FAQs

While all plants benefit from Silicon, grasses are more dependent on the nutrient as they contain specific silica cells that only fill with Silicon and play an important role in their physiology. TENSiL’s biodynamic formulation ensures that the Silicon you apply will be immediately absorbed and used by the turfgrass.

YES! Grasses accumulate silicon at levels similar to Nitrogen. By adding TENSiL in your spray program, you can correct a major nutrient deficiency in your turfgrass.

Plants take up silicon as silicic acid so the best/fastest way to provide it to the plant is in that form. In the U.S., the term ‘soluble silicon’ is used on the label referring to silicic acid (aka orthosilicic acid or monosilicic acid). Granular Silicon products provide a slower release of soluble silicon. TENSiL provides soluble silicon right at the time of application and goes to work instantly, improving turfgrass quality and performance.

 There are many Silicon products currently available. The first distinction is in the concentration of soluble silicon (aka silicic acid) provided on the label.  If anything other than % Si is provided, such as % silica (SiO2) or % monosilicic acid (H4SiO4) you may want to reach for another product that provides you with the correct information.  While concentration is important, other factors like product stability/shelf-life, tank mix compatibility, and application rates can start to show you differences between the various formulations available.  TENSiL’s unique formulation provides you with 7% soluble Silicon and is tank mix compatible with application rates ranging from 0.3 fl oz to 1.0 fl oz per 1,000 ft2.

Silicon forms a strong bond with oxygen and will quickly bind with other silicic acid molecules and begin to form gels that are no longer plant-available.  Different products use various stabilizing agents in their formulations to inhibit this from happening.  The quality of formulation determines how quickly Silicon is able to interact with itself.  In some products, this can happen within seconds in the tank mix depending on how the other inputs alter the physical and chemical properties of the mix, such as pH, ion concentration, or dilution of the stabilizing agents in the Silicon product.  Better formulations slow or completely inhibit this from taking place.  TENSiL’s unique formulation and neutral pH allows it to incorporate well with other additives, even in complex mixes.

The label should state the percent soluble silicon as % Si.  If it states silicon in any other form or description, it might not be the silicic acid fraction, which is the plant-available form.  Also, the application rate can give you an idea of how well the formulation works.  For instance, if you have two products at 2% Si, but one requires 2.5 fl oz per 1,000 ft2 and the other requires 6 fl oz per 1,000 ft2, there might be a difference in formulation stability.  TENSiL’s unique formulation provides you with 7% soluble Silicon with application rates ranging from 0.3 fl oz to 1.0 fl oz per 1,000 ft2.

When you use a quality Silicon Fertilizer like TENSiL, you should begin to see differences in turfgrass quality, such as uniform cuts and wear tolerance. Root growth will also be enhanced, not just in volume, but function as well.  This will be visible as performance and quality even during or following times of stress.