@shag I have to rinse my nute mixing jugs every time using Armor Si. Wasn’t as bad with Protekt, but still went in 1st. Try an experiment with some water soluble gypsum. You can watch it fall out of suspension. Looked like cottage cheese.
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With all the benifits using silica , in flower will this in turn effect taste of the buds ?
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I had not noticed that effect myself.
I would personally taper down the closer you get to harvest.
It is a good idea to stop most any treatment 3 weeks before you plan to harvest.
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I’m going to make an assumption. If you use Silicon, I would think it isn’t the only salt type add being used. Without extensive testing, how do you know which add affects taste?
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While very true, you could just do a simple side by side experiment with a control plant to determine if silicon will alter the taste of the buds.
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I go easy on myself. Ive been tapering off silicon last couple weeks anyways. Followed shortly by the rest of my nutes about week 7-8. Save a nickel, spend it on something fun. Like more seeds.
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Silica will enhance bud flavor.
It’s displacing any carbonate in the trichome wall. Any carbonate in the trichome will become active and neutralize acids (flavor effect and aroma molecules). The plant can strip the carbon from carbonate and build carboxylic acids as long as it’s not being used to build cell walls. Silica keeps carbonate out of cell walls, and allows its carbon to be used for carboxylic acids. Silicate does not neutralize acids. You can watch this happen under a microscope. We are trying to build glands of acids, not stalks of carbonate.
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Nice one!
Thank you for sharing!
Very interesting statement.
You blinded me with science…LOL
If you have any links to share, that could be helpful to me and some others.
Folks round here don’t seem to care about things like organic chemistry or even botany they tend to stick with the so-called Bro science.
They may even say silly things like…
Who needs Botany and science when growing plants?
You lay some real life science on them and they waffle. 
Some don’t even understand why they are able to grow good weed.
When/if asked why they do what they do, most respond with…“Well jimmy does it and he grows the best weed I have ever smoked”… 
They are simply following a playbook someone else has made for them.
Take away that playbook and most would be lost.
Some of these are the same folks that think they need 20-30 hydro-store bottles to grow cannabis.
Feelings today, seem to be more important than facts. 
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Monkey see. Monkey do. Tends to work to some degree until there’s a real problem. Then the monkey’s lost. Resorts to “bro science” and has no idea what worked or didn’t work.
I’ve done my time as a monkey. Not great, but a start. Pick good monkeys to mimic. Moving on.
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Talk is cheap, nothing states i know what I’m doing better than a photo?
Can’t smoke a photo. That’s all that really matters to me, not what it looks like
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Pictures can be deceiving.
May I ask if you have a smoked a frosty bub that just doesn’t get you that high?
A plant high in CBD and low in THC can and will look really potent, but it is not.
Here is an example of this, it looks good but found to be lacking.
The green bud had a better high.
What good does a photo do there?
Good point, just cause it looks good does not mean it is good.
Anyway, @Star_Dog seems like you are wanting to see what I grow as proof I know what I am talking about.
This was grown outside with osmocote.
Some indoor, not quite finished yet.
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Nice research and DIY review post @shag I do love my AgSil and I’ve been using this too for the heck of it, it’s local to me and a reclaimed byproduct of drilling wells and foundations:
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@shag how do I know you didn’t take those photos over your fence? Or at your buddy’s house? Just a thought.
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That will be the next response from the nay sayers…LOL
I guess folks will have to take my word for it. 
What a concept …right?
Everyone seems to think I am a deceptive person. 
I don’t know why good advice can not be taken at face value?
BTW
Just cause you have nice pictures, does not mean you are able to give good advice.
I have used AGSIL 16 and noticed that my stems get brittle, and finished buds burn to a dark ash, if given too much since Silica is hoarded by the plant and isn’t altered during curing. I would cut it out of my mix by day 30, similarly to Cal-mag. This pic shows the names of multiple studies which have conclusive results regarding silica: All studies conclude that adding to the root zone is superior to foliar spray:
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Thank you very much for the compliment.
And thank you for the link too.
The test you provided does not seem to include silicon numbers.
I would assume it is pretty high, due to the fact rock dust should be mostly powdered silica.
If I may, might I politely suggest that the product may be a bit high in Magnesium for my taste anyway.
Mag has a tendency to compact soil a bit to much for my liking.
Maybe a bit too much potassium for me too.
I have found when I reuse my soil I have very high potassium at harvest.
I am sure, a smart guy like you has ways around this, just my 2 cents here.
It is an interesting product and I will look into it a bit more.
Thank you very much for your contribution, I really wish more smart folks like yourself would chime in on these issues.
Thank you again for your input.
Shag
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I have heard this can happen, I think it is mostly due to late or over application.
But…
There may be other factors at play here that effect this.
Do you ever notice hollow stems?
Calcium is synergistic with silicon.
Having the right amount of Calcium in an available form may be important to how the plant uses and stores silicon.
I would assume if it is being stored, rather than used there could be issues.
I remember reading something about this but I can not remember right now.
This makes good sense, I think it works best if optimal levels are reached before the flower cycle begins.
While this is mostly true, this must be considered also.
From the article, you cited above.
When applied foliarly Silicon will polymerize on the leaf surface to form a physical barrier reducing foliar diseases.
This is not an immune response but a physical barrier.
If you want the immune response it would seem a drench is the best way to do that.
So I do agree with your assessment.
Thanks a bunch for your contribution.
Shag
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Thank you for the compliment. 
Sorry, I get attacked/called out a bunch for what I post pretty often, so maybe I see things that are not there sometimes.
I think this has caused me to be a bit too defensive right off the bat.
My humble apologies for making assumptions. 
Internet chat is so cold and short, it is hard to judge what folks are really trying to say.
Peace
Shag
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