WHAT IS SILICON?
Silicon is a beneficial plant micro nutrient. It is not one of the essential nutrients needed by a plant, however, the benefits of adding silicon to your normal feeding schedule are massive.
Silicon is the second-most plentiful element in the Earths crust and accounts for approximately a quarter of the make up of most rocks.
Silicon is naturally found in outdoor soils but if you are growing your plants hydroponically it will not be and can not be included in your normal nutrient concentrates at a level which is beneficial to your plants. It needs to be added as a separate component.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING SILICON?
1. Strengthens the cell walls
Silicon will strengthen the stems and cell walls of your plants. This means the plant is able to hold more weight and therefore will not suffer from broken limbs when the fruit produced by it is heavy. A larger stem also means that the plant is able to take up more nutrients and it will grow faster and larger. It is useful for feeding to cuttings as it will strengthen the stems faster.
2. Helps combat stresses caused by temperature and drought.
As mentioned above, silicon strengthens cell walls which means the plants will be able to contract and expand these cell walls more efficiently to cope with excess temperatures.
3. More resistant to pests and diseases
A stronger plant with stronger cell walls is harder for pests to attack.
Studies have shown that silicon can prevent fungal related diseases like powdery mildew, pythium, Botrytis and rust and can be used in the form of a foliar spray as a preventative treatment for these diseases.
4. Increased chlorophyll production
An increase in chlorophyll production means that the plant will be able to collect light more efficiently in order to photosynthesise. (You will see this in the form of darker greener leaves). This also results in an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide that the plant utilises for making carbohydrates which results in higher yields.
5. Can be used as a pH Up
Liquid silicon has a high pH and can be used to raise the pH of a hydroponic solution to its desired level.
250ml Growth Technology Liquid Silicon contains :
1 x 250ml Growth Technology Liquid Silicon
How to use 1L Growth Technology Liquid Silicon:
Dilute in fresh clean water at the following rates -
1ml per 2 litres in hard water areas
1ml per 1 litre in soft water areas
Then add to the nutrient tank and mix thoroughly.