This $15 Moisture Meter Will Save Your Plants and Your Water Bill This Summer

With Memorial Day upon us, the summer season has begun. The last few years in Ohio have seen some major droughts and I am not looking forward to the possibility of another drought this year. Unfortunately, it has meant lots of money spent on watering my gardens. This year, I am taking a tool I commonly use indoors with my houseplant collection outside to put it to work in my pollinator and vegetable gardens.

Testing soil moisture is a great way to narrow in on the water needs of your plants without the guesswork. I’ve used this long probe soil moisture meter from Amazon for years to quickly check the soil moisture of my houseplants and I suspect it can help me outside this summer, too.

Let’s dig in and see how a moisture meter can help you water your garden efficiently, save your plants and save on your water bill this season.

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Benefits of Using a Moisture Meter Outside

Testing soil moisture by hand works well when you are just checking a houseplant pot or two, but it doesn’t give you a full picture of soil moisture levels across a wider garden bed. This is where a soil moisture meter comes in handy. Just stick it in the soil, check the reading, wipe it off, and move to the next spot. You can quickly see if one part of your garden bed is soggy and map the parts where the soil dries too fast.

Measuring your soil moisture means you can pinpoint exactly where the bed needs to be watered and where it needs to dry out. This knowledge will help you save your plants from over-watering or under-watering and save you money on your water bill.

You can set up fancy smart irrigation systems, but they won’t be able to tell you the conditions on the ground. A simple soil moisture meter can tell you a lot. I like that the XLUX soil moisture meter from Amazon has a long probe at almost 16 inches (40 cm). This gives you a soil moisture reading even through deep layers of mulch, compost, and soil so you can get an accurate picture of what your garden needs.

How to Save Money on Water

Now that you know what your soil moisture is, what can you do to keep your garden properly watered and save money while doing it? Here are a few methods to pair with your soil moisture meter.

Mulching

Generally speaking, one of the best ways to maintain proper soil conditions for your plants is to apply mulch. A good layer of mulch will retain moisture, keep plant roots cool even during heat waves, and also suppress weeds. A good organic mulch like Miracle-Gro’s All Natural Mulch, available from Home Depot, is dye-free and safe to use around edible plants.

Collecting Water

Another way to reduce the amount of municipal water you use on your garden is to install a rain barrel. You might be able to purchase a rain barrel from your local soil and water conservation district office or you can find a 50 gal. rain barrel at the Home Depot.

Rain barrels can hook up to or sit under a downspout to collect rain water. The rain water can then be accessed via a spigot towards the bottom of the barrel. You can then use a watering can to transport the rain water or you can hook up a hose to easily water your beds. You can even try the punctured rain barrel hack that has become popular with gardeners in the UK. A few small holes allows strategic release of water directly from the barrel into your garden.

Smart Irrigation

Using your soil moisture meter will help you better utilize an irrigation system. A smart hose timer like the Orbit B-Hyve XD, available from Amazon, is a great way to manage your water usage and keep plants happy. Instead of just setting a timer for irrigation, the B-Hyve has an app that allows you to control the system remotely, set schedules, skip watering when rain is in the forecast, and fine tune your garden irrigation.

I wish you a drought-free summer and happy gardening!

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