I’ve been growing for 10 years and never used silica. Not necessarily because I didn’t want to, but rather because I wasn’t really aware of the stuff.
A growing buddy of mine was surprised to hear that I overlooked it since I’m a sticker for details.
Should I be using it, and if so, how do I apply it? With my normal watering schedule, or when I feed my plants? Can it be mixed with my regular food (General Hydroponics Maxigrow), along with Calmag?
Thanks
Silica helps strengthen plant structure and it is very effective. It is highly alkaline, so be sure to adjust pH before applying it. I apply it when I feed over a few weeks in early flower. It doesn’t take much. Avoid applying it while you are still training a plant. It strengthens the plant quite a bit and can lead to split nodes during training.
Trichomes are also predominantly made of silica.
I used it in to my last grow for the first time it definitely made a difference I saw a massive improvement in my plants vigor and the overall yeild it gave me
as @MidwestGuy @Smokesdaily said it has it uses to help strengthen the stalks… I use it but stop after a few weeks in flower as I believe it get into the walls of the flower if I kept using it…
I use it religiously during stretch and flower. Not so much during veg if training. As mentioned it stiffens branches. Silca is also a prime component of trichome development. Will frost them up more. It also helps a plant take environmental stresses better. I personally love the stuff. As mentioned it spikes PH. It should be added first as it can bind back together with some nutes.
I may be odd man out but I feed silica straight through when I start feeding. I use silica blast at 3ml per gallon. Training is a little trickier but if you catch the branches early enough and rub them between your fingers they soften up just fine.
I do the same its easy to train new growth either way i also do 3ml per gallon with 5 ml of calmag plus iron