Homeopathic Silica - The Gardener's Friend

Which homeopathic remedy has the power to:

• Strengthen weak and spindly plants
• Turn deserts into fertile fields,
• Kill weeds
• Convert water repelling soils into moisture loving ones
• and more?

Silicea!

No other remedy does so much, at so little cost, for so many plant and soil problems. Silica, known within homeopathy by its Latin name of Silicea, should have pride of place in everyone’s garden shed because once tried, no farmer or gardener wants to be without it. Let’s find out why.

How it Began.

Homoeopathic silica has long been used for human and animal health problems but knowledge of its ability to treat plant and soil sickness is relatively new. In people (and animals) it is used for: lack of confidence, dry skin, weakness, fatigue, delayed development, slow healing of wounds, infections and abscesses, and failure to thrive. When homoeopaths realised these symptoms seemed to also occur closer to the ground in plant form, they began to wonder if Silicea could have a wider use. It was not long before its important role in horticultural and agricultural problems when used for Silicea-like symtoms was discovered.

Silicea for Strong and Healthy Plants.

Without the presence of naturally occurring silica in the soil, plants would be unable to stand upright or even grow. It acts on every cell and tissue, giving strength and ‘grit’. It regulates all cellular processes, including reproduction, and brings a healthy resilience to brittle growth. When silica is missing from the soil, or when plants have trouble using it, homoeopathic silica makes a world of difference - puny plants with weak and straggly growth, or those prone to fungal attacks, grow strong and vigorous within days of being sprayed.

Silicea as a Soil Tonic

Silica is difficult to add to soil as either a nutrient or supplement, and in truth it is rarely missing from it - but when it is, a spraying of homoeopathic silica improves plant health, helping them to absorb the little that is there. On top of this, homeopathic silica changes the ionisation of soil particles so they are capable of absorbing  and retaining moisture (more on this later).

Silicea Prevents Transplant and Other Shocks

Plants that are in shock will stop growing, wilt in the sun, drop their leaves, and be at risk of dying. Shock mainly happens with transplantation but also occurs from things such as damage to the root ball or extreme changes in temperature. A single spray of Silicea, before or after transplant, will strengthen the plant, relieve stress and prevent exhaustion.

Silicea Strengthens Plants against Pests and Diseases

Homoeopathic silica helps plants protect themselves against fungi, moulds, mildews, root sliminess, and some forms of rust. It also strengthens plants against pests such as aphids, budworm, citrus mite and dried fruit beetle. But be careful - one spray is all that's needed.
In his book, Homeopathy for Farm and Garden, Kavir arecounts one instance of a sapling being affected by dieback. It only had one quarter of its bark left and even that was loose and drying out. Within a day of being given a dose of Silicea the bark was reattaching itself to the cambium (the layer of cells lying between the wood and bark from which new bark and wood cells are produced), and after one week the top branches were growing new shoots and leaves. With dieback being such a problem in many countries of the world, a method of preventing or treating this disease is welcome news indeed.

Silicea Stimulates Seed Germination.

A single dose of Silicea is usually sufficient to help germinate the seeds of perennials and biannuals so they lead healthy lives right from the moment they are sown. Just soak the seeds before planting in some water to which some Silicea has been added. The seeds will subsequently sprout strong roots and firm shoots. They will also be resistant to damping off and less prone to insect attack.

Silicea Produces Beautiful and Prolific Flowers.

One spray of Silicea as flower buds are forming has been shown to increase the size and number of flowers produced.

Silicea Eradicates Weeds.

Annual weed problems can be safely cleared once and for all with Silicea. As weeds produce their juvenile flower heads, spray them once then again, 10 days later. The heads will flower prematurely without setting any of the seeds that would normally produce next year's crop of weeds. Farmers (or home gardeners) can also take advantage of the positive effects Silicea has on seed germination by sowing their own seeds with the final spraying.

Silicea Sets Fruit and Stops Fruit Fall.

If sprayed at the beginning of flowering, Silicea will help trees or plants set their fruit and prevent them from dropping it during early development. Only spray once, though, or the reverse can happen – just like the weeds the tree will fail to produce a harvest.

Silicea Makes Water-repelling Soil Absorbent.

Some soils just hate water. Potting mixes, sandy soils, dusty soils, and soils high in organic matter are the worst in this regard. They absorb water so poorly that it simply rolls off the top of them, leaving the plant dry and thirsty. Silicea changes that. Once watered or sprayed onto the soil, the ionisation of the soil particles changes. As if by magic, they start to attract and bind water, creating highly absorbent and moist soil.
Note: Silicea will not improve absorption when compacted soil is the problem. In this instance you still have to get out your spade and do a bit of digging break up the ground.  

Silicea Greens a Desert.

One of the most exciting things about Silicea is its capacity to green desert-like areas in a remarkably short space of time. One treatment, watered in, produces desert sand capabale of holding large amounts of water for long periods – up to 6 weeks even in the absence of rain. The subsequent addition of mulch and good organic matter will then further improve the soil.
Kaviraj speaks of an early experience during the 1990s when he was in Western Australia. On one farm north of Perth he and a small group of men began a tree planting project. The land was arid and almost completely sand. First, they sprayed the ground with homeopathic silica and then left it to rest for 6 or so weeks. On their return to plant several hundred saplings, they found the soil was so moist that wet sand clung to their spades as they pulled them from the ground. On their next visit, 6 weeks later, they were met by an army of thriving young saplings that were larger, stronger, and more vigorous than could have been expected for the soil in which they were planted  – and all from a single spray of Silicea. To Kaviraj’s knowledge, that once arid piece of land remains green to this day.
While not exactly desert areas, Kaviraj says that similar results can be achieved with bowling greens and similar courses - patches of bare ground and ‘fairy spot ring’ will be rapidly replaced by thick healthy turf if given a dose of Silicea.
He concludes with the following statement, “This greening of the desert can add tremendously to our surface of arable land and thus increase the CO² uptake by another 30 to 40%. It will also help in alleviating world hunger and provide enough food for all the world's inhabitants - provided of course we divide the benefits equally.”

Caution!

Sometimes there can be too much of a good. Farmers and gardeners who practice agrohomeopathy will be quick to tell you that repeated and unnecessary doses of Silicea can be counter-productive. For example, when a healthy tree is repeatedly sprayed with Silicea, its bark can be crippled - the balance has been tipped too far and the remedy is starting to produce in the tree the very symptoms it can treat. (This phenomenon is explained in tutorials 1, 6, 15, and 16 where the Law of Similars, provings and remedy responses are discussed).
The same is true for fruit and seed setting. If plants are sprayed more than once at the time of flowering, fruit and seed production will be halted rather than helped. While this may be an advantage for weed eradication, it is obviously not desirable for growing fruit.
And finally, while Silicea can also green a desert, it will just as quickly create one if it is over-used. One dose is all that is needed to start the greening process – more will be too much. Remember, homeopathy always works best when only as little as needed is used rather than as much as possible.

How is Silicea Used?

For general garden use, add one pill of Silicea 6C to a spray bottle of 200 ml of water, shake vigorously, and then spray or water onto your plant or soil until wet. Easy! For farm use, proportionally increase the volume of water and number of pills. Remember, unless trying to eradicate weeds, one spraying will be sufficient
To stimulate healthy germination of seeds just dissolve one pill in a bowl of 200 ml of water and soak the seeds for approximately 20 minutes; then plant as normal.

Bringing it all Together.

In short, one single application of homeopathic silica has been shown to have profound effects of long duration on soil productivity and every stage of a plant’s life. It is able to:

• Antidote manganese toxicity in soils
• Change the ionisation of soil particles in water-repelling soils so water is easily absorbed
• Stimulate seed germination of grasses, plants and trees
• Help plants survive and even thrive in low rainfall or desert areas
• Strengthen weak and struggling plants
• Produce trees with hard and dense timber that is more resistant to termite attack
• Prevent and treat dieback
• Increase plant resistance to disease and pests
• Produce larger and more prolific fruits and flowers
• Replace brittle stems and leaves with those that are resilient and supple
• Stimulate healing and recovery from tree cancer, galls, injuries, and ulcerating wounds caused by pruning, storms or mechanical damage.
• Aid recovery from transplant shock and stress

Silicea achieves these remarkable things with plants and soil exactly the same way it does with humans and animals. All that is needed is for Silicea-like symptoms to be present. The remedy then strengthens the underlying health of the troubled plant so it is in a position to effectively deal with its own problems - just as nature intended. The only requirement for success is to check that the plant's sickness matches those of Silicea symptoms and arises from a general 'failure to thrive' state. This is then homeopathy.
So, if you have plants with any of the above problems, and if the cause seems to be a lack of stamina, resilience, or ‘grit’, why not give them a dose of homeopathic silica? The results can be amazing.

Resource

Vaikunthanath, D. K. (2006). Homeopathy for Farm and Garden: Toward a Homeopathic Agriculture. Mark Moodie Publications: United Kingdom.