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Silica in flowering?
- Thread starter maimunji
- Start date
MrBungle
Active member
I'm still wondering where organic came into play? The OP never specified organic or synthetic...
regardless of that... What I read on the NOP (like federal guidelines mean anything to our hobby really) *eyeroll*
"(1) Aqueous potassium silicate (CAS #-1312-76-1)—the silica, used in the manufacture of potassium silicate, must be sourced from naturally occurring sand."
doesn't say anything about how it is to be used only that it must be sourced from a naturally occurring sand....
regardless of that... What I read on the NOP (like federal guidelines mean anything to our hobby really) *eyeroll*
"(1) Aqueous potassium silicate (CAS #-1312-76-1)—the silica, used in the manufacture of potassium silicate, must be sourced from naturally occurring sand."
doesn't say anything about how it is to be used only that it must be sourced from a naturally occurring sand....
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
You've tested this and were looking for frangibility changes? You can gently crush a flower and it breaks into tiny frosty bits?
This all depends on strain/environment and quite frankly the grower him/herself. When did dense nugs become a problem? What weighs more, a bag of rocks or a bag of cotton?
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
I have no idea what you're going on about. Just about everything comes out of my garden the same way. Dense and frangible.
I'm not talking super dry garbage, I'm not talking powdered bits, I'm talking about the flower breaking down into small pieces with very little pressure.
So, do you have to reach for a grinder to break up your flowers? Should your answer be yes, excess silica in flower is a great place to start looking for the solution. Wonderful for branch and vascular system strength, shit for quality flower.
HarvestMoon303
Active member
I've also grown without it, and I'm really happy with the results. When you say "I now use it, where appropriate...", where are you using it that you think it's appropriate? Hydro? What does it do for your final product?Grew without it for over a decade, flowers were always highly frangible. Easily break into tiny, frosty bits of yummy goodness.
Silica scene came around and a couple years ago I played with it. Different times, concentrations, couple of different runs. Use beyond first filling flower res is low-grade to me, hotter/harsher end smoke with tougher flowers. I now use it, where appropriate, and mid-end flower is not it.
Flowers are back to easily broken yumminess.
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
It's awesome in veg. As I stated earlier it builds very strong branches and sturdy vascular tissue systems.
I also add it to the flower reservoir when it's first mixed (I don't dump my reservoir until flower is finished). This helps continue building the strong branches and vascular system through stretch. Once stretch is done the flowers begin forming and I have no further need for silica.
MrBungle
Active member
When should silica be used in the garden? "Studies show that silica should be used throughout the entire life cycle of the plant, from the seedling or clone stage up until harvest. In order to produce optimal results, silica needs to be continually made available to the plant via the nutrient solution. Once a plant has absorbed the available silica into its cellular structure, it can no longer be redistributed to other parts of the plant. Plants grown in soil are more likely to uptake trace amounts of silica that may be present in the soil, whereas plants grown hydroponically have no direct source of silica unless it is added as a supplement to the nutrient regimen. Plants grown hydroponically without silica will most likely be sub par compared to those grown with it. Cuttings and seedlings that have been fed silica tend to show less shock during root formation and transplanting. Introducing silica early on in the plant’s life is also said to reduce the chances of leaf curl. Cut flowers also benefit from silica, as it has been known to extend flower shelf life. Have you ever added a powder sachet into the vase of water when you buy a bouquet of flowers? That is a nutrient mixture combined with silica!"
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
Spoken like a silica product rep. My studies showed quality was hit pretty hard when used later in flower.
I add it at the beginning of flower and I'm sure there's still some there near the end. I also know it's not much as it only affects pH for the first 10 days.
I don't mind a bit either. I know what it breaks up and burns like when too much is used and I see this type of cannabis from the locals/dispo quite often.
hyposomniac
Active member
I was just thinking about silicosis the other day... Maybe stopping when flowers form is a good way to limited inhaled vaporized silica?
D
Dioni
I have used pro tek properly for years with excellent results from start to near finish. With that being said I find that the information you are giving here to not be supported by dry flower testing of all minerals and compounds that I have seen. Flowers with the use of Pro tek and without were very similar in silica % so I don't buy what your saying.
The plants use what they need when flowering and don't load up on it because it's more available.
And for the record, I have successfully grown cannabis many different ways and have had the finish product burn with a clean ash and perfect taste and flavor with many different methods.
The plants use what they need when flowering and don't load up on it because it's more available.
And for the record, I have successfully grown cannabis many different ways and have had the finish product burn with a clean ash and perfect taste and flavor with many different methods.
Of course too much Potassium (from Potassium Silicate) can cause the ash to burn darker while calcium can cause the ash to burn whiter. I think the harshness and other issues is not sourced to Si--since most soils are abundant with Si--rather the culprit is the "other stuff" included in Si supplements.
The color of ash is dependent on one thing--nutrients/elements in the grow medium.
The color of ash is dependent on one thing--nutrients/elements in the grow medium.
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
I doubt you're growing the quality I am, No offense. The contamination you have is covering up the effects of the silica.[/quote]
Were cannabis "not" a dynamic/hyper accumulator, this statement would be correct.
This tells me you've never had super clean cannabis before. Again, no offense. I didn't either, the first 5 years I grew. Was quite a shock when my "better n' anything I came across" turned out to be barely 'decent,' when compared to truly clean cannabis.And for the record, I have successfully grown cannabis many different ways and have had the finish product burn with a clean ash and perfect taste and flavor with many different methods.
I stand by my statements, they were formed from clear research.
clown baby
Active member
When I think about Douglas, I imagine he has a either a beard/manbun, or an ironic mustache, and judges you for ordering anything other than a craft IPA.
