Silicon And Gardening: Do Plants Need Silicon In The Garden

If you garden, you know that there are certain essential nutrients necessary for plant health and growth. Most everyone knows of the big three: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but there are other nutrients, such as silicon in plants, that while not perhaps as necessary, play a vital role in growth and health. What is the function of silicon and do plants really need silicon? What is Silicon? Silicon makes up the second highest concentration of the earth’s crust. It is commonly found in soil but can only be absorbed by plants in the form of monosilicic acid. Broad leaf plants (dicots) take up small amounts of silicon and accumulate very little into their systems. Grasses (monocots), however, accumulate up to 5-10% in their tissue, a higher than normal range over that for nitrogen and potassium. Function of Silicon in Plants Silicon seems to improve plant responses to stress. For instance,

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