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It also doesnt require batteries or charging, making it ready to use right from the box. The probe on the Gain Express is nearly a foot long and fully inch in diameter. AN ELITE CAFEMEDIA LIFESTYLE PUBLISHER. This means that the surrounding soil could be very moist, but your plants root ball may still be bone-dry and your plant may be dying of thirst. Place the probes into the ground. The roots couldnt absorb all the moisture and the plant drowned. In tests we were impressed with the large and easy-to-read display. If you are looking for the meter to do more than just measure the moisture in soil the price will go up, but you can still find those meters that wont require you to take out an extra loan. Fascinated by all sort of tools, Pete loves reading and writing about all the latest gadgets and accessories that hit the market. Readings are produced quickly so the user can move on and test other areas if needed. If leaving it in the soil is an important feature for your garden, look for one specifically designed to stay in place. The store you are switching to cannot currently accept online orders. When placing the probes into the ground, you have to be careful that you dont break them. Other meters tell you specifically that the ground needs to be wet in order for it to work properly like the iPower Soil pH Meter. His other interests include astronomy, hiking, and fishing. We awarded points based on a 0-to-4-point rubric system for various aspects. As with all the other meters, we put the Kensizer through the complete battery of moisture tests, and it appeared to be highly accurate. 4.000 No fancy bells or whistlesthis meter tests moisture only. A soil moisture meter is worth the investment for the following reasons: Aid your green thumb with a soil moisture meter. Of course, it matters a great deal how you take the reading. These features give a better overall picture of conditions to help take a garden from surviving to thriving. The main difference is that this version has a slightly over 12-inch-long probe for deep insertion into the soil of our potted plants. Digital moisture meters can include a range of convenient features, but they do come at a cost. The user places it in the ground and uses the simple 10-scale red, green, and blue color system to determine what the moisture level is and what action they need to take for their plants. The Xlux Soil Moisture Meter is the epitome of simplicityand thats one of the reasons we loved it. The biggest problems with fiddle leaf fig plants are too much or too little water. As the founder of House Grail, Pete's primary goal is to help consumers make educated decisions about DIY projects at home, in the garage, and in the garden. For reliability and accuracy on all three frontsmoisture, pH, and lightwe like the Fivota Soil Meter, which we found to be quite accurate when reading all three aspects. After that, we were able to take readings of both shallow and deep compost piles. If users detect considerable resistance in any soil type or texture, remove the meter and try a different spot. Over the years, he has developed a keen interest in a wide variety of DIY projects around the home. Now that we have looked into many different makes and models of soil moisture meters we need to select the right one to keep our roses blooming and garden staying fresh. The way you water in conjunction with your moisture meter readings is important here. In our blueberry patch, where weve added a high amount of soil acidifiers, the Kensizer gave us a reading of about 5.5, which is right in line with what we expected. Then we inserted the probe into potting soil. Download our free Moisture Meter Chart: Copyright 2022 Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Resource, Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant Food Moisture Meter, a good liquid fertilizer for fiddle leaf fig plants. If the user switches between readings too quickly, they may have to remove the meter and start over, so our advice is go slow when switching functions. Simply place the meter in the ground. Like other meters, however, its design is vulnerable to breaking in hard soil or if it hits a rock, so users should be careful when plunging into the ground. Outdoor potted plants in sunny, hot conditions may need to be watered daily to stay healthy. It doesnt get any simpler than that. Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy. A probe thats at least inch thick is a better choice for these soil textures. A moisture meter with a short probe may be suitable for indoor potted plants, which are usually not very deep. This meter does not require any batteries for operation. A simple switch allowed us to select from among the three options, and the results of all three are available on the single dial readout. Its both easy to use and gives accurate readings. Probe stability is vitalwe were willing to accept a slight amount of play in the probe, but the meter was eliminated if it was wobbly. Some soil moisture meters also measure soil pH, light levels, and surrounding temperature. These meters are simple and often show their moisture readings on a 1 to 10 scale, sometimes color-coded for simpler viewing. Not so fast. Although it lacks bells and whistles, this meter offers accurate readings, and the probe is securely attached. 13.200 BUY PREMIUM HOUSEPLANT SCISSORS AND PRUNING SHEARS. Users can then connect to the sensor device via an app to check on soil conditions. A soil moisture meter can provide an accurate and numerical reading of soil moisture levels, so you will be better informed about when to quench the plants thirst or hold off on watering. Soil moisture meters are relatively straightforward to use, so our testing focused on how well they differentiated between various levels of soil dampness and how well they were made. At this location, your moisture meter should read just between moist and dry before you water. All rights reserved. Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2022, Buyers Guide Choosing the Best Soil Moisture Meter, Our reviews of the best wood moisture meters, Pinned vs Pinless Moisture Meters: Whats the Difference. These affordable and simple-to-use gardening tools can help potted plants or garden beds flourish. Its kept out of our top 2 because it takes a long time to get a reading. Like other analog meters, it features color-coding to show the approximate soil moisture at a glance. The unit comes with a guide that tells you the watering needs of over 150 different plants, so there is no more guesswork on how much to water the hydrangeas. You would not want to water a little bit every day to keep your plant at a moisture reading of 4. lbs, 1.50 The Gain Express measures both moisture and pH levels, and we were able to insert it more than 8 inches deep into the soil of the lawn, making it well suited for testing lawns, fields, and raised garden beds. For ease of use, these smart devices often have a sensor that sits inside the plant at all times. Theres no need to spend a lot for a good soil moisture meter, as we found when testing this simple, inexpensive analog model from Gouevn. Even better, we took the time to do product reviews of different makes and models to save you the hassle. The issue with this meter is it will not register any data in dry soil, requiring the user to wet down the soil to begin reading. Those new to gardening may often over- and under-water their plants, but even experienced green thumbs can mess up occasionally. Get the Gouevn soil moisture meter on Amazon, at Sears, or at Walmart. The downside of the Kensizer Soil Tester is that it is less durable than other meters. The probe is on the thin side, so we didnt try to insert it into hard ground for fear of bending it. An analog meter is a cost-effective pick for the average gardener. The meter reads information quickly and results are almost instantaneously delivered. The following models all met or exceeded our expectationsfind out the pros and cons of each one in our reviews. Using a moisture meter to know when to water your fiddle leaf fig plant can save you a lot of headaches and keep your plant healthy. But the dual-probe meter offers a battery-free design and is suitable for use indoors and outdoors. Some plants thrive with very little moisture (as low as 1 or 2 on a 10-point scale), while others prefer very moist soil (8 or higher). Keep reading to learn more about selecting a soil moisture meter and find out the pros and cons of the following models, which all earned a spot in our roundup of the best soil moisture meters on the market. The unit has a button on the front we could switch to select from the three functions, and the readings were near instantaneous, which was impressive. Get the Xlux long soil moisture meter on Amazon or at Sears. For an even more accurate reading, consider a digital moisture meter that provides a reading to the nearest decimal point or shows a percentage. The user just has to stick the meter where they want the soil tested and wait for the readings. This Fivota meter also features two probesone for moisture and the other for pH. Yes, a soil moisture meter provides a numerical measure, which is more sensitive than the touch-and-feel method many gardeners use. Stick the probe halfway between the center of the plant and the edge of the container, then go halfway down the soil. However, regardless of the meter type, its best not to thrust the meter into soil with a lot of force. Buyers should look to see if the soil moisture meter needs any type of extra power source. We found the 7.7-inch probe to be highly sensitive and accurate when we tested various soil moisture levels. Turns out, maybe your plants had too much water. Large plants use more water, but large containers retain more water, so how fast your fiddle leaf fig uses water depends on the size of your container and the size of your plant. The meter is easy to read and ranges in scale from 1 to 10. Xlux Long Probe Deep Use Soil Moisture Meter, Reotemp Garden and Compost Moisture Meter, Kensizer 3-in-1 Soil Moisture/Light/pH Meter, Fivota Soil pH Meter, FV03 Upgraded Large Screen, The Dos and Don'ts of Planting Ground Cover, So, You Want to Plant an Herb Spiral Garden, The Best Things You Can Do for Your Garden Soil, The Most Affordable Ways to Fence in a Yard, 14 Easy DIY Living Room Updates Anyone Can Do in a Day, Included chart with moisture recommendations, Possible to determine moisture levels as deep as 12 inches, Long-range signal (up to 200 feet in our tests), Must hold button down for moisture reading, The actual degree of moisture isnt detectable. Your moisture meter will have a gauge that shows the water content on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being wet. It may even come with a handy reference that shows the name of many common houseplants and the point at which you should water. Reading the large and clear meter is easy, too. A quality plant moisture meter is a worthwhile investment for the well-being of both indoor and outdoor plantsand fortunately, they neednt be expensive to be beneficial. Get the Ippinka soil moisture meter pens on Amazon or at Sears (with white pen color, rather than green). Get the Reotemp moisture meter on Amazon, at Sears, or at Kmart. So where is the right place to take an accurate reading? You frantically turn on the hose and start watering them, thinking in a few days they will bounce back. The Ruolan meter is fairly-priced and requires no additional add-ons such as batteries. All we had to do was insert one of the sensor pens into the soil in a potted plant and wait to see if a tiny core inside a transparent window turned blue. A longer probe is typically better suited for outdoor use, especially useful for certain jobs, like checking a pile of compost. Most soil moisture meters are easy to use. Its double needle technology provides quick and accurate readings, something other moisture meters aspire to, but often fail to achieve. While soil moisture meters are relatively straightforward gardening tools, some are better suited to specific growing situations than others. Calibration features also can help with accuracy. While we awarded extra points for these functions if they were accurate, we did not subtract points if they were just so-so because our testing aimed to determine how well the meters detected moisture. The first feature is how easy it is to use. This meter is strong and durable and batteries are not required. Multifunction meters offered an additional test or two, usually pH levels or light intensity. The switch to toggle from the different settings is easy to navigate and the readings are very visible to see. Whats more, we tested the range of the probes signal and were able to get a clear signal from as far as 200 feet away. Theres no need to take off gardening gloves or dig around in the dirt; just insert the moisture meter probe into the soil. Before using the Reotemp meter, it must be calibrated, which proved simple enough. We recommend these little pens for those who want to tell at a glance whether its time to water. Batteries not required, either. This opens the door to a variety of extra features, like tracking a plants history and progress and making tailored suggestions for each plant. Most meters have moisture sensors at the end of the probenot along the entire lengthso the right length is important for an accurate reading. Believe it or not, but not all sand is the same. Soil moisture meters come in analog and digital models. If it seems like your plant has a very compact root ball, take the measurement inside the edge of the root ball so youre measuring the actual moisture content of the soil that has contact with the roots. This model is more limited than others as its pH meter ranges from 3.5 to 8, slightly lower than others. The probe must be long enough to reach the area to be measured. Some users have complained that the moisture needle is very bendy, so you have to take caution when placing the meter in the soil or it could possibly break. Those few days pass and you notice that the flowers look worse than before. in, Accurately measures soil moisture to keep your plants healthy. The Sonkir MS02 is a 3-in-1 meter that will test soil moisture, pH value, and sunlight levels. Also keep in mind that high levels of sodium in soil can cause inaccurate readings, and it may be helpful to test soil salinity if plants are failing to thrive. Youve just stepped outside and noticed that your plants are dying. Water is vital to thriving plant lifeplants would shrivel up and die without itbut ensuring that you provide the right amount of H2O can be difficult. Be sure to take your reading at the same place each time for consistency. As Tom Petty once sang, The waiting is the hardest part, and the VIVOSUN takes its time to generate readings, so users have to be patient. in x Youll want to make sure it has proper sunlight and that youre feeding it each time you water with a good liquid fertilizer for fiddle leaf fig plants. Copyright 2022 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. The Luster Leaf is definitely more hands-on because the user places the prong in the ground and then has to hold the meter. We found it to be a boon in our garden-tool arsenal by accurately determining both moisture and light levels. This is the nature of gravity and water. A soil moisture meter can do away with some of the guesswork, giving gardeners a solid idea of true soil moisture conditions. What You Need to Know! This Trazon seemed highly accurate when reading both moisture and light range, but we werent as convinced about its pH detection. Before buying a soil moisture meter ask yourself if you want just the moisture level or if you want more. We then determined how much we needed to water weekly to keep the soil around that bush at the proper dampness. Watering your fiddle leaf fig properly is only half the battle. We found the Xlux Long Probe Soil Moisture Meter was just the ticket to solve this problem. The issue with the XLUX T10 Soil Moisture Sensor Meter is one thin prong that goes into the ground is not durable and should not be used on dry soil. If you are operating under the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) method, and only want to test the moisture of the soil and nothing else, the XLUX T10 Soil Moisture Sensor Meter is what youre looking for. There are soil moisture meters that can help solve this issue and save you from looking at the carnage of your favorite plants shriveled up and dead. Many soil moisture meter models have extra features such as the pH monitoring and the light exposure monitoring. Analog meters dont require batteries and are ready to use right out of the box. Get the Gain Express soil moisture meter on Amazon or at Walmart. This handy little gadget proved well suited to monitoring indoor growing situations, but it didnt seem durable or long enough for outdoor conditions. To pick the meter that fits our needs, we need to look at some key factors in what we are looking for. Hopefully, these reviews have helped you make an informed decision on the best soil moisture meter that fits your needs. The Alotpower Soil Moisture Sensor Meter is a stand-alone simple soil moisture meter. You will lose all items in your cart. For example, building sand may include iron and clay, while play sand must be. Another plus for the Dr. This method also isnt effective when it comes to deep plant roots or compost piles. It has only the single function, but does it fairly accurately. The following answers to some frequently asked questions may further help shoppers choose the best soil moisture meter. Then, youll want to wait a week or more for your plant to dry out again. Soil moisture meters estimate the water content of soil by using electrical resistance. Some plants from Home Depot have very dense root balls that do not integrate well with surrounding soil. This was helpful, and we considered laminating it to keep as a guide. Get the Fivota soil meter on Amazon or at Sears. The design is slightly different from other meters in that we had to push and hold a button on the side of the unit to get a moisture reading. The iPower Soil pH Meter is another dual-pronged 3-in1 function soil meter that measures moisture, pH, and light. Get the Xlux soil moisture meter on Amazon or at Walmart. Copyright 2022 House Grail. Either type of meter will cost less than $13 at Home Depot or on Amazon. Unless otherwise specified, it is best to clean and store a moisture meter after each use. The soil type and texture can influence the choice of soil moisture meter. Short probes are easier to store, and durability is less of a concern with indoor use. These four small Ippinka moisture sensors dont come with dials or digital displays, but we found them to be quite beneficial at monitoring the moisture level in indoor potted plants. The soil in the rhododendron bed measured 6.5, which is overly alkaline for the shrub, so we now plan to take steps to help acidify that soil.