If anyone is looking for a new organic, cheap, source of silica for your plants. I have an idea but I won't be able to try it until my veggie garden next season. I've heard about women drinking bamboo tea, b/c of its high water soluble silica content, which can make hair, skin, and nails healthy and radiant. This bamboo tea is just bamboo leaves that are steeped/boiled in hot water like regular tea. I plan on trying this but i just thought i would throw this out there. two sources i've found for bamboo tea are: bambooleaftea.net and beautifullybamboo.net. Tell me what you guys think!
Fermenting is my preferred method for extraction for any vegetation. Horsetail is another great source of silica but bamboo is has got more than horsetail.