Silicon-oxide bonds are very strong bonds that do not “magically” break up. Therefore, adding
silicates (SiO2 and such) to the diet of your plant does not help them in their need for silicon
very much. It is not until microbes or other chemicals come into play, that the plants will benefit
from the silicates in the ecosystem. Adding silicic acid on the other hand will benefit your plants
immediately in their need for silicon, because this form of silicon is readily available. It does not
need mineralization by microbes in the ecosystem to be available to plants.
So the question remains: how come potassium silicate products have any effect on plants than?
Well, this is because of the potassium that is available and the fact that the silicates can be
turned into absorbable molecules by organisms or other chemicals (e.g. strong acids).
However mono-silicic acid is readily absorbable by the plant, and can also make an aqueous
solution more acidic which increases absorbability of other minerals. Other forms of silicon in the
soil are not easily assimilated by plants and only a small proportion is absorbed as H4SiO4.
Once absorbed by the plant silicon polymerizes when it dehydrates and concentrates on the
epidermis cells as biogenic amorphous silicon (SiO2). This biological process illustrates that
silicate compounds are essential for plant disease and pest resistance (Epstein 1999).
Silicon also exerts alleviative effects on various abiotic stresses including salt stress, metal
toxicity, drought stress, radiation damage, nutrient imbalance, high temperatures, freezing and
more. These beneficial effects are mainly attributed to the high accumulation of silica in the
surface tissue although other mechanisms have also been proposed.
Soil structure degradation occurs if a soil is lacking in silicon. This influences the decomposition
of secondary minerals that control numerous growth factors and other soil structure properties.
Silicon fertiliser also absorbs phosphorus and decreases leaching of phosphorus by 40-90%
(Matichenkov et al, 2000). It is noteworthy that the phosphorus is kept in a plant-available form.
Numerous field experiments have demonstrated that Si fertilization has more influence on plant
growth for acid soils than liming (Ayres, 1966; Fox et al, 1967). Silicon fertilizer can increase plant
resistance to heavy metals (Epstein 1999) and toxic hydrocarbons (Bochamikova et al., 1999). It’s
also very important to note that Si fertilisers have been proven to increase the productivity of
crop yield, but also improve the concentration of essential oils and sugars.
When using any silicon product, it is essential to add this compound to your reservoir first. This
drastically reduces the likelihood of silicate compounds negatively reacting with base nutrients.
Silicon product dilution rates vary drastically however the best products will have a dilution rate
of 1.5mL per 10L of water. This ratio can be doubled at the start of the flowering cycle to reduce
plant stretching and decrease internodal spacing in certain plant varieties. As the silicon is
deposited in the walls of epidermal cells after absorption by plants it contributes considerably to
stem strength and internodal spacing.
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