Has anyone added Silica to their fertilizer regimen? Potassium Silicate?

[SailorBold]

I just ordered some Rhino Skin K Silicate concentrate. Im going to add this as a supplement to my fertilizing program. Has anyone tried this or any similar products on their palms?

Silicon deposits in plant structures (grasses) make up to 10% of their dried weight (depending on species). this got me thinking.

From some of the research articles I read it protects leaves from insect damage and is a natural fungicide.

Do you suspect or does it have a benefit for palms? Everything I read.. agricultural studies to hydroponic sources indicate there are benefits to 'non-palms'.

[Phoenikakias]

Hi Jimmy,

I applied this summer for the first time ever zeolite to the soil of some plants. It contains both Silica and Al. Because the application is to recent no conclusions yet.I managed only to save a rotting trachycarpus seedling.

[SailorBold]

Phoenikakias- Zeolite huh? From what I understand the salicylic acid is transported into leaf tissues within 24 hours and remains where it is deposited. I was reading some effects of UV radiation and its effect on growth in green plants and chlorophyll also.

I suspect with zinc available and silica... this would strengthen a plants 'UV tolerance' ... perhaps another benefit would include various 'spear rots' ... ion uptake.

Wart remover... lol

Edited October 4, 2014 by SailorBold

[MattyB]

I have unlimited bamboo leaf litter down in my canyon. I wonder if that would be good to mulch with?

[SailorBold]

MattyB- That's a good question..

Im not entirely sure there is an 'available' bio-link.. (willow plants for root stimulation?)

Here is an article off of the internet.. Silica in bamboo up to 41% of dry mass????

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2701821/

I find this stuff interesting- fun!

[MattyB]

I was told that their leaves have a lot of silica and that letting the leaf litter build up underneath was good because they can take the silica back. I wonder if that's how it works.

[SailorBold]

I guess if its available that just makes sense- its solubility is a problem-physically speaking

Here is something-

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1956GeCoA..10....1K

'the rate and completeness of precipitation depending on pH and on the kind and concentration of the ions'

'The origin of sedimentary chert may be plausibly ascribed to dissolution of remains of siliceous organisms and reprecipitation of the silica (initially as amorphous silica), but not in general to direct inorganic precipitation'

Im not sure if that lends to its 'reprecipitation' availability to be reused in soil.

Its a god damn paradox

Edited October 4, 2014 by SailorBold

[Pedro 65]

I have unlimited bamboo leaf litter down in my canyon. I wonder if that would be good to mulch with?

Use it for mulch , potting mixes, mix it in the soil/hole when planting etc, "great stuff" we have over 100 clumping bamboo's that gives us "free mulch", gardens "love it" and so do worms.

In a high rainfall area it breaks down readily, in low rainfall areas dolomite /lime added with plenty of moisture so it can matt together will help heaps.

Pete

[fan palm]

re. the bamboo leaf litter, I have been using this stuff heaps lately. I have a clump of Buddha belly that provides about two wheelbarrow fulls every day! your right Pete, the wet season it breaks down in a heartbeat, the dry season it needs some encouraging...

[Dave-Vero]

Bamboos, like most grasses, accumulate lots of silica. That, in turn, led to grazing animals having better teeth. I can't think of any examples of humans eating grass leaves.

[SailorBold]

Hence lowering the pH and supporting soil amending. Hmmmmpth.

Just to clarify it is silicic acid that is deposited into plant stems and leaves while salicylic acid gets deposited into fruit- or areas around seeds..... (another germination topic).

The problem about it is that H2O will ultimately convert it to an unusable form.