That $40 moisture meter I bought was a total lie

Picked up one of those cheap 3-prong moisture meters from the garden center last month for like 40 bucks. Tested it on my fiddle leaf fig that I knew was bone dry and it said 'wet' - complete garbage. Did some digging and found out those things just measure electrical conductivity, not actual water content. Stick your finger in the dirt or use a wooden chopstick, way more reliable. Anyone else get burned by one of those?

3 comments

3 Comments

martin.paige15d ago

That 'knew it was bone dry' part got me. I had one of those meters for my succulents and it kept telling me my jade plant was dry when I could literally see condensation on the inside of the pot. Tossed it after a week. Now I just use the wooden chopstick trick - stick it in, wait a few seconds, pull it out. If it comes out clean and dry, water it. If there's dirt stuck to it, leave it alone. Works way better than that overpriced gadget.

ray18915d ago

Honestly never thought about using a chopstick, thats smart. @martin.paige you just saved me from buying another useless gadget. I bet those meters are just guessing anyway based on how much water is in the air, not the soil.

williamhill12d ago

Stick with the chopstick method, that's what I do now too. But have you ever tested one of those meters against a pot you know is waterlogged just to see how bad the lie really is?