How does the plant uptake Monosilicic acid (H4SiO4 aka ortho-silicic acid) differently than potassium silicate? I was at the grow store the other day talking to the owner and he told me that armor si and stout msa were the same thing. I had bought the later a couple months back to see if I see any differences. I am seeing thicker stems and stronger growth (I think). I mentioned I liked the product and he said it was the same as armor si which I had been using forever. I tried to educate him but I didn’t really know how it really helps other than it is supposed to be more plant available. Although the product is diluted more than i’d like dosage 5 ml per gal it does seem to work. I wanted to tell him next time the actual difference in the two so he can properly explain it to customers. I find a lot of the time I know a lot more about these things than the people selling it.
Monosilicic acid and potassium silicate
by barelyburningburlyburnhardly | Sep 23, 2020 | Grower Questions | 6 comments
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Potassium silicate is not plant available until it breaks down to plant available potash and (mono)silicic acid when added to water. https://www.dudegrows.com/mystros-guide-to-cannabis-nutrition/
I second what jmystro just said.
If you use something just as recharge you can use a potassium silicate product as the microbes will break it down into a form available for uptake. It’s far more cost friendly although, there are reasons to use a monosilicic acid product such as; You discontinue using recharge during flower to minimize nitrogen uptake but, if you want the same benefits silica gives you, then use monosilicic acid as the potassium silicate won’t be broken down or as easily as the colony numbers dwindles.
Potassium silicate is a crystal that’s dissolved in water to separate potash and silicic acid before being bottled and sold. It doesn’t require microbes. When you buy a potassium silicate product, that is in liquid form with water, the potassium silicate dissolves to soluble potash and silicic acid. That’s what’s in the bottle. Liquid products are “DERIVED” from potassium silicate, but potassium silicate is not in the bottle. Potassium silicate is a powdered crystal and not a stable molecule in water.
If potassium silicate products that are mixed with water are plant available (Protekt), are there any benefits to using something such as Power Si over it? It was under my impression they needed to be broken down by bacteria for the plant to uptake them. Thanks!
Wonderful guide btw mystro. I have read through it a couple times before. Tons of stuff I learned from reading it. I save all your guides for future refernce lol, Still confused about the difference in the way the two products work.
So is there any difference in using a product like armor si compared to the stout msa? The armor si is much cheaper. I have some Mad Farmer silica here that says its 3% soluable potash K20 and 8% silicon dioxide SiO2. The Alchemist Stout MSA just says it contains 1.25 percent Monosilicic acid h4SiO4. Says it is immediately available to plants unlike other sources derived from potassium or sodium silicate. So I guess what I am saying is how are both forms used by the plant and which one should I be using. I grow in rg turpur with sythetics. Is there any reason to be buying the more expensive kind of silica?