Silica nanoparticles were shown to protect wheat seedlings against UV-B stress by stimulating the antioxidant defense system ( Tripathi et al., 2016). In particular, SNPs reduced the adverse effects of the UV-B stress, i.e., low fresh weight, reduction in chlorophyll and tissue damage. Since the levels of nitric oxide reached a peak after UV-B+SNPs treatment, a protective role via the modulation of NO levels was proposed by the authors. Soil mixing : For a more integrated approach, Dust to Dust can be mixed into the soil. This can be done at the time of planting or when refreshing the soil in your pots. Thoroughly mixing the product into the soil helps distribute silica nutrients evenly, allowing for consistent uptake by the plant roots. We’ll cover which form is best for your plants in a moment. For now we’ll explain why you should be using a silica supplement in the first place. What does Silica do for plants?

Depending on the product you are using, you need to follow the dosage prescribed. During the early stages of plant development, it is advisable to feed them soluble silica at a slow rate and then up the application as plants increase in size and maturity. Silicon impacts on endogenous phytohormones are commonly analyzed in response to stress conditions. In rice plants exposed to heavy metals, Si reduced endogenous concentration of jamonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA), while abscisic acid (ABA) first increased and then decreased after 14 days of treatment ( Kim et al., 2014): the ABA has an antagonist behavior with JA/SA biosynthesis. The effect of such phytohormonal changes on the expression of genes involved in heavy metal response still needs to be elucidated in Si-treated plants. Kim et al. (2011) also reported that Si reduced JA concentration in response to wounding, while Lee et al. (2010) reported an increase in gibberellins concentration in Si-treated plants exposed to salinity. Silicon is needed as part of a balanced diet for every healthy individual. It plays a major contribution to bone and teeth development and as such should be included in our diet. The ligaments, joints, tendons, and tissues in the body require silica for strong and healthy development. The mineral also helps to balance the release of insulin by the pancreas. The skin, hair, and nails are not left out as they require essential minerals to be able to develop properly, and apart from calcium, silicon also helps out in that department. It’s best to store silica for weed separately from other nutrients or marijuana fertilizer. It requires an alkaline pH of higher than seven to remain soluble. Only add silica to a nutrient mix right before you apply it. Does silica help weed growth? The addition of silicon to plant soil either in hydroponics or traditional gardening has a lot of numerous benefits and they include the:

By increasing the speed of cell wall creation, your cannabis plants will grow faster and with more vigour. The upshot of this? More growth means more bud at the end of it. Being larger and stronger, your plant is able to squeeze out more flowers, and these are often larger and healthier. Better Uptake of Nutrients

Whether you're just starting your plants down the path of growth or flipping them into flower, you can use silica to boost cell wall strength, increase water and nutrient uptake, plus a plethora of other benefits. Regulation of nutrient availability : Silica can modulate the pH of the soil and influence the bioavailability of certain trace elements.

Can Plants Overdose On Silica?

In this article, I will be sharing with you a little detail about silica for plants, including plant sources and the benefits they add when they are included in fertilizer in the garden. What is Silica? Silicon deposition increases abrasiveness of plant tissues and thus reduces palatability and digestibility for herbivores ( Massey and Hartley, 2009). Hartley et al. (2015) demonstrated by Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) that phytolith morphology inside the tissues has more influence on abrasiveness than the actual Si concentration. Using the same technique, Keeping et al. (2009) demonstrated that the pattern of Si deposition in sugarcane is responsible for enhanced resistance to Eldana saccharina. Physical strength of the leaf resulting from Si accumulation may afford mechanical protection and thus lower the rate of infection as reported for Rhizoctonia solani ( Zhang et al., 2013; Schurt et al., 2014) or Bipolaris oryzae ( Ning et al., 2014). That being said, plants still need nutrients, and have to defend themselves from pests and disease. With the available evidence, it seems that both stopping and continuing to administer silica during the flowering stage are viable options.