That helps alot. I have protekt and want to try that in the future. Instead of giving it on a schedule.
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I use it pretty much every time I mix nutrients. It’s great stuff.
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That’s what I’ve been doing lately and it works just fine. My well water is a ph of around 5.9-6.0 and when I add fertilizer it takes it to 5.5. 1/8 tsp per gal on Agsil gets me to 5.8 -6.0. Works out great LOL
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I agree that silica is a great ph up, and your plants will love it - it improves resistance to fungal and bacterial pathogens, strengthens cell walls, promotes plant growth, increases resistance to insects and pests, as well as heavy metals, improves tolerance to drought and heat stress. But, be aware that too much silica can make the leaves very tough to the point that they may become brittle. I generally use about 1/4 ml per gal at each watering and stop using it a couple of weeks before harvest.
Also, check your ingredients of your silica and be aware of the difference between potassium silicate and monosilicic acid. Many growers think that they’re applying silica products when they’re really applying silicon products, however, not all silicon products are silica. Here is a breakdown to make it easier to understand:
- Silica: aka silicon dioxide (SiO₂). Found in the mineral quartz and a major part of sand.
- Silicic Acid: a general term for compounds that contain silicon (Si), oxygen (O), and hydrogen (H)
- Monosilicic Acid: aka orthosilicic acid Si(OH)₄
- Silicates: compounds containing oxygen and silicon - including potassium silicate and calcium silicate
- Silicon: a chemical element (Si)
Plants can’t take up or use potassium silicate. It must be converted to monosilicic acid by bacteria . Applying potassium silicate does not have the same effects as applying monosilicic acid.
Also, the pH of a solution impacts the form of silicon in solution. Moderately basic (a pH above 8), monosilicic acid will react with minerals which causes the silicon to precipitate out as a solid. So, if you are using silicon to lower the PH of anything above 6.0 you may suffer from precipitation.
Sorry to hijack the thread for a minute, but I felt it was important to discuss the possible dangers of using silicon to lower the ph of any water above 6.0, and to clarify the differences between different “silica” products to avoid confusion.
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Thank you for sharing and you definitely didnt hijack!! It helps me understand the science of it therefore, I can act accordingly in confidence (understanding reactions). I hope someone else finds some helpful information here!
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I am glad it helped you out. You might want to check out my DIY threads here on OG: PH Up, PH Down, M.O.A.B., Snowstorm Ultra, Hammerhead, Cal-Mag+, CarboLoad, Terpinator
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I know who to bug for extra reading now. Thank you so much!! Ill take time to read.
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I’ve never had any precipitates in a solution above 6.0 using any SI product. I think monosilicic acid is hogwash anyways. None of them have the available silicon that Agsil does and it’s price makes it laughable LOL. total waste of money
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Silica uptake availability is dependent upon pH, temperature, salinity, silica concentration, and the presence of solids.
Si amendments or additives can be applied as a foliar or as a soil amendment. It is not recommended to mix silica supplements with other fertilizers as the alkaline nature of silicon will likely cause precipitation of other nutrients. This can also cause a large pH shift in the growing medium, further limiting the availability of other nutrients. Silica also may compete for uptake with phosphate since they are chemically similar. Caution should be used to avoid combining the two in nutrient solutions in order to prevent competition.
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There are also other interactions that come from mixing certain elements in the wrong order. I thought it was commonly agreed that silica products go in first to avoid this from happening ?
I also partly disagree with what he is saying about not using it in the soil. You said it yourself , it needs to be broken down by bacteria / microorganisms for it to become available. How else is that supposed to happen ?
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What product do you recommend for silica?
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PH is logarithmic on the scale of 0-14 with 7 neutral ph’ at either 6-8 is 10 times more acidic or basic than 7 however since its log a ph of 5 or 9 is 100 times more than neutral … need to have a great ph meter or pen and literally a drop of up/down when working with RO you can get drastic changes Very quickly and can be a BIG PIA !
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I am using lemons to drop ph right now, seems to work. But the next time around i check and the ph goes back up. Anyone else use lemons? 
Citrus acid is a weak acid and breaks down quickly and raises the PPM too high. It’s not well suited as a pH down. Use a strong acid for pH down. Either nitric, sulfuric, or phosphoric acid.
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BAS has a water soluble one.
OP what PH device are you using?
I ended up getting gro-tek pro silica
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If its a liquid I’d return it if you still can. Read the math BAS has for why their product is a better deal.
Im using blue planet golden si with noticeable results. Its quite cheap and its available on amazon. Its a liquid silica.
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I have a hannah ph meter.