Interesting, I was adding silica in coco but this time switched to rockwool without SI. Noticed my flowers were more leafy and airy. Now this makes so much sense.
@@pursaveer9027 Which is irrelevant because it's not plant available Sillicon. Same applies for perlite and vermiculite. You need either Potassium Silicate (irrigation but can be used as foliar) or stabilized Silicic Acid (foliar has best results). I'm talking hydro. For organics it's diatomaceous earth or rice hulls in the soil mix.
@@sixmillionaccountssilenced6721 If you look at my lower post that is much longer, you'll see that it is relevant. It's relevant in that it shows that the silica in rockwool is not an available form of silicon. You feel that the silicon in DE is plant-available, and Dr. Bruce Bugbee feels that the silicon in vermiculite is plant-available. What's the actual truth? The truth (to me) is that potassium silicate and stabilized silicic acid are good sources, and probably rice hulls too.
Doing some research to make a silica video for my channel mentioning the different in the types of Silica and why that is SO important. Great video and knowledge as always!
Always a wealth of information. So if I am applying silica to my soil in an organic grow. (I use Dyna Gro Pro-Tekt) Should I PH the water after adding the silica solution to the water? I always did in my synthetic nutrient-based grows as silica does raise the PH significantly. And if I foliar spray the silica, should I also PH the water after adding silica to the foliar spray (water)?
I love the info you put on every video. Had a question about mixing silica if you don't mind me asking. When mixing silica I hear it said and see it on bottles to add first. What about mixing it in tap water? Will it work or is that a no-no
Yes, you want to start with plain (tap) water and then add silica before adding any other nutrients. It is also advised that after adding the silica and string it in, be sure to also allow time for it to sit (10-30min.) before adding in any other nutrients.
That's what I use. It's silicon dioxide (DE) works for pests, I hear there's 3 different types of silica but read that DE works for cannibis. Hope so anyways
It just takes a long time to break down and be readily available for the plants uptake. I use DE in the beginning of my grow in California, mix it into the dirt and within a month you can see the DE working🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
@@gtavtheavengergunnerlegend3340 , diatomaceous earth is made from the skeletons of diatoms, millions of years old. If they didn't break down by now, they aren't going to. Diatomaceous earth helps because the particles are sharp, and cut into the exoskeletons of plant pests.
many nutrient lines suggest using there silica all the way through til harvest but Ive been instructed from a professional grower to cease using silica during the bloom phase to get a better quality flower. what are your thoughts oh wise one ?
Best way for me is to make up my nutrient first and then add the silica to bring up the PH of the nutrient solution to my desired level. In heavy flower using 6.8Ph Nutrient input/feed @ 3ec runoff and Ph cycling between 6.0 and 6.4 as I water between feeds with additional micro elements and if required additional epsom/ magnesium. I always water/ feed at a higher PH (just less than 7ph to prevent the Silica from dropping out the mixture) in order to prevent the medium being too sensitive to the new nutrition/ ec level and prevent too much of a PH swing in the wrong direction.
@@DeBaccoUniversity Is anbody interested in any correlation between plant deficiencies and human Cancer? maybe there is a link in how we treat a plant dieing plant... I see too many cooincidences.. i.e fast/flush, water only fast followed by correct nutrition, amino acids, micro- nutrients. Should we be drinking spring water or mineral water. Also is there a correlation between the fungal/ bacteria ratio within the soil/ body, and how much sun light/ DLI and water does a human need? Is kelp a medicine? great video series. thank you. Kind regards, Chris
Safe in reservoir less than 7ph.. beware your ph might rise in the reservoir over time, if your PH gets to 7 your silica will drop out of the solution.. make sure you check your PH before use.. always best for me to only add silica on the day of feeding.. however if you are dealing with large quantities I understand you might not avoid storage of the mixed solution.. I use silica as a replacement of PH+, and it has worked fine so far, however there are differing opinions of when to stop using silica and just using PH+ however I ignore them and listen to Prof. Debacco.. also I really like a product called Envii Seafeed Kelp with Iron. and Multi-Mite cold pressed Kelp...
@@spykerhond7008 Add silica slowly, as the PH rises towards ph6-7, if you put too much at once; dependent on your liquid volume you might have a small volume of liquid which becomes reactive momentarilly (above ph7), before you have chance to mix the volume in... so add slowly and mix vigerously. I have a 2 litre jug, as I add the silica at rate of 2%(40ml) of 2 litres, I also mix and agrevate 2 litres of water to reduce the chance of a PH spike in the volume of liquid coming into contact with the silica, as I add in 40 ml incriments to a 30Litre reservoir. May not make sense, If not I will try explain another way... If your reservoir is 100 lites you could get away with putting 3x40ml=120ml incriments and reducing incriments as you get closer to ph7, however mix vigerously to reduce the chance of PH7 spike and drop out which might increase your potassium to undesirable levels.. Add slowly, if it takes half an hour with no mistakes Im sure you will be happy..
Yes, but it can be hard to deliver to the plant as it requires a breakdown process so liquid forms typically are preferred to allow easier delivery to the soil profile for plant absorption.
You mention foliar uptake is better than root uptake. Does this hold true for monosilicic acid? Its my understanding uptake is better with MSA vs the products you referenced.
Hello, professor! What do you think about using silica mixing with hydroponic substrate(like foam glass or pumice)? Can this help to promote colony of beneficial bacteria in root zone? In this video I see what silica doesn`t help to promote fungi(beneficial?) on roots
Try out hydro on rockwool y Will never go back to soil whit on cube 15cm x15x15 you can grow big plant (just harvest 180g dry weed from 1 autoflower from fast bud ) And another one from 200g of dry blueberry xxl from b.s.f seed
I used to use potassium silica such as silica blast. I now use power SI as it’s monosilica. Grow store says it’s better. Certainly more expensive. Can’t see any difference. Can you explain if ones best?
Plants will only take up Silica in the form of monosilicic acid, but in the established tests for plant available Silica the stabilized monopsilicic acid products contain, by far, the lowest plant available concentrations of Silica of any of the major Silica products intended for use in plants. In addition to that many of the MSA products use PEG400 which is a product of concern. I have used both, I first used bottle KSil, then mixed my own solution using AgSil 16H, and finally Alchemist MSA, which is a very low concentration product, but it is added in quantities similar to Pro-Tekt and is easier to measure and less infuriating if you should spill some compared to these $100 quarts. I saw none of the stem strengthening that was super prominent when using AgSil. It is my opinion that these companies are taking advantage that it is not yet a required nutrient so information on labels is not regulated. It's frigging sand, the second most abundant mineral on earth. Rex from Power Si and all the other guys are laughing all the way to the bank. Read this...customhydronutrients.com/page_2.html
@@BigFarm_ah365 Interesting. I wonder if anything has changed market wise since this paper was written? I use Gro-Silic which is an MSA product made in Canada by Grotek whose parent company is Greenstar Plant Products who also make Gaia Green stuff. The label claims a guaranteed analysis of available silicon at 44%. It’s expensive, but I only use it once a month as either a 1ml/gallon foliar spray or root drench on a watering day. I often wonder how much we are in fact getting hosed by the various companies selling snake oil.
@@tombryant4518 Ok, so I found an article by a trusted source that will explain why we would use one form of Silica over another. The stabilized monosilicic acid is primarily for use in hydroponic reservoirs where it will remain plant available at the pH range used in hydroponics(5.5-6.5) for a longer period of time than Potassium Silicate based solutions, which are very high pH(between 9.0-10.0). Potassium Silicate solutions must be added to the reservoir first and pH adjusted down so as not to cause precipitation of nutrients added to it. The Potassium Silicate will begin to polymerize after around 24 hours at pH range of 5.5-6.5, making it no longer plant available. So, as long as you are using it within 24 hours, you may as well just use the cheap stuff. This explains why I saw increased effects in my main room, where I use my reservoir within 24 hours, but less effects in my nursery/early veg where the res can last up to 5 days. That's a very conservative Silica dose. I feed at 30ppm in a continuous feed program up until week 4 or 5 of flower. I'll just make an adjustment to how I add it in my veg. This is good news, I can get 5 lbs of AgSil 16 for $60 and make 4 gal of 7.8% Potassium Silicate solution (Gro-Tek Pro-Tekt knock-off) now that's much more in-line with the price of sand. If anyone is feeling like doing some home chemistry, here is a cheap way to produce your own stabilized monosilicic acid scienceinhydroponics.com/2021/03/how-to-make-your-own-stabilized-mono-silicic-acid-for-use-in-hydroponics.html
@@BigFarm_ah365 Since I only need to use it once a month, I’ve never put it into the reservoir. I use GH nutrients in a 70/30 coco/perlite media in fabric bags. I feed everyday except for Sundays which are my days I give Recharge, Miicrobial Mass, silica, or Chito-Sal. I then scrub out the reservoir, and mix up a new one for the next weeks schedule. Since I’m on a drain to waste program, I figured I’d rather not waste money on it having it dripping through everyday, and use the product I use since it’s supposedly readily plant available and won’t be flushed out before it can be used.
Prof Debacco, Is all type of Potassium silicate product can help plant increase resistance to environment stress (temperature)? Is 6% potassium silicate sufficient? Thank you in advance.
Thank you for your reply Prof. Yes it's concentrate solution. Brand is growth technology liquid silicon. There's another brand call aptus regulator which is on higher side in term of price and the ingredient is mono-silic acid. Do you think is worth it or is fine for both. Thank you 😊😊
What if you’re using IPM foliar sprays? Can you mix the Si with the preventative spray solution, or should you use one per day but change it throughout the week (ex: Monday: IMP spray, Tuesday: Si spray, Wed: IMP, etc)?
Utah State University quit using AG Sil 16 due to lead contamination. January 2021 switched from Agsil 16H to fumed silica. as a Si source to minimize Pb contamination.
I know this is probably a really silly question. I don't understand what any of that means but the SI part is that we're power SI maybe got its name because they changed to that particular molecule I guess or ingredient sorry for the ignorance still learning on a daily. LoL. Thanks in advance.
@@dabcrafter4208 Si is the atomic symbol for Silicon. It’s not officially considered a necessary nutrient for most plants, and you can grow cannabis without it, but it has shown to be helpful when used correctly. So yes, the product Power Si got their name from that
On ur thumbnail you have those pouches that have silica gel. Can I crush those up and add it to my garden beds and compost knowing it will be available after a year or so? Planning ahea
2:13 So does Cannabis absorb any Si unlike the Strawberry? I know later DeCacco said so but I do we have any numbers for this? Or is it safer to say that foliar is probably better?
Can you please make a video about the effects of REALLY short-days(8-16) or extended darkness (for example 12-24) if that is possible... . . . I am experimenting a bit and will know for sure by subjecting 3 clones to natural outdoor flowering, induced blackout(8 hours light per day) and one that i am bringing into a closed dark room for 24 hours each other day!
use (Mono-silicic acid) it is available to the plants to uptake right away and always for better uptake of other nutrients ie calcium. if you use potassium silica it can take many days or weeks to breakdown to an available form the plants can uptake.
@@dabcrafter4208 I've been using power si. Starts to gunk up my tanks is the only downside. But it's a good product. Hit up Mills for their vitilize, it's a silicic acid also. But much cleaner. I'm going to be running a side by side of athena with power si and then mills line up. Should make for good content and interesting to know the outcome
I don't understand how it came to be that silicon and silica are words that are used interchangeably when it comes to agriculture. Silica is what sand is made of. It has long been known that potassium silicate is a source of soluble silicon that can be taken up by plants, and it was always described as such. Somewhere along the line, the word 'silicon' changed to 'silica'. This mistake is misleading. Manufacturers of potassium silicate products use the word silica on their labels, when their products contain no silica. IF the products were indeed silica, it would not have the availability to plants that potassium silicate does. This mistake is being spread all over the internet. Yes, people think diatomaceous earth will make their plants stronger now, as comment sections show. Pictures of silica gel packages further the misconception. What is wrong with the old (correct) way of describing potassium silicate as what it really is, and describing it as a soluble source of (available) SILICON. I made this point rather rudely on another channel, because I thought the fellow didn't do his homework. Turned out he did, but he's being given incorrect information. The products with silica in the name contain no silica. PLEASE, can we just go back to calling things what they are again? POTASSIUM SILICATE is the chemical that helps growers. I tried to find this video yesterday and it was gone. I don't know what mistake was corrected, but another correction and clarification of terms would be a good idea.
I admit I use the words interchangeably too. I think the the Silica packet on the title screen was prob for the laymen and/or amateur/novice grower to wrap their mind around, even if it is misleading. Your comment was good to point out the differences tho for everyone to get some clarification!
@@radiclelife , the problem with spreading misinformation to the general public is that they take the ball and run with it. They think they are helping their plants by giving them silica. Then they wonder what they did wrong when it doesn't work- because they TRUSTED that the information was correct. It's totally reasonable to expect that a person would watch a video such as this, and think 'THAT'S why sand is good to have in soil!' This comment section and others are proof that the dissemination of this misinformation is giving people bad ideas and false hope. It needs to be corrected. The marketers of potassium silicate would do well to trust that the general public is OK without dumbing those 7 syllables down to 3, and call their products something else.
@@rickw7903 I don't need a link though. Call it potassium silicate if that's what it is, silica IF that's what it is, and call it a source of Silicon- which it is. If you think silica gel packets is the right image to reflect the topic, I'd have to disagree. Disagreement doesn't require proof in a public forum. It's either accepted or rejected. I think Professor Debacco could have done better, and I explained my reasons.
Sounds decent for the plant alone but whats to say this is not going to harm future users of this plant how do we know we arent making it more dangerious ?
cannabis is from a sandy dessert ish area in the wild it wants a lot of sand for silica and rockdust ie iron. I use a LOT of sand in all my cannabis soil mixes always. silica is in seaweed as well so a seaweed foliar is always great for that and many other reasons
Got a question nobody can seem to answer: I did some searching and surprisingly there is very little guidance on spraying Si products. But this keeps popping up: Power Si foliar instructions. When looking to slow vertical growth, use 6ML per 5 gallons of water. When looking to repair your crops, use 2ML per liter or 8ML per gallon. For general maintenance, use 1ML per liter or 4ML per gallon. Now I am completely confused. Can you clear this up for me, as that is suggesting that the less Si per gallon will slow vertical growth, while the more mls per gallon will not. This seems totally backwards intuitively. Can someone explain this? I am concerned that if I spray Si in veg I will be stunting or slowing vertical growth,. But I really want to understand this foliar Si conundrum. I really appreciate anything you can help me with. Thank you.
Just because it keeps popping up does not mean it is true. Try and find a scientific study on this topic. If you can not find a scientific study to support this finding..... you have your answer to the validity of the statement.
@@DeBaccoUniversity lol. Yes. Its surprising really, how it seems everyone feels like they are teaching everyone else a lesson. These screens are the worst thing and the best thing to ever happen to us humans. Take it easy
Silica gel packets will not do what potassium silicate solution does. I don't know why the picture was included. It furthers the misconception that silica is what's helping your plants. It's not. It's silicon that helps your plants.
@@CL-ty6wp and then you water, or it rains. They easily saturate with water and become inert almost right away. I'd like Professor DeBacco to explain their mechanism of action to help plants, and why they were included in this video. I'd also like Prof. DeBacco to comment on the value of diatomaceous earth as a source of silicon for plants.
So how do you add this to a nutrient system if you can't directly mix it? I'm using canna terra soil mix and nutrients. How should I determined how much to add into the mix?
It can be done on a day with no other nutrient additions, or low doses when mixed with other nutrients, but this is not advised unless tested before hand.
@@DeBaccoUniversity I get you. You have to remember that most people aren't very smart and when they see a packet of silica gel they might use it .... Ya eho cares you're right
That is much appreciated as well. Goal is to provide quality content and if something gets by the edit/review process it will get redone and posted to ensure everyone can expect quality content on this channel.
@@DeBaccoUniversity you can always do a limited viewing for changes that need to be made can be spotted. The UA-cam community likes to keep the comments up and when you post a video and delete it the comments go with it. You won’t get the same same high quality comments from a twice uploaded video.
@@DeBaccoUniversity well, yuh, obv. But you have a picture of silica gel on your thumbnail page, which clearly states on the package" not for consumption"... One must assume, it is meant in Any form, whether it is directly or indirectly...
@@DeBaccoUniversity exactly. the ash will surely be plant available, indeed more than potassium or calcium silicate, which is reason to be cautious with amounts - small amounts in regular intervals, perhaps weekly or bi-weekly...mygreathanks and blessings😇
It's bad practice to use silica throughout a grow! I would suggest ceasing it when flowering commences. Also I don't know about strawberries but adding silica to soil as a liquid feed is extremely effective, obviously so, even in very low doses
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man you are pumping these vids out like crazy😂 good job
Thanks for realizing and hope you are enjoying all of the quality content!
Interesting, I was adding silica in coco but this time switched to rockwool without SI. Noticed my flowers were more leafy and airy. Now this makes so much sense.
Thanks for sharing your findings.
Rockwool is 40-50% silicon dioxide (silica). It's made from basaltic rock.
@@pursaveer9027 Which is irrelevant because it's not plant available Sillicon. Same applies for perlite and vermiculite. You need either Potassium Silicate (irrigation but can be used as foliar) or stabilized Silicic Acid (foliar has best results). I'm talking hydro. For organics it's diatomaceous earth or rice hulls in the soil mix.
@@sixmillionaccountssilenced6721 If you look at my lower post that is much longer, you'll see that it is relevant. It's relevant in that it shows that the silica in rockwool is not an available form of silicon. You feel that the silicon in DE is plant-available, and Dr. Bruce Bugbee feels that the silicon in vermiculite is plant-available. What's the actual truth? The truth (to me) is that potassium silicate and stabilized silicic acid are good sources, and probably rice hulls too.
@@sixmillionaccountssilenced6721 spot on!!!
Doing some research to make a silica video for my channel mentioning the different in the types of Silica and why that is SO important. Great video and knowledge as always!
Thanks for your continued support of the channel!
Very useful! Thanks!
Glad to hear that!
Very informative, Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another great video from Prof. DeBacco!
Glad you liked it!
Always a wealth of information. So if I am applying silica to my soil in an organic grow. (I use Dyna Gro Pro-Tekt) Should I PH the water after adding the silica solution to the water? I always did in my synthetic nutrient-based grows as silica does raise the PH significantly. And if I foliar spray the silica, should I also PH the water after adding silica to the foliar spray (water)?
Yes. Cause it will up the ph. At least it did for me. Always first before base nutes and wait 5 minutes at least
Yes, the pH would be changed however if you change the pH in a more concentrated solution you could get a precipitate forming.
BulletProof Silica has made a world of difference with all my grows.
Thanks for sharing.
I love the info you put on every video.
Had a question about mixing silica if you don't mind me asking.
When mixing silica I hear it said and see it on bottles to add first. What about mixing it in tap water? Will it work or is that a no-no
Yes, you want to start with plain (tap) water and then add silica before adding any other nutrients. It is also advised that after adding the silica and string it in, be sure to also allow time for it to sit (10-30min.) before adding in any other nutrients.
You Deserve more Subscribers! Great Video!
Thanks for the comment and your own subscription, be sure to tell others about the channel!
It’s said that Food grade Diatomaceous Earth can be used as a soil amendment which is a good source of Silica
That's what I use. It's silicon dioxide (DE) works for pests, I hear there's 3 different types of silica but read that DE works for cannibis. Hope so anyways
It just takes a long time to break down and be readily available for the plants uptake. I use DE in the beginning of my grow in California, mix it into the dirt and within a month you can see the DE working🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
@@gtavtheavengergunnerlegend3340 , diatomaceous earth is made from the skeletons of diatoms, millions of years old. If they didn't break down by now, they aren't going to. Diatomaceous earth helps because the particles are sharp, and cut into the exoskeletons of plant pests.
I add into the soil after my gardens warm season has played out and also in the spring in compost tea.
@@pursaveer9027 www.dicalite.com/2021/03/diatomaceous-earth-as-a-source-of-plant-available-silica/
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Can silica gel also be used? You know from those silica bags used for electronics.
Not as plant available as other forms.
Great vid...once again👍
Glad to consistently produce quality videos for you and others!
many nutrient lines suggest using there silica all the way through til harvest but Ive been instructed from a professional grower to cease using silica during the bloom phase to get a better quality flower.
what are your thoughts oh wise one ?
If you are going to use it, it needs to be fed to the plant for a long duration of time. Stopping about 3-weeks before harvest would be advised.
@@DeBaccoUniversity 👍
Best way for me is to make up my nutrient first and then add the silica to bring up the PH of the nutrient solution to my desired level. In heavy flower using 6.8Ph Nutrient input/feed @ 3ec runoff and Ph cycling between 6.0 and 6.4 as I water between feeds with additional micro elements and if required additional epsom/ magnesium. I always water/ feed at a higher PH (just less than 7ph to prevent the Silica from dropping out the mixture) in order to prevent the medium being too sensitive to the new nutrition/ ec level and prevent too much of a PH swing in the wrong direction.
Thanks for sharing.
@@DeBaccoUniversity Is anbody interested in any correlation between plant deficiencies and human Cancer? maybe there is a link in how we treat a plant dieing plant... I see too many cooincidences.. i.e fast/flush, water only fast followed by correct nutrition, amino acids, micro- nutrients. Should we be drinking spring water or mineral water. Also is there a correlation between the fungal/ bacteria ratio within the soil/ body, and how much sun light/ DLI and water does a human need? Is kelp a medicine? great video series. thank you. Kind regards, Chris
Thanks Chris , I was wonderring about the direct mixing , but the way lawn grass gets so its safe in reserviour
Safe in reservoir less than 7ph.. beware your ph might rise in the reservoir over time, if your PH gets to 7 your silica will drop out of the solution.. make sure you check your PH before use.. always best for me to only add silica on the day of feeding.. however if you are dealing with large quantities I understand you might not avoid storage of the mixed solution.. I use silica as a replacement of PH+, and it has worked fine so far, however there are differing opinions of when to stop using silica and just using PH+ however I ignore them and listen to Prof. Debacco.. also I really like a product called Envii Seafeed Kelp with Iron. and Multi-Mite cold pressed Kelp...
@@spykerhond7008 Add silica slowly, as the PH rises towards ph6-7, if you put too much at once; dependent on your liquid volume you might have a small volume of liquid which becomes reactive momentarilly (above ph7), before you have chance to mix the volume in... so add slowly and mix vigerously. I have a 2 litre jug, as I add the silica at rate of 2%(40ml) of 2 litres, I also mix and agrevate 2 litres of water to reduce the chance of a PH spike in the volume of liquid coming into contact with the silica, as I add in 40 ml incriments to a 30Litre reservoir. May not make sense, If not I will try explain another way... If your reservoir is 100 lites you could get away with putting 3x40ml=120ml incriments and reducing incriments as you get closer to ph7, however mix vigerously to reduce the chance of PH7 spike and drop out which might increase your potassium to undesirable levels.. Add slowly, if it takes half an hour with no mistakes Im sure you will be happy..
Can Diatomaceous earth be used for silica?
Love your videos Im just late to the party.
Yes, but it can be hard to deliver to the plant as it requires a breakdown process so liquid forms typically are preferred to allow easier delivery to the soil profile for plant absorption.
You mention foliar uptake is better than root uptake. Does this hold true for monosilicic acid? Its my understanding uptake is better with MSA vs the products you referenced.
This product is typically recommended to be added to the reservoir for improved uptake.
Hello, professor! What do you think about using silica mixing with hydroponic substrate(like foam glass or pumice)? Can this help to promote colony of beneficial bacteria in root zone? In this video I see what silica doesn`t help to promote fungi(beneficial?) on roots
If the promotion of beneficial bacteria in the root zone is your goal there are other more efficient methods.
Try out hydro on rockwool y Will never go back to soil whit on cube 15cm x15x15 you can grow big plant (just harvest 180g dry weed from 1 autoflower from fast bud )
And another one from 200g of dry blueberry xxl from b.s.f seed
I used to use potassium silica such as silica blast. I now use power SI as it’s monosilica. Grow store says it’s better. Certainly more expensive. Can’t see any difference. Can you explain if ones best?
Monosilicic acid (MSA) is the best because it’s immediately plant available, and due to its concentration you use much less of it.
Plants will only take up Silica in the form of monosilicic acid, but in the established tests for plant available Silica the stabilized monopsilicic acid products contain, by far, the lowest plant available concentrations of Silica of any of the major Silica products intended for use in plants. In addition to that many of the MSA products use PEG400 which is a product of concern. I have used both, I first used bottle KSil, then mixed my own solution using AgSil 16H, and finally Alchemist MSA, which is a very low concentration product, but it is added in quantities similar to Pro-Tekt and is easier to measure and less infuriating if you should spill some compared to these $100 quarts. I saw none of the stem strengthening that was super prominent when using AgSil. It is my opinion that these companies are taking advantage that it is not yet a required nutrient so information on labels is not regulated. It's frigging sand, the second most abundant mineral on earth. Rex from Power Si and all the other guys are laughing all the way to the bank. Read this...customhydronutrients.com/page_2.html
@@BigFarm_ah365 Interesting. I wonder if anything has changed market wise since this paper was written? I use Gro-Silic which is an MSA product made in Canada by Grotek whose parent company is Greenstar Plant Products who also make Gaia Green stuff. The label claims a guaranteed analysis of available silicon at 44%. It’s expensive, but I only use it once a month as either a 1ml/gallon foliar spray or root drench on a watering day.
I often wonder how much we are in fact getting hosed by the various companies selling snake oil.
@@tombryant4518 Ok, so I found an article by a trusted source that will explain why we would use one form of Silica over another. The stabilized monosilicic acid is primarily for use in hydroponic reservoirs where it will remain plant available at the pH range used in hydroponics(5.5-6.5) for a longer period of time than Potassium Silicate based solutions, which are very high pH(between 9.0-10.0). Potassium Silicate solutions must be added to the reservoir first and pH adjusted down so as not to cause precipitation of nutrients added to it. The Potassium Silicate will begin to polymerize after around 24 hours at pH range of 5.5-6.5, making it no longer plant available. So, as long as you are using it within 24 hours, you may as well just use the cheap stuff. This explains why I saw increased effects in my main room, where I use my reservoir within 24 hours, but less effects in my nursery/early veg where the res can last up to 5 days.
That's a very conservative Silica dose. I feed at 30ppm in a continuous feed program up until week 4 or 5 of flower. I'll just make an adjustment to how I add it in my veg. This is good news, I can get 5 lbs of AgSil 16 for $60 and make 4 gal of 7.8% Potassium Silicate solution (Gro-Tek Pro-Tekt knock-off) now that's much more in-line with the price of sand. If anyone is feeling like doing some home chemistry, here is a cheap way to produce your own stabilized monosilicic acid scienceinhydroponics.com/2021/03/how-to-make-your-own-stabilized-mono-silicic-acid-for-use-in-hydroponics.html
@@BigFarm_ah365 Since I only need to use it once a month, I’ve never put it into the reservoir. I use GH nutrients in a 70/30 coco/perlite media in fabric bags. I feed everyday except for Sundays which are my days I give Recharge, Miicrobial Mass, silica, or Chito-Sal. I then scrub out the reservoir, and mix up a new one for the next weeks schedule. Since I’m on a drain to waste program, I figured I’d rather not waste money on it having it dripping through everyday, and use the product I use since it’s supposedly readily plant available and won’t be flushed out before it can be used.
Prof Debacco, Is all type of Potassium silicate product can help plant increase resistance to environment stress (temperature)? Is 6% potassium silicate sufficient? Thank you in advance.
Is that the concentrate or the final applied solution? Follow the label and you should be in good shape.
Thank you for your reply Prof. Yes it's concentrate solution. Brand is growth technology liquid silicon. There's another brand call aptus regulator which is on higher side in term of price and the ingredient is mono-silic acid. Do you think is worth it or is fine for both. Thank you 😊😊
What if you’re using IPM foliar sprays? Can you mix the Si with the preventative spray solution, or should you use one per day but change it throughout the week (ex: Monday: IMP spray, Tuesday: Si spray, Wed: IMP, etc)?
Due to the pH of the Si, I suggest separating it on a different spray day than your IPM rotation.
@@DeBaccoUniversity I agree, that’s what I thought too. Thanks for verifying!
Utah State University quit using AG Sil 16 due to lead contamination. January 2021 switched from Agsil 16H to fumed silica. as a Si source to minimize Pb contamination.
I know this is probably a really silly question. I don't understand what any of that means but the SI part is that we're power SI maybe got its name because they changed to that particular molecule I guess or ingredient sorry for the ignorance still learning on a daily. LoL. Thanks in advance.
@@dabcrafter4208 Si is the atomic symbol for Silicon. It’s not officially considered a necessary nutrient for most plants, and you can grow cannabis without it, but it has shown to be helpful when used correctly. So yes, the product Power Si got their name from that
Could not find a source regarding the concern about Pb contamination from Utah State....
Does it decrease mycorrhizal associations if the silica limits or stops fungal invasion of roots?
Not likely.
On ur thumbnail you have those pouches that have silica gel. Can I crush those up and add it to my garden beds and compost knowing it will be available after a year or so? Planning ahea
These would likely not be very plant available.
@@DeBaccoUniversity what’s the best source of plant available silica
I wana know too 😂
Does Diatomaceous Earth provide plants with silica? Thanks a lot
It is not plant available.
Will mono-silicic acid be more available in soil?
This source seems to agree... agro-solutions.nl/knowledge/mono-silicic-acid/
@@DeBaccoUniversity Thank you!
the very best of youtube.
Glad you think so, be sure to share this channel with others!
merci Professeur
Bonne chance à vous et vos plantes.
@@DeBaccoUniversity bonne année a vous
@@DeBaccoUniversity merci
Thank you.
You are welcome!
2:13 So does Cannabis absorb any Si unlike the Strawberry? I know later DeCacco said so but I do we have any numbers for this? Or is it safer to say that foliar is probably better?
Foliar applications are better for absorption but this is not a one time application it needs to be repeated so it can accumulate in the plant.
Does silica neutralize micorrizhae simbiosis with the root zone?
There should be no neutralizing impact, as long as the pH is not greatly altered.
Very interesting
Thanks!
Would adding silica sand to my soil do anything I can get the sand for free
Not very plant available.
@DeBaccoUniversity thank you no benefits shoot
Thanks!
Special thanks to you and your support!
Can you please make a video about the effects of REALLY short-days(8-16) or extended darkness (for example 12-24) if that is possible...
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I am experimenting a bit and will know for sure by subjecting 3 clones to natural outdoor flowering, induced blackout(8 hours light per day) and one that i am bringing into a closed dark room for 24 hours each other day!
try 6hrs on/6hrs off and get 2 days in one
Not in the current plans.
Does it take longer for silica to be effective in plants utilizing water culture hydroponics vs hey Coco or other medium substrate? Thanks.
Time to accumulate in the plant would be similar for those substrates.
@@DeBaccoUniversity what about high pressure aeroponics? Thanks.
use (Mono-silicic acid) it is available to the plants to uptake right away and always for better uptake of other nutrients ie calcium. if you use potassium silica it can take many days or weeks to breakdown to an available form the plants can uptake.
@@TriStateTrichomes I'm using power si now thanks
@@dabcrafter4208 I've been using power si. Starts to gunk up my tanks is the only downside. But it's a good product. Hit up Mills for their vitilize, it's a silicic acid also. But much cleaner. I'm going to be running a side by side of athena with power si and then mills line up. Should make for good content and interesting to know the outcome
What if u fiolsiote spray with watermelon rind, lettuce water and oatmeal water together
Good question.
I don't understand how it came to be that silicon and silica are words that are used interchangeably when it comes to agriculture. Silica is what sand is made of. It has long been known that potassium silicate is a source of soluble silicon that can be taken up by plants, and it was always described as such. Somewhere along the line, the word 'silicon' changed to 'silica'. This mistake is misleading. Manufacturers of potassium silicate products use the word silica on their labels, when their products contain no silica. IF the products were indeed silica, it would not have the availability to plants that potassium silicate does.
This mistake is being spread all over the internet. Yes, people think diatomaceous earth will make their plants stronger now, as comment sections show. Pictures of silica gel packages further the misconception. What is wrong with the old (correct) way of describing potassium silicate as what it really is, and describing it as a soluble source of (available) SILICON.
I made this point rather rudely on another channel, because I thought the fellow didn't do his homework. Turned out he did, but he's being given incorrect information.
The products with silica in the name contain no silica. PLEASE, can we just go back to calling things what they are again? POTASSIUM SILICATE is the chemical that helps growers. I tried to find this video yesterday and it was gone. I don't know what mistake was corrected, but another correction and clarification of terms would be a good idea.
I admit I use the words interchangeably too. I think the the Silica packet on the title screen was prob for the laymen and/or amateur/novice grower to wrap their mind around, even if it is misleading. Your comment was good to point out the differences tho for everyone to get some clarification!
@@radiclelife , the problem with spreading misinformation to the general public is that they take the ball and run with it. They think they are helping their plants by giving them silica. Then they wonder what they did wrong when it doesn't work- because they TRUSTED that the information was correct. It's totally reasonable to expect that a person would watch a video such as this, and think 'THAT'S why sand is good to have in soil!'
This comment section and others are proof that the dissemination of this misinformation is giving people bad ideas and false hope. It needs to be corrected.
The marketers of potassium silicate would do well to trust that the general public is OK without dumbing those 7 syllables down to 3, and call their products something else.
Pur Saveer ... Show us how it's done and post a link.
@@rickw7903 I don't need a link though. Call it potassium silicate if that's what it is, silica IF that's what it is, and call it a source of Silicon- which it is.
If you think silica gel packets is the right image to reflect the topic, I'd have to disagree. Disagreement doesn't require proof in a public forum. It's either accepted or rejected. I think Professor Debacco could have done better, and I explained my reasons.
We can always do better, but at least there is content to talk about.
Sounds decent for the plant alone but whats to say this is not going to harm future users of this plant how do we know we arent making it more dangerious ?
Testing is important and standardization of some practices.
Interesting
Sometimes it does not take many words to convey your point;-)
cannabis is from a sandy dessert ish area in the wild it wants a lot of sand for silica and rockdust ie iron. I use a LOT of sand in all my cannabis soil mixes always. silica is in seaweed as well so a seaweed foliar is always great for that and many other reasons
Key is plant available forms.
Got a question nobody can seem to answer:
I did some searching and surprisingly there is very little guidance on spraying Si products. But this keeps popping up:
Power Si foliar instructions.
When looking to slow vertical growth, use 6ML per 5 gallons of water.
When looking to repair your crops, use 2ML per liter or 8ML per gallon.
For general maintenance, use 1ML per liter or 4ML per gallon.
Now I am completely confused. Can you clear this up for me, as that is suggesting that the less Si per gallon will slow vertical growth, while the more mls per gallon will not. This seems totally backwards intuitively. Can someone explain this? I am concerned that if I spray Si in veg I will be stunting or slowing vertical growth,. But I really want to understand this foliar Si conundrum. I really appreciate anything you can help me with. Thank you.
Just because it keeps popping up does not mean it is true. Try and find a scientific study on this topic. If you can not find a scientific study to support this finding..... you have your answer to the validity of the statement.
@@DeBaccoUniversity lol. Yes. Its surprising really, how it seems everyone feels like they are teaching everyone else a lesson. These screens are the worst thing and the best thing to ever happen to us humans. Take it easy
I
7
Can you mix Silica and PH Down if Silica brings the ph up?
Yes, but keep the concentrations low as if you try and adjust concentrates you will likely run into problems.
@@DeBaccoUniversityless is more with those liquid pH adjusters had to find out the hard way...learning to work with them now. Good so far I think
How to dissolve silica (silicon dioxide) and add to hydroponics solution?
Silicon dioxide has a water solubility of 0.12 g/L
Read more: www.lenntech.com/periodic/water/silicon/silicon-and-water.htm#ixzz7jp10EEPt
❤️
Thanks!
But how does silica gel sachets stop fungi then? It doesn’t create no barrier around you new shoes does it?
Silica gel packets will not do what potassium silicate solution does. I don't know why the picture was included. It furthers the misconception that silica is what's helping your plants. It's not. It's silicon that helps your plants.
I believe they absorb moisture hence the mold inhibiter
@@CL-ty6wp and then you water, or it rains. They easily saturate with water and become inert almost right away. I'd like Professor DeBacco to explain their mechanism of action to help plants, and why they were included in this video. I'd also like Prof. DeBacco to comment on the value of diatomaceous earth as a source of silicon for plants.
@@pursaveer9027 ahh thank you
@@pursaveer9027huh? He asked how it applies to shoes; Not growing..
So how do you add this to a nutrient system if you can't directly mix it? I'm using canna terra soil mix and nutrients. How should I determined how much to add into the mix?
It can be done on a day with no other nutrient additions, or low doses when mixed with other nutrients, but this is not advised unless tested before hand.
@@DeBaccoUniversity Thank you very much professor. I will be using autopots so I guess in between reservoir refills.
I guess the powder can be mixed with water and used as foliage feed.
Yes, just watch high heat and light intensity periods.
how about silica packs specificallu ,DUH?
Not plant available to a great percentage.
Why did you show a silica gel packet? Misleading bs from yootoob
This the form of silica most people are familiar with.
@@DeBaccoUniversity I get you. You have to remember that most people aren't very smart and when they see a packet of silica gel they might use it .... Ya eho cares you're right
🌘🌘
Thanks.
(1:25) my favorite part *growl*
This is your favorite, and not the content;--)
Diatomaceous Earth is your friend
This can be effective also.
A little acknowledgment to the UA-cam community for spotting the error the the last video.
That is much appreciated as well. Goal is to provide quality content and if something gets by the edit/review process it will get redone and posted to ensure everyone can expect quality content on this channel.
@@DeBaccoUniversity you can always do a limited viewing for changes that need to be made can be spotted. The UA-cam community likes to keep the comments up and when you post a video and delete it the comments go with it. You won’t get the same same high quality comments from a twice uploaded video.
That's not mono silicic acid, or pH up, it is not readily bioavailable...
The key with any nutrient is bioavailability.
@@DeBaccoUniversity well, yuh, obv. But you have a picture of silica gel on your thumbnail page, which clearly states on the package" not for consumption"... One must assume, it is meant in Any form, whether it is directly or indirectly...
I mix some silica cat litter in the soil mix 🐈
Not sure if this is plant available.
I use vermiculite cause it's got what plants crave
This is a good additive as it benefits the plants in multiple ways. (Ex. aeration and Si.)
burn rice hull and you have potassium silicate in the ash...blessings to all
Key is plant available.
@@DeBaccoUniversity exactly. the ash will surely be plant available, indeed more than potassium or calcium silicate, which is reason to be cautious with amounts - small amounts in regular intervals, perhaps weekly or bi-weekly...mygreathanks and blessings😇
The video is great but the comments suck
Video content is all that is under DeBacco University's control.
It's bad practice to use silica throughout a grow! I would suggest ceasing it when flowering commences. Also I don't know about strawberries but adding silica to soil as a liquid feed is extremely effective, obviously so, even in very low doses
What is the negative impact of silica for the entire grow?