Effect of Silicon on Plant Health

Wondering what else you can change or improve so you can enjoy bigger, more beautiful flowers and fruits from your plants at the end of the growing cycle? Would you like your plants to be even more resilient? Then be sure to consider silicon!

An experienced grower won't be satisfied with basic nutrition like N-P-K. On the contrary, they know that this is only the start of comprehensive plant nutrition and the associated support of metabolic processes, which in turn are behind fantastic yields.

• Silicon has the chemical symbol Si and is a metalloid, abundant in the Earth's crust. And just as it is important for humans—where it participates as an essential component of many enzymes and in key biochemical processes—plants also need it in sufficient amounts.
• Yet silicon is often overlooked in both indoor and outdoor cultivation. So let's summarize the benefits that adding suitable products with a high content of quality, well-absorbable silicon—such as Atami B'cuzz Silic Boost—to your regular plant nutrition will bring, whether you're growing medicinal herbs, ornamental flowers, fruit or vegetables.
• Unrivaled silicon bioavailability is provided by the product Mills Vitalize.

Our TIP: Growing to BIO standards? Try the 100% organic fertilizer Biotabs Silicum Flash with a high dose of silicon to increase your plants' resistance to adverse climatic conditions as well as pests and pathogens.

Benefits of enriching the irrigation solution and substrate with silicon:

1. Let's start at the foundation. And what is the foundation for healthy plant development? A strong, sturdy, resilient and, not least, richly branched root system. The presence of silicon in plants supports the formation of exactly such roots.
2. Speaking of strength, we must also mention the significant strengthening of plant cell walls, into which silicon is directly deposited, resulting in stronger stems. With stems it's similar to roots: the stronger they are, the lusher the flowers and the better the overall harvest.
3. Well-absorbable silicon also helps improve the uptake of all other life-giving nutrients that we supply to plants via a carefully prepared irrigation solution for healthy growth and flowering.
4. Molds and fungal diseases—every grower's nightmare. Silicon increases plants' resistance to molds and fungal infections. Your plants will be sturdy and better able to cope with any infection.
5. Silicon also increases chlorophyll production in the green parts of plants.
6. And because chlorophyll production is closely linked to plants' photosynthetic activity—which without it we wouldn't have oxygen on Earth—it's worth highlighting silicon's effect on increased carbon dioxide uptake. How and why to use CO2 when growing plants is covered in a separate article.
7. From a practical perspective, you'll also be interested to know that silicon presence in plants leads to fruits with greater weight.

As we have already indicated, silicon naturally occurs in the Earth's crust, and therefore some amount is also found in soil and soil substrates. That doesn't mean that mixing silicon-containing products into the irrigation solution when growing in soil is pointless. However, silicon supplementation brings even greater benefits when feeding plants grown using hydroponics and in inert growing media such as coconut substrates, expanded clay also known as hydroton or rockwool.

We are happy to advise you on selecting suitable products to support plant metabolism. Don't hesitate to ask us anything. We look forward to your questions at the familiar email address info@higarden.cz.

We also recommend these products:

• Advanced Hydroponics Silica (from 359 Kč)
• Grotek Pro-Silicate (from 259 Kč)
• Mills Vitabrix (649 Kč)

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• What are the best fertilizers for hydroponics and how to use them correctly?