Silica?

[Dutch Pimp]

Anybody know of a cheap, simple nutrient source for silica?...short of ordering "silica blast" online.

I hate ordering stuff online that I'm not even sure I need.....:silly:

Dutch Pimp Reviewed by Dutch Pimp on 02-19-2008. Silica? Anybody know of a cheap, simple nutrient source for silica?...short of ordering "silica blast" online. I hate ordering stuff online that I'm not even sure I need.....:silly: Rating: 5

[stinkyattic]

Anybody know of a cheap, simple nutrient source for silica?..

Does horsetail weed grow where you live? It's a primitive plant that is very high in silicates. It grows wild all OVER the place, becoming a noxious weed in many cases. It likes moist soils. You probably have some in your back yard lol!
At the greenhouse where I used to tech, we made a foliar silica/iron spray by steeping dried horsetail in hot water, straining, and then adding chelated iron.
Hopefully Rhizome will pop in because I'm certain he knows the details on making a 'horsetail tea'.

[Dutch Pimp]

Does horsetail weed grow where you live?

We got every kind of weed you can think of here...but, I would be hard pressed to find the horsetail weed......how about chickweed?...

[stinkyattic]

Sprays for pest control
"Horsetail tea
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is a pernicious weed which spreads by underground stems which may go down as deep as ten feet, forming horizontal rhizome systems at intervals. This makes it particularly difficult to control. If you have a horsetail problem, there's a bright side to it because an infusion of the weed makes a good fungicide for control of mildew on straw-berries and other crops, and checks rust on celery and celeriac.

Collect the horsetail, foliage, stems, rhizomes and all, and for each 28g (loz) pour on 1.1 Litres (2pt) hot, not boiling, water, and allow to stand for twenty-four hours. Strain off the 'tea' and use undiluted."

Sharing Sustainable Solutions.org Information Center for Low-tech sustainability / Notes on Liquid Fertilizers Used in Fertigation, Hydroponics, and Foliar Feeding
"Horsetail tea is extracted from the common horsetail (Equisetum arvense), a plant especially rich in silica.? Horsetail is best seen as a prophylactic (disease-preventing, not disease-curing) spray with a mild fungus-repressing effect.? During the months when green plants are not readily available, you can prepare an extract by covering dry plants with water and allowing them to ferment in a sunny place for about ten days.? Dried equisetem, available through the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics (2) in Woolwine, Virginia, can also be used to make horsetail tea.?? ?"

Equisetum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It grows nearly worldwide. You should certainly be able to find some in springtime when it emerges.