Debate: Did that $60 moisture meter save my ferns or burn them?

I bought a digital moisture meter for $60 off Amazon last spring because I kept overwatering my ferns. First two weeks it seemed great, soil readings were consistent and my plants looked happy. But after a month I noticed the roots on my Boston fern were starting to rot, and when I double checked with my finger the meter was saying dry when the soil was actually soaked. So is this thing a lifesaver for precise watering or a trap that makes you trust a gadget over common sense? Has anyone else had a cheap meter lead them wrong?

2 comments

2 Comments

sagep198d ago

Wait, did your meter just straight up lie to you like that? My buddy Tom had the same thing happen with his ferns last year. He bought a $50 meter from a hardware store and was so proud of it for like three weeks. Then his ferns started looking droopy and sad, and when he poked his finger in the soil it was like a swamp in there. The meter was still saying it was dry, so he kept watering more and killed everything. I told him to just use the finger test, but he swore by that stupid gadget. Now it sits in his junk drawer, and he goes by touch like the rest of us.

zarab248d ago

Heard a gardening podcast say those meters fail because they just measure salt buildup not moisture.