What are the benefits/uses for food grade Silica mineral??? (PICS included)

[Matanuskan Flo]

hello all,

I have been trying to get some info on here regarding the uses of fine grain, food quality, pure silica mineral. it is like a very fine white sand. will this help kill gnats & deter pests thru top dressing?? is it beneficial to mix into my medium?? does it have nutrient value?? if so, what kind of value does it endow?? any info would help!! my friend recommends to mix & top dress, but just said he heard it was good for the ladies & had no clue why. he uses it with great success, but has not every had a gnat/aphid infestation to date, so he cannot help me on that point. i am wondering if it will mimic DE(diatomaceous earth) & strip the exo-skeletons of the damned pests. any info would be great. thanx all. theres a pic below of one of the bottles i have of the silica, i have about 3 bottles or 40oz. the other pic is just perfection & the only other lady allowed in my house & heart.......

 

[SuperSizeMe]

Sorry man, I didn't read your question...all I saw was that ASS!

 

[Matanuskan Flo]

daaaaaaaaaaamn, the ass is sposed to bring attn to the question!!!!!! why is this sooooo difficult. someone pleeeeeez tell me about this damn silica mineral or Im gonna go craaaaaazy. ive asked in like 10 diff places now, lolol.

tyvm tho for the compliment, i don't need to blow her head up anymore, or i'd relay the sentiment, hahaha.

 

[guest1ab]

huh?

 

[Matanuskan Flo]

omg, what is the problem here?? someone help me.....am i not speaking english or what??

SILICA MINERALS - HOW TO APPLY, WHY DO YOU APPLY?? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS??

 

[Carboy]

SILICA MINERALS - HOW TO APPLY, WHY DO YOU APPLY?? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS??

Most silica is inert. Therefore, no direct benefit to the plant. To see if any is soluble, take some RO/distilled water and measure ppms. Put in some silica and check the ppms in a week or so. That should tell the story for sure.
There is supposed to be some soil/media bug protection w/ silica ----- sharp rough edges and all that, but I don't know that much about it. Can't really do any harm adding it but questionable benefit.
CB

 

[Kcar]

assassassass

 

[FoCo(No.Co)]

smokin hot girlfriend

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Most silica is inert. Therefore, no direct benefit to the plant. To see if any is soluble, take some RO/distilled water and measure ppms. Put in some silica and check the ppms in a week or so. That should tell the story for sure.
There is supposed to be some soil/media bug protection w/ silica ----- sharp rough edges and all that, but I don't know that much about it. Can't really do any harm adding it but questionable benefit.
CB

There are at LEAST 300 peer-reviewed studies (university, government, certification agencies like NOP, CCOF, etc.) that are available for review and study.

Like this one as an example.

Perhaps looking at how Google.com actually works might be a benefit. It works for millions and millions around the world.

Got a link to your contention that 'silica has no direct benefit' - I'd love to read it.

Thanks for sharing.

CC

 

[Lowman]

There are at LEAST 300 peer-reviewed studies (university, government, certification agencies like NOP, CCOF, etc.) that are available for review and study.

Like this one as an example.

Perhaps looking at how Google.com actually works might be a benefit. It works for millions and millions around the world.

Got a link to your contention that 'silica has no direct benefit' - I'd love to read it.

Thanks for sharing.

CC

Finally...a voice of reason. Silica is the 2nd most abundant substance on the planet. It is a great benefit for those that don't grow in soil because soiless mediums do not contain it. It helps in many ways like helping the plant resist droughts, pests and diseases.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Finally...a voice of reason. Silica is the 2nd most abundant substance on the planet. It is a great benefit for those that don't grow in soil because soiless mediums do not contain it. It helps in many ways like helping the plant resist droughts, pests and diseases.

Absolutely correct.

Besides the benefits that you mentioned there is the paradigm that silica acts as a chelating agent much like humic/fulvic acids.

I use Dyna-Gro Pro-TeKt with each and every watering at 1/2 the recommended strength.

Works for me.

CC

 

[Yankee Grower]

Pyrophyllite clay is a great source of amorphic silica...very bioavailable. The granular form is slow release. Lots of other goodies in pyropyllite clay!

CC...nice avvy...Shirdi Sai Baba!

 

[Carboy]

There are at LEAST 300 peer-reviewed studies (university, government, certification agencies like NOP, CCOF, etc.) that are available for review and study.

Like this one as an example.

Perhaps looking at how Google.com actually works might be a benefit. It works for millions and millions around the world.

Got a link to your contention that 'silica has no direct benefit' - I'd love to read it.

Thanks for sharing.

CC

Hey CC
My mistake -- I wasn't clear.
Of course, silica has a great deal of benefit and my point wasn't to counter that. It is his application of material in trying to apply the silica in a usable manner that I question. You could dump a beach full of sand, a mountain of glass or I would imagine, all the food grade silica you could find .... the plant is going to get next to nothing. Again, a ppm check would prove it out one way or the other --- the point I was trying to make.
I use Axis, a calcined diatomacous earth, that is 90% silica and still add Dyna-Gro ProTekt. The Axis does give up some over the course of time, but not that much. So believe me, I trust the benefit of silica --- probably more than most. Sorry for the clumsy way I presented it originally.
CB

ps I'll give that Google thing a try --- that's spelled w/ two Os, huh?

 

[uglybunny]

Bamboo leaves are a great source of natural silica. I use them in my compost and amend my soil with it.