetdog!) I use botanicare silica blast, but almost ANY silica supplement is potassium silicate. You'll get the bennies of silica and some potassium as well. Strengthens cell walls and makes plants more drought, disease and pest resistant. And as someone else said, be certain you add the silica LAST or it will fall out of solution and look like a "snow globe".

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Mine turns snow globe if I add it last...

Do you rinse your measuring cup, tbsp, or syringe THOROUGHLY before you add the silica? Silica will fall out of solution at the slightest of contamination. Sometimes even the minerals in hard water will cause it to come out of solution.