Silica + Beneficial Microbes

The same volcanic mineral, now carrying the biology that puts it to work. Four Bacillus species and two mycorrhizae, blended into every bag.

The same volcanic mineral, carrying four Bacillus species and two mycorrhizae.

4.8  61 grower reviews
$29.95

CHOOSE YOUR SIZE

FOUR BACILLUS SPECIES · TWO MYCORRHIZAE · ONE MINERAL

MINERALS, MICROBES, ONE BAG

OMRI LISTED

CDFA ORGANIC INPUT

pH-NEUTRAL · NO CAUSTIC SILICATES

OMRI LISTED

CDFA ORGANIC INPUT

pH-NEUTRAL

OMRI 
LISTED

CDFA ORGANIC INPUT

pH-NEUTRAL · NO 
CAUSTIC SILICATES

WHY THE BLEND MATTERS

Minerals feed the plant. Microbes deliver them.

A mineral sitting in dry soil is a mineral going nowhere. The fungi and bacteria in this bag are what move it to the root.

A mineral sitting in dry soil is a mineral going nowhere. Living soil is what moves it.

 

So we blend the mill run with four Bacillus species and two mycorrhizae instead of leaving you to buy the biology in a second bottle.

We blend the mill run with four Bacillus species and two mycorrhizae instead of leaving you to buy the biology in a second bottle.

Not sure whether you need the biology or just the mineral? A grower on our team will tell you straight.

Title

4

BACILLUS SPECIES

2

TYPES OF MYCORRHIZAE

2–4 μm

MILLED PARTICLE SIZE

HOW IT WORKS

HOW IT WORKS

Mineral in one hand, biology in the other.

The mineral is milled fine enough to dissolve. The microbes are what carry it the last inch to the root. Three things follow.

PARTICLE SIZE IS THE WHOLE ARGUMENT

SAND

100 μm

SILT

10 μm

SILICA EARTH

SILICA + MICROBES

2–4 μm

A mineral only works where it meets water. Ground from silt-size to 2–4 microns, the surface area multiplies. Same rock as cheap silica sand, ground until it's actually usable.

WHAT YOU'RE COMPARING IT TO

VS THE BOTTLE

The bottle looks cheaper until you do the math.

A bottle of silica and a bag of inoculant are two purchases, two rates and two things to remember. The honest side-by-side, including where the bottle wins.

 

+ MICROBES

LIQUID 

Brings its own biology

Yes

No

pH of concentrate

Neutral

10–12

How long it feeds

All season

Then gone

Cost per application

≈ $0.95

≈ $2.10

Bottle still wins at

Needs stirring

No mixing

COMPETITOR PRICING AND COST-PER-APPLICATION ARE ESTIMATES

 

SILICA + MICROBES

LIQUID K-SILICATE BOTTLE

SILICA SAND / DE

Brings its own biology

Yes

No

No

pH of concentrate

Near neutral

10–12 · caustic

Neutral

How long it feeds

All season

Immediate, then gone

Years, uselessly

Cost per application

≈ $0.95

≈ $2.10, re-bought

Pennies, no effect

Shipping water

None

~90% of the bottle

None

Where the bottle wins

Needs stirring

Pre-dissolved, no mixing

Cheapest per pound

COMPETITOR PRICING AND COST-PER-APPLICATION ARE ESTIMATES

HOW TO USE IT

Three ways in. No chemistry set.

Three ways in. No chemistry set.

It goes in dry or through water. Keep it away from anything that kills biology, and the living half of the bag arrives intact.

WHERE IT GOES · CONFIRM RATES ON THE LABEL

Soil and media

Worked into the root zone

Foliar

Mineral only, suspended

Compost tea

Added to the brew

Commercial

Drip, non-chlorinated water

WHAT TO ACTUALLY EXPECT

WHAT TO EXPECT

Biology takes a few weeks. Then it compounds.

Biology takes a few weeks. Then it compounds.

You are establishing a colony, not dosing a nutrient. The honest curve:

WEEK 1–2

WEEK 3–4

WEEK 5–8

HARVEST

You are establishing a colony, not dosing a nutrient, so the first fortnight is quiet by design. The honest curve:
Title

WEEK 1–2

Quiet, below ground

Colonisation starts at the root. Nothing to see up top yet, and that is normal.
Title

WEEK 3–4

Roots reach further

Mycorrhizal threads extend the root system. Water and phosphorus uptake improves.
Title

WEEK 5–8

Stress days stop costing you

Stronger tissue and a wider root reach. A heat wave costs you a day, not a week.
Title

HARVEST

Weight held up, not lost

Fruit that stayed on the plant instead of going to rot or breakage.

WEEK 1–2

Quiet, below ground

Colonisation starts at the root. Nothing to see up top yet, and that is normal.

WEEK 3–4

Roots reach further

Mycorrhizal threads extend the root system. Water and phosphorus uptake improves.

WEEK 5–8

Stress days stop costing you

Stronger tissue and a wider root reach. A heat wave costs you a day, not a week.

HARVEST

Weight held up, not lost

The gain is in what you didn't lose.

WHAT'S IN THE BAG

A mineral, and the biology to move it.

A mineral, and the biology to move it.

Volcanic mineral, mined and milled, blended with a proprietary mix of four Bacillus species and two types of mycorrhizae.

No carriers, no anti-caking agents, no dye. Approved for organic agriculture. Send us a lot number and we'll send the COA.

Volcanic mineral blended with four Bacillus species and two mycorrhizae. Nothing else. Send a lot number, we will send the COA.

OMRI LISTED

CDFA OIM

BATCH COA ON REQUEST

SPECIFICATION

SPECIFICATION · CONFIRM AGAINST LABEL

SOURCE

MINERAL + MICROBES

VOLCANIC MINERAL + LIVE CULTURES

PARTICLE SIZE

2–4 MICRONS

FORM

DRY MICRONIZED POWDER

pH IN SOLUTION

NEAR NEUTRAL

BIOLOGY

4 BACILLUS · 2 MYCORRHIZAE

4 BACILLUS · 2 MYCO

SHELF LIFE

BEST INSIDE 12 MONTHS, KEPT DRY AND COOL

ORIGIN

MILLED & BAGGED IN OREGON

OREGON

SIDE BY SIDE

What living soil looks like.

4.8

/ 5 · 61 REVIEWS

5

51

4

7

3

2

2

1

1

0

THE ONE-STAR RULE

When reviews land on this product we publish all of them, including the bad ones. If a grower says it did nothing, you will read it here rather than find it on Reddit.

"Watered it in on a Sunday and by the next weekend the tomatoes were standing up in the afternoon instead of flopping. First silica product where I could point at the change."

MICHAEL P. | MARKET GARDEN, OREGON

"Watered it in on a Sunday and by the next weekend the tomatoes were standing up in the afternoon instead of flopping."

MICHAEL P. · MARKET GARDEN, OREGON

"I'd sworn off silica after a potassium silicate product wrecked my reservoir pH. This one didn't move my pH at all."

NICOLE J. · INDOOR GROWER, MICHIGAN

"I'd sworn off silica after a potassium silicate product wrecked my reservoir pH. This one didn't move my pH at all, which is the only reason I kept using it."

NICOLE J. | INDOOR GROWER, MICHIGAN

SAME ROW · SAME WEEK · SIDE BY SIDE

SAME ROW · SAME WEEK

UNTREATED

6 WEEKS

+ MICROBES · 6 WEEKS

WHY WE MADE THIS ONE

We added the biology because the mineral asked for it.

Minerals move through soil that is alive. On ground that had been worked hard, the same bag did less, so we started blending the biology in rather than selling it separately.

Minerals move through soil that is alive. On ground that had been worked hard, the same bag did less, so we started blending the biology in rather than selling it separately.

Same farm, same mill, with the biology already in the bag.

Same farm, same mill, with the biology already in the bag.

SILICA EARTH · THE FARM THAT MADE IT

EVERY REMAINING DOUBT

Answered here so you don't have to go looking.

If your question isn't here, a grower on our team answers. Not a chatbot, not a ticket queue.

Ask us anything

How is this different from Minerals?

Same mineral underneath, with four Bacillus species and two mycorrhizae blended in. On worked ground, in containers or in fresh media, the biology does the heavy lifting.

Will it spike my pH?

No. Potassium silicates sit at pH 10–12 and swing reservoirs. This is near neutral, which is also what the biology in the bag needs to survive.

Will it clog my sprayer or drip?

Yes, the mineral fraction is 2–4 microns and passes standard filtration. Use non-chlorinated water, or the biology is dead before it lands.

How long before I see anything?

The first fortnight is quiet by design. Colonisation shows from around week three; structural benefits build over five to eight weeks. For something faster, use Root Zone.

Will chlorine kill the microbes?

Chlorine and peroxide will. Use non-chlorinated water, or let tap water stand first, and don't run it through a freshly sanitised line.

Which crops does it help?

Most crops. Brassicas and beets don't form mycorrhizal associations, so they take the Bacillus benefit only; everything else gets both halves.

Can I use it with my nutrients?

Yes. Add it as its own step, not premixed into concentrated stock; in a reservoir, add it last. High salt concentrations are hard on biology.

How long will a bag last?

That depends on your rate and how many plants you feed. It comes in 1 lb, 3 lb and 10 lb. It has live cultures, so buy what you will use inside a season.

Does it need refrigerating?

No. Dry, sealed and out of direct heat is enough. Damp and high temperature are what shorten its life. Use it inside twelve months.

What if it does nothing for my plants?

Tell us and we'll make it right. Report anything damaged or missing within 3 days and we'll replace it, and unopened product can be returned within 30 days.

How is this different from the plain Minerals bag?

Same volcanic mineral underneath. This one adds a proprietary blend of four Bacillus species and two types of mycorrhizae, so you are putting the biology in at the same time as the mineral rather than buying an inoculant separately. If your soil is already biologically rich, the plain Minerals bag may be all you need. On worked ground, in containers, or in fresh media, the blend does more.

Will it spike my pH like potassium silicate did?

No. Potassium silicate concentrates sit around pH 10–12, which is why they swing reservoirs and can trigger magnesium lockout. This is a mineral blend, not a caustic silicate. It is near neutral in solution, needs no pH-down, and a near-neutral pH is also what the biology in the bag needs to survive.

Will the powder clog my sprayer or drip lines?

The mineral fraction is milled to 2–4 microns and passes standard sprayer and drip filtration. Pre-mix in a small volume of water first rather than dumping it into a full tank, and keep agitation running on long fertigation events. One caveat the plain mineral doesn't have: use non-chlorinated water, or the biology is dead before it reaches the root.

How long before I actually see anything?

The first fortnight is quiet by design: you are establishing a colony, not dosing a nutrient. Mycorrhizal colonisation shows up as better water and phosphorus uptake from around week three, and the structural benefits of the silicon build into new tissue over five to eight weeks. If you need something visible this week, Root Zone is the faster route.

Will chlorinated water kill the microbes?

Chlorine and peroxide will. Use non-chlorinated water, or let tap water stand so the chlorine gasses off, and don't run it through a line you have just sanitised. Everything else in a normal feed program is fine. This is the one handling rule the plain mineral doesn't have.

Which crops does it actually help?

Silicon accumulators get the most from the mineral half: grasses and cereals, cucurbits, tomatoes and peppers, strawberries, flowering crops, ornamentals and turf. The biology half is broader still, though a few families, brassicas and beets among them, do not form mycorrhizal associations and will take the Bacillus benefit only.

Can I use it with my existing nutrients?

Yes. It isn't a fertilizer and doesn't replace your feed program. Add it as its own step rather than premixing into a concentrated nutrient stock, and if you're running a reservoir, add it last. Very high salt concentrations are hard on biology, so avoid dosing it straight into undiluted stock.

How long will a bag last me?

That depends on your application rate and how many plants you are feeding. It comes in 1 lb, 3 lb and 10 lb, so you can match the size to your grow rather than buying more than you need. Unlike the plain mineral, this one has live cultures, so buy what you will use inside a season.

Does it need refrigerating?

No. Kept dry, sealed and out of direct heat, a cupboard or a shed is fine. What shortens its life is damp and high temperature, not ordinary room conditions. Use it inside twelve months and the counts stay where they should be.

What if it doesn't do anything for my plants?

Tell us and we'll make it right. Report anything damaged or missing within 3 days and we'll replace it, and unopened product can be returned within 30 days. We'll also ask what you grew and how you applied it, because that feedback is how the next batch gets better.

LAST THING

The plants you have now are the ones this helps.

Mycorrhizae colonise roots that are still growing. The earlier it goes in, the more root there is to colonise.

The plants you have now are the ones this helps.

Mycorrhizae colonise roots that are still growing, so the earlier it goes in, the more root there is to colonise. $29.95 to start, and unopened bags go back within 30 days.

Add Microbes

NOT READY TO BUY?

Take the Silica 101 guide instead.

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Twelve pages on what silicon does and how to read a silica label. Free, no discount code attached.

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30-day returns

Unopened, within 30 days.

Unopened, within 30 days.

Milled, then blended

Mineral from our own farm.

Mineral from our own farm.

A grower answers

Within one business day.

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Every order is one-time.

Silica + Beneficial Microbes

$29.95

MINERALS + LIVE CULTURES

Silica + Microbes

$29.95
$29.95

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