Sodium Silicate Improves Cucumber Seedling Growth and Substrate Nutrients and Reduces Heavy Metal Accumulation in Plants

The gasification filter cake (GFC) has great application potential for improving the characteristics of seedling substrates due to its nutrient richness and excellent water retention capacity. However, GFCs leach heavy metals easily thus pose certain ecological risks. Sodium silicate can enhance plant resistance metal toxicity by fixing metals. This study investigated impact sodium on cucumber growth, chemical characterization substrate, distribution transfer was added substrate mix at mass rates 0 g/kg−1 (GFC0), 2 (GFC2), 4 (GFC4), 8 (GFC8). composed a commercial matrix, caragana compost, GFC (m:m 7:7:2). increased content total phosphorus (P), available potassium (K) in 31.58%, 16.58%, 80.10%, respectively. Conversely, decreased height 12.3%. Adding chlorophyll plants, fixed promoted absorption utilization plants. Compared with GFC0 without silicate, adding rate (GFC2) reduced chromium, lead, cadmium contents 51.13%, 26.37%, 90.04%, respectively, which effectively alleviated stress more conducive growth.