What kind of feeding schedule is used? Frequency, amount per gal., when start/stop, with neuts or water cycle??? Im in roots organic soil w/ jacks 7 gal pots.
I use Si every feeding. Like a couple others said already, make sure that is the first thing you mix. I had been using General Hydroponics Armor Silica however im almost out and per @Fieldofdreams direction, i just purchased the TPS Gold silica…
My last several harvests, i was having significant trouble with fat heavy coalas leaning/slumping over (and in a few cases cracking branches and stems) so i recently upped my Si dosage from 2ml/gal to 4ml/gal…
very nice… not an awful problem to have but we still want to get it under control:person_shrugging:
Im putting a 2nd net next grow.
I tried to order that for my first grow, but Amazon wouldn’t let me. Let me buy botanicare calmag but not silica. Went with GH Armor Si. My guess is any silica from one of the popular nute brands is about the same.
Another option you don’t see mentioned as much but I find easier (and significantly cheaper) than liquid and equally effective is mixing wollastonite (calcium silicate) into your medium (1g/L). There is no step two or repeat additions needed.
I lifted this from the work done at the Utah State greenhouse (Dr. Bugbee et al).
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=cpl_hydroponics
I mix diatomaceous earth in my mixes which has available silica.
Trichome stalks are composed of silica: not enough and trichome production suffers.
In this order?
1- start with silica
2- and base nutrients
3- and cal-mag
4- add any other additives last
5- finish by pHing your solution
Somewhere i heard that after mixing the silica in water you should wait about 10 minutes before adding all the rest. Is this what do you do?
After ph’ing add your microbes… concentrated acids or bases (before dilution in your medium) have a tendency to kill your living microbes.
Good point Sir!!
Man, I have wollastonite for days. I really need to get into soil building. I could make a serious supersoil with all the ceramics materials at my fingertips. Dolomitic lime? You betcha. Magnesium sulfate? Absolutely. Bone ash? Sure thing. Plain old raw powdered silica? Literal tons.
Sounds dreamy. So you won’t be surprised to find out none of my favorite gardening spots had ever heard of it and research landed me at a ceramics supply place where they’d never heard of anyone using it for gardening. But no need to get in the soil game to cash in on your position. I’ve used it with peat based soilless and the coco stuff I have going now and don’t miss the liquid stuff at all. For soil I reach for the OMRI flavored pixie dust but I’d wager it works just as well there too.
I’m using FFOF with HF mix. If I incorporate silica from the very beginning, would it just be water and silica (and pHing) for the first weeks? The consensus seems to be that adding nutes to FFOF is not needed early on.
Im pretty sure ocean forest is supplied with nuts to supply your plants for about 30 days. i would go with the silica mixed first then ph your water then add microbes to to water. i would wait about 30 days then start feeding nuts
I use the same soils. The mix till transplant, then straight FFOF in thier forever homes. I don’t personally use Si until i start nutes, but I can’t think of a reason it will have a negative affect
No,
1- silica
2- cal mag
Numbers 1 & 2 need to always go in this order, this is science based not personal feels
3- base nutes
4- other additives depending on what type. chem/mineral yes, if tribus, fishsh!t and the like, add after you adjust your pH as long as the additive doesn’t affect the pH
Thanks for the heads up on that