No, you shouldn’t. All the advantages are made redundant by feeding your plants silica during flower. Although it makes the buds more resilient, it also diverts resources that could enhance the development of valuable terpenes and cannabinoids. Can you mix silica with other nutrients? Whilst silica is beneficial for hydroponic plants, it can also do more damage. If it raises the pH of the main nutrient solution too much, then it will go cloudy. This will stop the roots from properly uptaking nutrients, and will inhibit growth. Therefore, if you’re going to use silica, use it carefully and with restraint. The reason for the listing of below 4.9% silica in the Dutch Masters silica is...on the msds sheet it lists 4.99% potassium silicate as the only ingredient (other than water) and about 2/3 of that value will be silicon, the other 1/3 will be potassium The addition of soluble silica to plants provides them with a higher chlorophyll concentration where it is needed. This helps to reduce wilting in the leaves and improves leaf production. Also, there is a noticeable improvement in the health of the foliage when silica is added to plant soil.

Power Si excels in creating silicon based plant supplements. The main goal is to improve plant growth, yield, and resistance to stressors. The company has a range of products that are all made with high-quality silicon to promote healthy plant development. Results are often dramatic, but rest assured, it’s completely natural. Specific micronutrients take the place of plant growth regulators you’ll find in other fertilizer brands, like silicic acid, molybdenum and boron. Mesoporous SNPs were shown to boost the growth, total protein content and photosynthesis of lupin and wheat seedlings and to induce no changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes ( Sun et al., 2016). Interestingly in this study, the authors observed a shift of 14 cm -1 and 10 cm -1 in the Raman peaks of chlorophyll from wheat and lupin when isolated chloroplasts were incubated with MSNPs suggesting a change in the molecular structure of chlorophyll. As we’ve already briefly mentioned, not all forms of silica are created equal. There are all kinds of different formulas which have varying degrees of solubility and plant availability.The best form of silicon is mono sicilic acid, also known as ortho silicic acid. Unlike potassium silicate, it is 100% available immediately upon feeding. This allows you to accurately and reliably dose your grow. This is by far the most important source of silicon for plants and is best for soil application. Wallosonite (calcium metasilicate) is the most effective source in places where the soil is low in soluble silicon concentration. Another by-product of slag, gotten from the production of phosphorus in an electric furnace can be applied to soils with low silica contents in the cultivation of watermelon, sugarcane, rice, and other crops. 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).

Plants grown from indoor and outdoor weed seeds benefit from supplemental silica in several ways. The growth of sturdier cell walls creates bigger and healthier buds, and the complementary effects don’t stop there. You may not have heard of silica as a plant nutrient, though you've almost definitely heard of silicon. Not only used in computers, this compound is gaining traction as a hugely beneficial additive to cannabis grows. Found naturally in most plants, it strengthens cell walls, encourages growth, and facilitates the healthy uptake of nutrients. Studies have shown that the application of silica to rice plants leads to not only stronger stems but also impacts the plant's resistance to diseases and pests. Healthier plants result in better grain quality. For instance, rice husks with higher silica content have been linked to improved milling quality and nutritional value, indirectly enhancing the flavor. should suffice in a hydroponic setup. Add silica for plants as often as your other foods. Remember, it’s not one of the 17 essential nutrients required for cannabis cultivation, so make sure it doesn’t compromise your harvest. Although good-quality soils should be free from the presence of toxic, heavy metals, this may not always be the case. These metals—chromium, lead, aluminium, and mercury—are toxic to plants, even at very low concentrations. Even if they don’t prove fatal, they can cause poor plant growth, discolouration of leaves, and prevent proper uptake of nutrient solution. At worst, they can kill plants.

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.