What is Silica?

Silica is a common mineral found in sand, glass, and the earth’s crust! It is the main component of most rocks. 

Silica is not an essential micro or macro nutrient but many plants hold on to it as it has numerous benefits.

Cannabis growers supplement their plants with silica to provide them with all the benefits silica has to offer. 

Is Silica and Silicon different?

While silica and silicon are similar, their main difference is that silica is classified as a compound and silicon is classified as an element. They both contain silicon atoms! 

What about Silicone?

Silicon and Silicone are very different! Silicon naturally occurs while silicone is a man-made synthetic substance. 

Plants grown with silica are often structurally stronger than plants grown without.

Silica can strengthen cell structures, improve nutrient uptake, improve resistance to environmental stressors, and enhance metabolic function and chlorophyll production.

Growing with Silica:

• Silica has been known to remove metal toxicity and improve yields
• Silica enhances chlorophyll production which results in healthier and greener looking leaves
• Silica helps to improve resistance to environmental stressors! Plants grown with silica have increased resistance to extreme temperatures and drought conditions.
• Silica helps to strengthen cell walls which allows your plant to support the weight of bigger buds! Stronger cell walls mean bigger stems which help to transport nutrients, this results in more growth.

Future Harvest’s Silica Up is derived from Potassium Silicate and will raise the pH of your nutrient solution. But Silica has many benefits other than just adjusting the pH of your nutrient solution!

Dilution rate:

1mL per gallon

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Key Benefits:

• Studier, greener, and larger plants
• Increased resistance to heat, cold, and drought
• Improved yields
• Increased nutrient uptake
• Increased resistance to pests and pathogens

Silica is most effective when used throughout the plant’s entire lifecycle.

Silica can help improve resistance to pests and pathogens:

• Silica can reduce the threat of powdery mildew by building up a mineral barrier which makes it difficult for pathogens to get inside your plant
• The presence of silica in your grow medium can help to deter pests, like mites and other herbivores, from attacking your plant.

Always keep an eye on your pH when growing with Silica as it raises the pH of your nutrient solution.

Silica can help improve plant cell development. When your plant absorbs the silica it will place itself within the cell walls and form a silica-cellulose framework. This framework will be stronger than if it was created without silica. Studies have shown that plants grown with silica tend to grow and develop faster.

Silica Provides:

• An increased resistance to environmental stressors 
• Environmental stress can include: drought, overwatering, extreme temperatures (hot or cold), salinity, heavy metals

• Increased resistance to pathogens and pests
• Pathogens can include: infections, fungus, mildew (powdery mildew)
• Pests can include: insects like spider mites and thrips, and mammals like cats and deer.

• Stronger cell walls
• Silica gets into your plants and strengthens plant cells from the inside. With stronger plant cells your plant is able to grow thicker stems which allow it to have larger buds. Larger stems and branches also allow for more nutrients and water to travel through your plant which can result in bigger growth. 

Any questions? Email us at marketing@futureharvest.com or send us a message on Instagram @futureharvestdevelopment and we will help you as best we can!