A soil moisture meter can do away with some of the guesswork, giving gardeners a solid idea of true soil moisture conditions. After a rainstorm, for instance, if soil feels dry, it may be draining too much. We tested them in bone-dry soil and then watered the medium to see how well the meters detected additional moisture.Ĭhecking moisture levels can also be beneficial by helping determine whether the soil is draining adequately or retaining too much water.

To judge their ability to detect moisture differences, we tested numerous soil moisture meters in various growing mediums, including potting soil, dirt from the garden, peat moss, and compost. They’re touted as the best predictors for watering, so to see if they live up to the hype, we tested the most popular ones available. Soil moisture meters are simple garden tools that include sensing probes that detect the level of dampness in soil. Those new to gardening may often over- and under-water their plants, but even experienced green thumbs can mess up occasionally. Water is vital to thriving plant life-plants would shrivel up and die without it-but ensuring that you provide the right amount of H2O can be difficult.

Electronic rain meter