How to Use a Moisture Meter
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- Опубликовано: 18 окт 2024
- Learn how to use a moisture meter. Moisture meters are a great tool for determining when a plant needs watering. Moisture meters allow you to easily and quickly determine how wet or dry houseplant soil is. This video shows you how to use a moisture meter and discusses when and why a moisture meter may not be working properly.
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Good moisture meter that is simple to use and economically priced: amzn.to/31f6T7E
How to Use a Moisture Meter (Part 2): • How to Use a Moisture ...
Hi, Thanks for sharing. When the scale goes on 3 on the dry side do I water, I've got draecena, parlour palm, aloe vera and ficus?
Hi, Thanks for sharing. When the scale goes on 3 on the dry side do I water, I've got draecena, parlour palm, aloe vera and ficus?
Carmen Bugeja, Water dracaena, ficus and parlour palm as soon as they reach 3 or even when they are 3.5--just leaving 4. Water aloe vera when it is at 1 or 2. Succulents need to go dry before watering.
Thank you, so helpful
Great info, thanks a lot!
stomatodrone, I'm glad the info was helpful! You're very welcome.
How long should you wait until you read the meter? I've jusy got myself one and as soon as i put it in it reads 7 but then slowly went down to 2 after about 5 seconds
@cherylbeswick7327, How far did you insert the moisture meter? It could be the initial reading was closer to the surface of the soil, and then the 2 was the reading for deeper in the pot. This video which discusses how far to insert the meter may help: ruclips.net/video/m5kIdS5FROc/видео.html And a playlist on them: ruclips.net/p/PLCkPgo-m1DrFbNSjjLu0dwY0up9hqFAtx
So it reads 6 but after 5-10 seconds it sorta declining and stop around 4. So Do I read instantly or do I read after the meter has decline and stand still ?
Magnus af Berg, Are you moving the moisture meter at all when it changes the reading? If you aren't moving it, and it initially stops at 6, but then moves to 4, there could be something wrong with the meter. It's also a good idea to move the moisture meter to various spots in the soil to get an overall average reading, so you could also try that.
@@HealthyHouseplants One plant 2 difference, four plants 1 difference, two plants 0.5 difference in 20 seconds. Ok I buya new one. This has always been this way since I bought it.
@@magnusafberg169, Yes, I think that would be a good idea.
I just bought my nephthytis plant what should the water meter number be at? I am thinking about purchasing the water meter but I don’t know what number I should be at.
Hi Hey, You will want to water when the moisture meter is on the 4. That is when the soil is still moist but starting to dry out. You don't want Nephthytis to dry out, which would be when it reaches the 3 or lower.
Thank you 🙏
Olivia Carmichael: I have a moisture meter . I recently bought a majesty palm. What reading should I get before I have to water?
Olivia Carmichael, Water palms when the moisture meter hits 4. They can go dry, which would be hitting 3, without much damage, but for best growth and development try to water before they go completely dry.
I reported my alocassia Polly and watered till water came out the drainage hole about a week and a half ago. It is still registering a 4 on a meter that goes 1 to 4. It is in a plastic pot and part miracle grow moisture potting soil and part of a quicker draining mix. Has it been too long staying at 4? Should I report and not use a moisture control potting soil! Thanks!
Margie Hiermenz, How is the plant doing now? Plants that have been repotted can take quite a while to acclimate to their new home and can stay at the same point on the moisture meter. However, by now it should be drier. Also, if a moisture meter keeps registering the same, it's always a good idea to test it on other plants to make sure that it's working properly. They are delicate instruments. Additionally, the moisture potting soils do tend to stay wet, as they have moisture beads in them. Let me know!
Thank you for very useful Information - it is much appreciated. I grow Dahlias - what level should one aim for for them on the Moisture Meter? Regards from Ireland
Guy Richhill, You're very welcome. I'm glad it was useful. Thanks for watching. Dahlias do need a consistent amount of moisture, but not soggy soil. I would suggest watering when the moisture meter reads 5, or just entering 4.
How often should I use the moisture meter????
Shirlynn Harthcock, You can use the moisture meter as often as needed to check and see if the plant needs watering. It won't hurt to use it often.
Please how do I calibrate the moisture meter
Salome Kosisochi, There is no need to calibrate a moisture meter. They come calibrated and stay that way. They do break easily, however, so if the moisture meter seems not be working correctly, it may be broken.
@@HealthyHouseplants thank you
Please what is the unit of moisture meter
Can I leave the moister meter in the soil? Or is it better to use it for a few seconds and then remove?
Christian J, It's best to remove it. Being in the soil continually will cause it to deteriorate and eventually not work correctly. It's meant to be kept dry when not in use.
@@HealthyHouseplants that makes sense, thank you!
How far down do you push the meter in the soil? Is it the same for every plant? Sometimes I find watering instructions that say to water when the top 2 inches of soil is dry, but if it’s moist below that, wouldn’t the plant eventually get root rot?
Kimberly Jones, Good question. You do want to vary how far down you push the moisture meter. It depend on the size of the pot and plant. The smaller the pot and plant, the less distance you push down. For large pots, you want to push down further. To answer your question about root rot, it depends on how much of the soil in the pot is wet. You are correct regarding watching out for root rot. A plant in a large pot with all but the first two inches of soil wet could succumb to root rot if you continue to water it when the first 1-2 inches of soil dries out. In that case, you would want to wait until the soil is dry 3-5 inches or further down, depending on the size of the plant and pot. Additionally, some pots will have dry or drier soil in some areas of the pot and not in others. For that reason, it's a good idea to check many areas of the soil with the moisture meter, in addition to varying how far down you check. You are using the moisture meter as a tool to determine if a good portion of the soil in a pot has dried out so that you know it's time to water, and to also ensure that you don't wait until all of the soil is dried out, which for most plants is too late. Hope that helps!
Healthy Houseplants Thank you so so much! Yes my Fiddle Leaf Fig is in a 8.5 inches deep and 9.25 inches wide pot at the very top. When I go halfway down with the moisture meter it reads “moist” and when I push down a little further, it reads “wet.” I haven’t watered it in weeks and a couple of leaves that have brown edges have not gotten worse so I’m hoping it’s because I’ve refrained from watering it and have been putting a humidifier close by. I live in Sacramento CA. It’s hot and dry here in the summers. I have it by a south east facing glass sliding door that has a patio tent up against that part of the house to keep the sun from beating down and making impossible to keep the house cool. So I’d say the FLF gets anywhere from 70 to 250 FC of light. I place it outside in the mornings on weekends. I’m really loving your channel and thank you for answering my question. If you have any advice from the information I left in this reply please don’t hesitate to share it with me. 😊
if i accidently bent the rod on my water meter still work right
Scott Jones, It might still work right. It will likely depend on how badly you bent it. Test it on various plants to see if it appears to be working okay.
If I leave my meter in the soil, the reading slowely fades away back to zero. If I pull/push it back in, it jumps back up. Is that supposed to happen, or is mine (brand new out of the packet yesterday) broken ?
Peter Richardson, Thanks for watching. I think from your description that the moisture meter might be broken. They are really fragile.
@@HealthyHouseplants Thanks, that's exactly why I'm looking up videos on youtube - to see if mine needs to be returned: Which it clearly does! (The light and pH readings don't work on mine either)
What number would you wait until watering again for a Bugambilia? If I stick half of the moisture meter it throws my a 3 , if I put it all the way in it throws a 10. The plant it’s in a very big pot
Eduardo Ochoa, It's good that you are using the moisture meter to see what's going on down below. Bougainvillea don't like to be overly wet. A 3 is okay up top for now, if you are seeing 10 below. I would water the plant when it shows 5-6 below and 2 or so above. So continue to wait for it to dry out some more. Also, make sure you don't have the bottom of the pot sitting in moisture, as that will give the plant root rot.
@@HealthyHouseplants thanks a lot for the tip , I am going to wait until I see those numbers before watering again
Ok can I also use my moisture meter to see if I've watered my enough like after I water my monstera can I use the moisture meter to see if the plant needs more water
Like my moisture meter guide said monstera plants should read 4 on there so should I water it to the 4 mark and stop
Zack Stertwart, Yes, you can! And it's a good idea to do that.
How do I do it I'm having trouble if the guide says 4 for monstera I should water up to a 4 then when dose it need water when it reads a 1
@@zackstertwart3340 The guide is indicating to water monstera when you get a 4 reading or below that on the moisture meter. So when the moisture meter reads 4 or lower, then water, soaking the soil really well. After you soak the soil, the moisture meter will read very wet--like 8-10. Then wait until the moisture meter reads 4 again before watering again.
@@HealthyHouseplants wow this is the help I needed because it doesn't tell us what we should plant up to
If the roots are cramped in the pot would it still show as wet even if it’s not? I have a bird of paradise that I haven’t watered for 2 weeks and the moisture meter still shows the soil wet. The meter works as I tested it on other pots. I’m suspecting the roots are cramped in the pot and the moisture meter touches them and shows as wet. Would this be the case?
Sevil Yilmaz, That could be the case, yes. Try sticking a wooden skewer in the soil and see if it comes out with wet soil attached. If the soil coming out is wet, then the soil is still wet. But if it comes out dry, then it could be the roots. It could also be, as mentioned in the video, that the soil is high in salts. Moisture meters don't work properly in soil that is high in salt.
@@HealthyHouseplants thank you! I'll try those
@@SevilYlmaz You're welcome!
My pachira plant suddenly has several uneven colour yellowing of leaves but yet I haven t over watered because I always use the moisture meter. It s by the south window behind my large dracaena corn plant. What can be the reason, under watering? No leaf drop so far with some new growth showing. These are the mature leaves.
Diane Tsang, Do the new leaves coming in look like they are normal in shape and will be normal in size? If so, it could be a natural thing that the plant is doing by shedding old leaves and getting ready for new leaves. Another consideration is temperature--if there has been a drop in temperature in your home in recent months.
What about the plants that like to “dry out between watering”? Do those need to dry out to one before being watered again?
Loren Studivant, Thanks for watching. For plants that like to dry out between watering, such as succulents and cacti, you would want to wait until the moisture meter hits the red zone--1 or 2. However, often the standard advice is to let many houseplants dry out before watering. For many plants, other than cacti and succulents, that is too dry. That is why I like to say to water when the plant is just about dry/approaching dryness. You still want there to be some moisture in the soil, or the plant has been pushed into drought status, which is damaging for many plants. So the reading for approaching dryness on the moisture meter would be between the last green number and the first red number--so on most standard moisture meters between 4 and 3--but closer to 3. Let me know if you have anymore questions.
Thank you so much for the video! I just bought a moisture meter today for my four plants. I was wondering if you could correct me if I'm wrong? For my plants, I will water them when they reach:
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana: 1-2
Anthurium: 6-7
Snake's tongue: 1
Pothos: 2-3
I love them to bits and wouldn't want to underwater or overwater them. Does it sound reasonable? Thank you!!
Nora Phelan, You're very welcome for the video. For each of the plants, I would do: Kalanchoe: 2-3/Anthurium 5-6/snake's tongue: 2-3/pothos: 3-4. (So slightly adjusted.)
@@HealthyHouseplants Thank you very very much! I will water my Snake's tongue right away then, poor guy must be thirsty (it's at 2!)
@@noraphelan5598 You're very welcome! Snake plants are succulents, so you don't definitely want to be careful not to overwater them, but it is possible to underwater them, too. When you do, they may look a little shriveled. The shriveling will go away when you water. Underwatering usually doesn't kill succulents. It just makes them stop growing, and they may die back some.
@@HealthyHouseplants I'll keep it in mind and be careful with mine, then, thank you for all the tips :)
@@noraphelan5598 You're very welcome, and great!! :)
Hello 👋🏼 very helpful information. It’s my time planting and using a meter. What should the moisture level be for Marigold, succulents and SunFlowers? Does the same tule apply to seedlings? Thank you for your help!
Story Time & More with Ms. G DFE, Thanks for watching. And I'm glad the info is helpful. If you are growing marigold, succulents and sunflowers outdoors, you would want a 4 for marigold and succulents before watering and a 3 or even 2 for succulents before watering. Succulents grown indoors should get to 1. Unless you're growing marigold and sunflower under good artificial lighting, it will be difficult to grow them well indoors. If you are growing them indoors, you would want them to get near to 3 but still be in 4. Seedlings need to remain evenly moist as they grow, as they are delicate and if they dry out, they will likely die. This means moist, though, not soggy. Hope that helps!
Healthy Houseplants thank you for your help! 🙂
@@ms.gpre-kdfe5780 You're welcome! :)
Hi, I have a Fiddle Leaf that hasn't been doing well. My new moisture meter tells me I'm overwatering it. My question is that it's listed as plant Zone 1-3 with the succulents. Does that sound right? Should I water when its at 1 and then throughly?
maria lucio, Good question. Fiddle leaf figs don't do well if they dry out completely like succulents. They will lose leaves if they are droughted. You want to water thoroughly, yes, but water when the plant is approaching dryness, but not wet--so getting close to 3, but still in 4 and still somewhat moist. However, also check that your plant is in the right size pot. It may be in too big of a pot, which is common. You want the plant/pot combination to be 2/3 plant to 1/3 pot. If you have more pot than plant, you need to pot the plant into a smaller pot.
@@HealthyHouseplants Thank you! I think you are probably right on with the pot suggestion. We bought a beautiful big one for it but there is more soil and pot than plant.
@@marialucio3944 That very often happens. I'd suggest potting up into a smaller pot and keeping the big pot for when the plant gets bigger or another plant gets bigger and fits into it.
How long do i keep the meter in the soil for accurate reading??
Rodrigo C, It registers fairly quickly, so about 5-8 seconds.
Thank you for this video. Do you recommend that we push the moisture meter to the bottom of the pot? Or only the first few inches? I have larger pots 10-12 inches.
Amena and Elias, You're very welcome. It's actually a good idea to test various spots in the soil at different depths. That way you get an overall representation of the soil moisture. You might also want to watch part 2 on using a moisture meter, which further discusses this: ruclips.net/video/m0EWpqPPFig/видео.html
Would you please recommend a good moisture meter.
Phuong Ha, Thanks for watching. Sure, I'd be happy to. I've had good luck with this style of moisture meter. This page shows a few different brands with the same style (as used in my video, too). www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W5V6DCZ?ie=UTF8&tag=healthhouse0b-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B07W5V6DCZ
Healthy Houseplants thank you!
@@PhuongHa-xr2ef You're welcome!
what level have to be money tree level? i cant find anywhere
Silvesterkitty, I would water the money tree when it is on the 4 on the moisture meter--getting near the 3 (dry.)
so everythime u shove the moisture meter to the soil, how do we know we are not hurting the roots?
vampireexorcist, It generally doesn't hurt the roots to insert the meter. When you do put it in, try to do so as gently as possible. You only need to stick the meter in every two to three inches. Any roots that do get broken will regenerate fairly quickly in a healthy plant. Additionally, sticking the meter in will create airspace in the soil, which is actually good for the roots. Hope that helps!
@@HealthyHouseplants wow thanks so much for the explanation.
@@vampirexorcist You're welcome!
Can moister meter damage the roots. I have a meter with two sticks ??
Jasprett kaur, They don't do too much damage, but try to be gentle when you insert them.
@@HealthyHouseplants
Thanks dear. One more thing, while inserting stick deep down it shows wet, however, at the top its shows moist/dry further, while removing the stick no soil is stick in the meter...
So is it good to water plant at that time or nor, because for 20 days i have not watered the plant
@@Jaspreetkaur-jd6ug If the soil is dry in the first half of the pot, and it seems like it is, go ahead and water. No soil stuck to the meter is also a good indication that it's time to water. What type of a plant is it?
@@HealthyHouseplants thanks dear. Its dieffenbachia.
Some of its leaves are turning yellow as well
Thank you for this video!!
Lief Eendje, Thanks for watching and glad it was helpful!
Please what is the unit of a moisture meter
Salome Kosisochi, Do you mean what the numbers mean? 1-3 is usually very dry and 4-6 medium wet and 7-10 very wet. The higher the number the wetter the soil.
@@HealthyHouseplants unit of the numbers
I am confused by videos of those who say just to stick your finger into the top inch of the soil to test the moisture vs. my moisture meter that can go 12" into the soil, which can be dry an inch deep but still moist 6" or more deep.
William Laine, It is confusing. I'm soon doing a video on how far to insert the moisture meter in plants, and what it means when it is dry up top but moist below. So that should help answer your questions. Stay tuned!
@@HealthyHouseplants Thanks!
Thanks for info 🌹how must is it?
Redredwine1277, you're welcome! Do you mean how moist is it? The soil?
I think he meant, how much is it?
@@NextGenerationHealth thanks, I think you're right. They are about $9-$10 dollars usually.
Can you leave the moisture meter in all the time?
pattygq, Thanks for watching. It's best not to leave the moisture meter in all of the time, because it is metal, and it will eventually deterioriate from the moisture, and then it won't give you a proper reading. I'd suggest keeping it nearby where it's easy to reach when you want to check the soil.
Healthy Houseplants - if by chance the meter was left in a potted plant will the meter start reading correctly again if it is left out of the soil to throughly dry the metal rod or is it time to just toss the meter and replace with another and then NOT leave the new meter in a potted plant going forward? Thanks.
How do use it without hurting the roots?
jennifer vasanthi, You may disturb a few roots when you stick in the prong, but if you do so gently and strategically in a few areas, not over and over again, you won't do much damage, if any. The fact is that putting the prongs into the soil helps aerate the soil, which soil needs to stay healthy.
Salt’s buildup from just tap water?
@khari83637, Yes, salts will build up over time from most tap water.
So a chop stick does the same as a moister meter...?
T, Chopsticks can tell you whether there is moisture in the soil, so you know if it's time to water. However, chopsticks won't give you a moisture meter reading like a moisture meter will. For instance, it's often good to water houseplants when they reach 4 on the moisture meter.
How can I get it in egypt
Osama Mahros, I'm sorry. I'm not sure where you would get one in Egypt. I don't have any associates in Egypt at this time.
is moisture range 1 to 10 represent 10% to 100% RH value?
Thanks for any response.
Fikri Paramadina, Thanks for watching. I think by RH value you're talking about relative humidity? The 1-10 with a moisture meter refers to the moisture level of the soil. So 1 is completely dry and 10 is completely wet. A hygrometer, on the other hand, measures relative humidity, which is the percentage of moisture in the air sampled at a specific location. It takes into account the total amount of moisture the air can hold before rain or fog occurs. A relative humidity reading of 50%, for instance, indicates that the air is holding 50% of the moisture it can hold before rain or fog occurs. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have anymore questions.
@@HealthyHouseplants Thanks for your answer. oh, I See..
So it is different between Relative humidity and level soil moisture, right?.
@@fikriparamadina4958, You're welcome. Yes, it is different. Soil moisture refers to moisture in the soil and relative humidity refers to moisture in the air.
@@HealthyHouseplants oh.. btw, do you know why soil moisture sensor has range 1 to 10? or maybe you have some reference which can be read. I have searched for a few days and found nothing. Thanks.
@@fikriparamadina4958 As far as I know, the 10 scale was used to give a good range, as plants tend to have a range in terms of how much moisture they require. For instance, succulents and cactus would need watering at 1 or 2, whereas a maidenhair fern would require watering at 8, or even 9, depending on the soil. Other plants fall somewhere in the middle. If there wasn't a full range, it would be difficult to know when to water certain plants. Hope that makes sense!
Do you have to wait for the reading to reach 1 before you can water again? If the plant is ideal for 6-7, when you water it you shouldn't exceed 7?
Makoy, thanks for watching. No, you wouldn't want to wait for 1 for a plant that likes to be kept on the moist side at 6-7. So you would want to water when the moisture meter reaches 5 or 6. The way it works is that the moisture meter, which should probably be called a dry meter, is used to check the moisture level of the soil. When the moisture level of the soil becomes drier than a plant needs, you water the plant well, soaking it. Then you wait until the moisture meter shows that the plant has become dry again, and water again. So you aren't watering until the moisture meter shows 7. Once you water a plant thoroughly, it will go to the highest number. You are using the moisture meter to show you when the soil has dried out and it's time to water. Let me know if you have anymore questions!
Healthy Houseplants thank you for your reply. I appreciate it a lot. My concern actually are from my 2 pothos plants. I've repotted them after roots are showing from the bottom holes. One is thriving but the other one, the leaves are yellowing. I've checked the plant and noticed that the roots are rotting. I've cutted the rotted parts and planted them anyway. After a few days, leaves still turned yellow. Bought the moisture meter as I'm worried that I'm over watering my plants. So instead of thorough watering, I'm watering until I reached the desired moisture level for the plant.
@@makoy913 Okay, thanks for clarifying. Yellowing leaves can definitely mean overwatering, so good idea to keep an eye on not overwatering. Have you by chance seen my video on making sure to transplant in the correct size pot? That's an important part of this. The incorrect size pot can lead to root rot. Here's the link: ruclips.net/video/NXy8W8rz-Ec/видео.html
Healthy Houseplants I'll binge watch your videos over the weekend. 😊
Makoy, Great! :)
About how many inches down on the average into the soil?
linda graham, You want to stick the moisture meter in one to three inches deep, on average. The deeper and bigger the plant pot, the deeper you will stick the moisture meter in. So for a big pot, stick it in 2-3 inches deep, and a small pot 1 inch deep. For really small pots, you would want to stick it in only a half inch or so.
Thanks for that
Wil (UK)
Will Palmer, You're welcome!
Plz tell me poting soil mix ??
Furios Roxtar, Here is the potting mix I like to use: amzn.to/2YHpsyz
Healthy Houseplants hie .. m from india .. here dis type of poting mix not avilable?? Plz provide me detail for poting mix n its ratio selfmade ??
Piece of garbage equipment, I put it in a glass of water the day I got it, indicator went halfway between "dry" and "normal"
Moisture meters are designed to measure moisture in soil, not water. The best way to test the accuracy of a moisture meter and see if it's working properly is to test soils of varying moisture levels.