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Knowing when to water my plants, has been the bane of my existence! I… | Anything about plants | Communauté Planta

Lynda

Knowing when to water my plants, has been the bane of my existence! I use this particular soil monitor, and really like it. However, can someone tell me how deep I should push this monitor into the soil? Planta says if the top of the soil is dry on a plant, then it’s ready to be watered. But, if I push the soil tester, fairly deeply, it will show wet. (I only use this method for my moisture loving plants, not for my Pothos, or other plants that like to be thoroughly dry before being watered.) I am wondering if the tips of some of the leaves of my plants are drying out, because I’m waiting too long to water them. Is it OK to water any moisture loving plant if the soil monitor shows wet at any depth in the soil? Perhaps I am using this monitor incorrectly? TIA… 🤗💚🪴

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  1. Lynda

    PS. I know it’s that time of the year, when plants don’t ask to drink much, but many of my plants are stretching their watering schedules out, from anywhere to 20+ days, to well beyond 60 days. It’s giving me apoplexy to keep customizing my watering schedules, and moving them further, and further out. I suppose this is the same for everybody??? Again, TIA…🤗💚🪴 PS. This is probably just a stupid question, I guess I just need some reassurance, that this is OK???

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    • pg

      Everyone has a different preference. I, too, use a moisture meter. What has worked for me (with my moisture loving plants (calathea), is I push the meter almost to the very bottom, and water if it gets less than 4 (on a scale of 1-10). So once it’s gets to 3 (pushed to the bottom), I thoroughly soak it. My calatheas have thrived under these conditions. They get a chance to dry out a little bit, but always have a little bit of water. I do this pretty much year round for these type of plants, as I have them all indoors.

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    • Lynda

      Thanks for your comments! My water meter is a bit different, and gives me percentages, rather than a number. Can you tell me what kind of water meter you use? I might try it as a comparison to the moisture meter that I have. TIA… 🤗💚🪴

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    • pg

      I use the old fashioned analog gouevn meter (from Amazon). About $8 usd. Have 3 of them. I would assume that your digital percentage would correlate to 30-40%

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    • Lynda

      Thanks, again, for your posts; they’re really informative, and much appreciated! I just checked my moisture meters, and found that I do own one, just like yours. Now I have a good idea of when you water your moisture loving plants, and will use it on my own plants, hopefully, with more success. One more question: do you use this moisture meter with your plants that like to be dry, like cactus, philodendrons, succulents, etc? If so, what do you look for? TIA.… 🤗💚🪴

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    • pg

      It really depends on your soil type. Succulents can be a bit tricky to care for. I personally use a 50/50 mix of succulent soil and gritty mix, and in my 4-inch pots, the soil typically dries out completely in about 3-4 days. When I say dry, I mean bone dry. I don’t rely on a moisture meter because I usually don’t water my succulents for 2-3 weeks. Instead, I watch the plants themselves for signs of thirst, like wrinkled leaves or a slight droop. In this case, I’m not just watering as soon as the soil dries out (which would lead to overwatering since it dries every 3-4 days). It’s more about observing the plant’s needs rather than following a strict schedule.

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  2. Steele on Wheels

    I use a wooden chopstick to test the depth of moisture in my soil. It is perfect to tell where/how deep the dryness goes. Try that with your moisture meter.

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    • Lynda

      Will do… TXS for that info! 🤗💚🪴

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