How to Use a Soil Moisture Meter

22.06.2023 - 19:51 / gardenerspath.com / Kristine Lofgren

Who hasn’t had a hard time at some point with trying to keep their plants watered appropriately?

If you regularly forget to water or you keep giving your plants too darn much, get yourself a soil moisture meter. These garden tools take the guesswork out of watering for happier plants.

Learn more below.

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

I’ve killed more plants than I care to admit by failing to give them the right amount of water. Can you relate?

It seems like such a straightforward gardening task, but it can be frustratingly difficult to master.

I’ve overwatered succulents, and I’ve let my fiddle leaf fig get so dry that it started tossing its leaves to the ground in protest.

Then, one day I saw a funny-looking thing sticking out of a friend’s bed of lettuce, and I discovered the world of soil moisture meters. These handy tools help take the guesswork out of watering.

Sure, you can stick your finger in the soil, but this is more of an art than a science, an imprecise way of figuring out what your plants need. And with this method, you can only tell what’s happening in the top few inches.

A moisture meter can tell you exactly how moist the soil is, and not just in the top few inches, but up to a foot down – or more!

Plus, you can keep your gloves on, and avoid getting your fingers dirty with one of these on hand.

Thanks to my hygrometer, I’m not killing plants because of bad watering practices anymore.

Want to know how to put these handy garden tools to work for you? Here’s what we’ll cover:

Soil moisture meters are small hygrometers, or tools that let you measure average moisture levels, that