Silica

[RNCollins]

I got a few samples from Botanicare and one of them was Silica Blast.
It is 2% Silica derived from sodium silicate and potassium silicate (0.5% Soluble Potash K20).

It says it will help strengthen plant tissue to flourish in adverse environmental conditions such as heat, drought, and frost.

http://www.botanicare.com/Silica-Blasttrade-P53.aspx

Does anyone have any experience using Silica? What are your thoughts about using Silica?

 

[Ray]

Dyna-Gro Pro-teKt is a potassium silicate solution as well. It is marvelous for raising the pH of overly-acidic solutions (I used it for that when using Dyna-Gro "Grow" in RO - without it the pH was in the upper-3's/low-4's).

Advertising claims I have read are that it builds up cell walls, making them less likely for insect damage, and makes plants more heat resistant.

My own experience tells me it doesn't add anything to the well-being of my plants, and as someone using K-Lite, I'd avoid it.

Silicon is especially important in the diets of sugar cane and grains, especially wetlands type such as rice; most other soil-grown crops will absorb it because it is the second most abundant element on earth. There is no documented evidence of silicon deficiencies in most plants, and I seriously doubt that an epiphytic orchid would ever see much at all, if any.

 

[PaphMadMan]

A product like this can be important in a hydroponic grow system because the plants get only what you give them, and most plants will take up silica and incorporate it in support tissues. Some care must be taken in using it because it is sensitive to pH and concentration, something hydroponic or commercial growers have to deal with but you usually don't to the same extent. And your orchids almost certainly have silica available to them in your potting mix already, and as Ray pointed out, they don't come from an environment particularly rich in silica.

Silica is the most abundant material in the Earth's crust, and almost every kind of rock except most limestone/marble is made up mostly of silica based minerals. Perlite, rockwool, lava rock, any kind of clay/ceramic pellets, and almost any kind of gravel that might be in your mix all supply silica. Also, silicon is one of the 10 most adundant elements in plant tissue on a dry weight basis, so bark, moss, charcoal etc. also supply silica. Coconut or bamboo based materials would be especially high in it.

There would be no harm in using this type of product with reasonable care, but I doubt you would see any benefit. If you do want to try though, I would look for a product that does not contain sodium silicate, plants do not need sodium, and you should definitely be aware of how much potassium you are adding and possibly adjust your other fertilizers accordingly.

 

[troy]

I got some silica called god cilica, was a sample, I used it and I sware the leaves on my plants are stiff shiny and thick, although it goes agianst the low potassium rule, it worked for me. my fertilizers are low in potassium. Really got to watch the spike in the ph

 

[Stone]

Ray pointed out, they don't come from an environment particularly rich in silica.

Certainly any terrestrials would have abundant silica available to them. Epiphytes as well from rain etc. Whether they need or benefit from it has not really been determined yet.
There is a study with Phalaenosis on the web somewhere were silica was found to increase biomass weight. I don't remember reading that it improved growth. Concentrations are quite critical too as too much reduced growth if I remember correctly.

Silica is the most abundant material in the Earth's crust, and almost every kind of rock except most limestone/marble is made up mostly of silica based minerals. Perlite, rockwool, lava rock, any kind of clay/ceramic pellets, and almost any kind of gravel that might be in your mix all supply silica.

But most is crystaline silica which is unavaiable. Its true that many Paphs are found growing in and around bamboo groves which are very rich in available silica.

plants do not need sodium

Perhaps this is true but analysis of wild Paph leaves shows quite high levels,
There is probably a lot we still don't know.

 

[Bjorn]

In my daily work, I have come across this topic, and am currently involved in an international project dealing with use of silica in plant nutrition. Silica in plant nutrition is an old topic and some 100 years ago, it was regarded as an essential nutrient. And although its the most abundant material on earths crust, silica in available form is rather scarce. The solubility is low and it is unstable in the sense that the available isomorph tend to polymerise and thus gets unavailable for the plants. Good soil can typically contain 10-15ppm as available silica (monosilicious acid).

Plants can roughly be divided into two groups, those that are silica accumulating and those that are not accumulating.
Some important crops that are accumulating are sugar-cane and rice, both of these crops benefit from silica nutrition if the soil is depleted - which may easily be the case. Alkali-silicates like Pro-Tekt are not commonly used in agriculture; on a large scale mostly slags from iron and steel production are used.
Most orchids are probably non-accumulating.

The effect of silica has been the focus of a lot of research during the last decade or so. Even if it hardly can be classifierd as an essential element, it does play a role, particularly for stressed plants. Plants that has sufficient silica supply will resist stresses better, be it salt, drought or pests, and will need less fertiliser for the same yield. Particular the utilisation of phosphorous seems to benefit.

The role of the silica in the defence against pests and fungii is manyfold. One of them is that it tend to strengthen the epidermis (the "skin") so that attaccing pests/fugii does not penetrate, another thing it does which is not that visible is to be an invaluable part of the plants immune system. When a plant is under stress, be it an attack from fungii or insects, it starts to produce signal compounds (eg salisylic acid) that trigger production of a range of chemicals whose aim is to suppress the origin of the stress. Silica plays an essential role in that sythesis and plants depleated in silica will have a reduced immune defence system.

Whether or not your orchids needs silica is difficult to assess, many water sources have sufficient dissolved silica already, while others like RO water definitely could be improved by some addition. I am not implying that silica addition is essential, but having enough dissolved silica available would probably improve plants resistance to stresses and could render your collection healthier.

Stuff like Pro-Tekt is not that suited since it raises the pH (its silica dissolved in potassium hydroxides). Other sources are hard to get to for most people....Perhaps the best is to add Pro-Tekt and then acidify the mix?

 

[Ray]

Certainly any terrestrials would have abundant silica available to them. Epiphytes as well from rain etc.

And how wold silica get in rain?

Silica (SiO2) is extremely INsoluble in water. it is only when the alkali content rises sufficiently that it becomes soluble at all. In soils, where the alkaline earth minerals are present, I can see limited solubility when the soils are saturated, but I have to question it from rainfall.

 

[troy]

I think using it once every few months would work, thats what I'm gonna do

 

[gonewild]

I think using it once every few months would work, thats what I'm gonna do

I'm curious why you think once every few months would work?

IF orchids need or benefit from Silica then why would they not need it every day?

 

[troy]

All my plants seem healthy enough, the cilica does have potassium in it and that mixed with my fertilizer even though it's low in potassium, I think would be too much, I don't want to overdo it

 

[troy]

I have a 38 inch leaf paph that have very stiff and shiny leaves now after using that

 

[gonewild]

I have a 38 inch leaf paph that have very stiff and shiny leaves now after using that

For how long have you been using it on the paph?

 

[troy]

I got the paph ending of last month

 

[troy]

Thats one of many that stiffened up, for me I'm gonna use it once every few months, partly because there is too many other variables, but I like using it once in a while

 

[gonewild]

I got the paph ending of last month

Not likely in two or three weeks the plant has had time to use any silica.

 

[gonewild]

but I like using it once in a while

OK, that's the best reason to use silica that I've heard yet.

 

[Parryaw]

Is it the same as the silica used to reduce humidity for dry foods?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bjorn]

Lots of good misconceptions around here:evil:
The first one that silica is insolubleartly true, crystalline silica is insoluble more or less, but amorphous silica dissolves between 10 and 100ppm depending on temperature and pH. In good soil some 10-20ppm dissolved silica is present. In plant sap several thousand ppm has been found. The fact that most plants contain at least as much silica as potassium and phosphorous should also indicate that somehow the plants are capable of utilising the available silica.

Next that there is no silica available for epifytes. These plants also contain silica, so it must be present. My guess is that the dust that is carried by the trade winds are responsible for a lot of the silica supply, as it is for many other nutrient elements. Much of the fertilisation of the Amazonas comes from Sahara desert. Futher, bark contains silica in available form. Decaying bark should be available for epifytes if the dust is missing.

Recent research indicates that silicon in plants is translocatable, if a leaf gets under stress, silica is supplied from neighboring leaves. This is not understood but has been measured.

Mostly, the plants get sufficient silica, but the signs of too little are so vague that they mostly will be overlooked. Things like increased susceptibilty to pathogens can be caused by plenty of other reasons.

I am uncertain whter things like pro-tekt is the solution to this, mostly due to the pH issue. If that gets corrected a supply of some 10ppm in the irrigation water would do no harm.

Good luck:rollhappy:

 

[NYEric]

I stopped using Protekt because I went K-lite. I may start adding a little back to my Phrag trays.

 

[Ray]

I think come of it is semantics, and some inconsistent use of terms.

"Silica" is SiO2 in the materials industry. To me, amorphous silica is pure silica glass, which is still highly insoluble in almost anything but HF.

So a question, Bjorn: do plants contain SiO2, or Si, which is incinerated and oxidized in the analytical lab? I can see the metal more than the oxide.