Dyna Gro Pro TeK--- anyone used it?

[mehitabel]

Hi everyone. Has anyone used Dyna Gro Pro Tek? And if so, do you have an opinion on whether it does what it's supposed to do-- toughen the cuticle so the plant can resist pests and diseases better?

I'm thinking of trying it, and first I'd like to hear from anyone who has tried it.

Any experience with it will be appreciated

[purpleplantman]

This stuff is dangerous! It is a nanonutrient,useful in calcium metabolism through synergistic mechanisms.Ask yourself, how soluble is quartz (silicon dioxide)? When used at recommended rates it will starve plants by attaching itself to your fertilizer forming an insoluble precipitate.I have seen a large greenhouse of orchids starving,showing extensive chlorosis,green displayed in only the lead growth. Pro tek is extremely alkaline & will also kill live spaghnum if used as directed.[INDENT]I recommend using Pro tek at a rate of say 1drop/10 litres water around every 2 weeks NOT in conjunction with fertilizer. Chlorosis was cured by applying Mag pro, a great product, along with cessation of Pro tek, & normal applications of Dyna gro. My preference these days is for 2 or 3 part hydroponic fertilizers such as General.

[JosueM]

I've used dyna gro on my semi hydro phals. Before I used dyna gro I used KLN which is th rooting hormone nutrient. I used that so the switch to hydro would be easier. After they developed new green roots and new leaf then I start pushing the dyna gro. So far it's been growing well under lights and hydro.
But I use 4 drops on a gallon of dyna gro since it's really potent and can kill the plant root system.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by purpleplantman

This stuff is dangerous! It is a nanonutrient,useful in calcium metabolism through synergistic mechanisms.Ask yourself, how soluble is quartz (silicon dioxide)? When used at recommended rates it will starve plants by attaching itself to your fertilizer forming an insoluble precipitate.I have seen a large greenhouse of orchids starving,showing extensive chlorosis,green displayed in only the lead growth. Pro tek is extremely alkaline & will also kill live spaghnum if used as directed.[INDENT]I recommend using Pro tek at a rate of say 1drop/10 litres water around every 2 weeks NOT in conjunction with fertilizer. Chlorosis was cured by applying Mag pro, a great product, along with cessation of Pro tek, & normal applications of Dyna gro. My preference these days is for 2 or 3 part hydroponic fertilizers such as General.

Sorry, but I think a lot of this is misinterpretation...

Pro-TeKt is a potassium silicate solution, and pure SiO2 is definitely water soluble once combined (at high temperature) with a sufficient amount of alkaline material beforehand. The "water glass" of use in philately is a sodium silicate solution, where the Na:Si ratio is at least 2.5:1.

If mixed with fertilizer in concentrated solutions, precipitation will occur that results in the non-availability of some nutrients. That is simply not true in dilute, as-applied solutions. The label even tells you not to mix concentrates.

I have neither seen, nor heard of real "insect blocking" based upon its use, but it really does appear to make plants more tolerant of extreme heat - maybe that extreme temperature in either direction, but the high end is my experience.

Be careful about pH though. It is an extremely alkaline material, so will raise the pH if overused in a fertilizer solution. Back when I used Dyna-Gro "Grow" formula in RO water, I used an equal amount of Pro-TeKt to raise the pH back to acceptable levels (mixed in the final stream, not in the concentrate).

[DavidCampen]

I may start using it occasionally as a very dilute foliar spray of pH neutralized material. Now that I have set up a pesticide application tank with electric pump, doing foliar sprays will be easy.

I will prepare dilute solutions of Pro-Tekt and of citric acid and then combine them rapidly into the pesticide application tank. Hopefully this will give me a dilute solution of mono silicic acid that I will immediately apply as a foliar spray.

[Paul Mc]

I've used it before, but really only on those that were struggling. I put just a teensy drop in with every other watering while they were recovering. I lost a few but saved quite a few with that method. When I haven't used it I've generally lost all those I've tried to save (as in those that were given to me by those who didn't know how to care for them).

I'd have to say it seems to work, at least that was what I attributed y recovery rate of Phals from a few years ago. Beyond that, I don't have personal experience. I do keep it around though just in case and probably should have been using it during the extreme drought and heat war we had for several months. Oops, forgot it was there, lol...