A soil moisture meter is important in order to ensure that your soil is moist enough to grow healthy plants. If the soil is too dry, plants will not achieve their potential. It is also important to make sure the soil is not too moist, since over-watering can harm them just as much as under watering.

How Does a Soil Moisture Meter Work?

Testing the moisture level of your soil is easy using most of the meters available today. Just stick the probe into the soil and the moisture reading will register on the display gauge. It will tell you if you need to water the soil or hold off on the water for a while.

Look for a soil moisture meter that measures the soil at the root level. The appearance of the surface of the soil can often be misleading. It may appear dry while the roots are moist and vice versa.

There are online lawn and garden shops that sell excellent and affordable meters. By choosing to use a soil moisture meter, you are ensuring that you do not under water or over water your soil. Too much or too little of a good thing is never helpful--the moisture meter will enable you to achieve just the right balance for your plants.