Anyone using Silica (Potassium Silicate) as pH up?

Then always add that potassium silicate if thsts what it is to your other additive profile so again you don’t hit high potassium

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I’m in 5 gal pots of soil. Tap water ph ~7.3.
Drop PH to 6.2-6.5 before adding anything…let it sit/marinade for a beer or 2 between adding anything.
Usually I water nutes only, next water is silica and enzymes, next water half nutes.
Excellent point on the order of adding the SI.
This is my first time adding the SI, so what the heck do I know anyway… :thinking:
Informative thread tho!

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My “water” is a lowered dose of gro-silic (grotek) with a lowered dose of Harvest Miracle.

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But then again on light feed days that my ph is high I use bio cozyme as a ph down only in flower bio cozyme and to feed my little living party :partying_face: down under in the coco

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For finer adjustments in ph up say no more than 0.3 , canna rhizo is the best for veg : ) a expensive bottle but deffo worth it

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Yes, I have used it for pH up successfully.

Provided you don’t use much, too much silica causes precipitate IME.

And yes, mix it first. You’ll have to figure out the sweet spot of how much to add to get the pH right after mixing nutrients in.

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I’m a silica type of guy, myself :wink:

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That’s great information! I’m glad I read this. Now things are making more sense on a current grow lol.

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Pro-TeKt for ph up and Foliage-Pro for ph down. My water is usually 7-8ph and after adding the other Dyna-Gro nutes it’s usually only a small correction.
I use a LITTLE Pro-TeKt in water for seedlings

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I stopped using Silica as a pH up due to leaf stems that just snapped in half with the slightest bend. It does what it’s supposed to do but, I’ve noticed that after discontinuing the use as a pH buffer that my leaf stem do not snap as easily while tucking them under. Has anyone else notice this with their plants?

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I did notice what you are talking about so i’ve tried and tested the following with good results: using your thub & index finger, pinch the branch you wanna bend and crush it lightly; do this as you travel down the branch continously crushing as you go. The branch will be malable and you can tie it off and it’ll get stronger for it.

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@Pigeonman
I like to pinch due to it strengthening the branch /stock
Silica is a part of you trichs and is usable to the plant at a higher rate when foliar sprayed.
Alotbof people only use it in veg then stakes or trellis for stability.
Plus silica is used immediately by the plant so you have to consistently use it.

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Is this what your are referring to? Ive never had that issue. Check out that post by @monkeyman it is really good.

I do, I use Armor Si as a PH Up, but I have noticed some incompatibility when mixing (and i always add it before anything else to my tap). Im looking for substitutes as Ive also read that potassium silicate is a low solubility source of silica.

these are two nice thread to check for silica as PH up

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@the_bot
So is that why bloom yb silica says to adjust silica water mix to 7 before adding anything else

could be, I honestly dont know why bloomy asks for that extra step. My tap is already 7 tho.

All other silica products only warn about not mixing directly to nutrient solution, and to add it to plain water instead before anything else (no ph warnings in relation to compatibility or solubility, but I may be wrong).

And honestly, their instructions are a bit weird for me:

How to use and apply Bloom Silica?

- The pH value of the water must be adjusted to 7 in a container with water BEFORE it is added to the nutrient solution.

- If Bloom Silica is used to raise the pH of the nutrient solution then, you only have to lower the pH to the desired level on the final nutrient solution.

I think they ask to level ph to 7, because it is extremely alkaline and they just want you to have a neutral solution to add. but thats just guessing on my part, the video on their site also hints to that…

this last bit in their instructions, makes me think they want to minimize user error, so they ask you to stabilize it to 7 so you are not having ph issues after applying it… but again, just guessing:

Bloom Silica is highly alkaline and has an important handling method to get the best result.

Here’s more techno…

Hmmm. After adding ArmorSi to my res, I only mix and recirc for about 5 minutes before proceeding. No 2 hours!
In my early days I muffed up on PH and created cloudy precip mixes.

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@Gram Torino
I was told yr ago it was in my trichs also, but I also was told to foliar becouse its more available an affordable so I use foliar on light feed days because I can use less to stabilize my mix.

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The bloom was given to me from the wc rep
If anyone needs I can get shipped at cost to u just email her your order bam.
The aptus no shit was a free 1 from aptus just last week so no idea on how to use it

After talking to Aptus they say to use there Fascilitator in first to also help reduce stretch in first 2 weeks flower using there measurements