Yep, what bugs me is a snake-oil firm that's been flim-flamming for 70-odd years and making millions per year off gullible gardeners. In the 21st century we ought to be getting more savvy about proven science vs. magic potions.
My first stab at the silicon research netted an interesting article
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/spot... although this study used calcium silicate as a soil amendment, not silicon dioxide (that's in Pro Tekt) as a soluble additive.
Seems silicon has been accepted as a "plant beneficial substance" and is now allowed to be listed in the "guaranteed analysis" section on fertilizer labels. IF it does what they're saying it does, - still not thoroughly researched - it surely will benefit outdoor orchids here in bug- and fungus-rich and occasionally frosty Florida.
