Tried a cheap moisture meter from the hardware store and it read every plant as bone dry

I bought a $12 moisture meter at Lowe's last Tuesday because my peace lily looked droopy. It said every single pot I own was at 1 out of 10, even right after watering. Turns out the metal probe was just too short to reach past the dry top layer. I learned I need one with a longer probe or just stick with the finger test for most houseplants. Has anyone else had a cheap meter totally lie to you like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor121d ago

Man I got the exact same one from Home Depot for $14 and it did the same thing. I tested it in a pot that was literally sitting in water and it still said 2 out of 10. I even stuck it in a wet sponge to see if it was broken and it barely moved. The plastic on the handle cracked on the third use too. Now I just use my finger for my snake plant and my pothos and they're doing way better than when I trusted that stupid meter. I think the cheap ones just use two pieces of metal and they don't actually measure moisture properly at all. Felt like I totally wasted my money.

blair_webb1d ago

Have you tried sanitizing the probe before using it though, @taylor12? I found that mineral buildup from hard water messes up the reading on my cheap meter, and a quick wipe with rubbing alcohol fixed it. The handle on mine did crack too but I just wrapped it with tape, and now it works fine for my ferns and calatheas.

jamesroberts1d ago

You ever try leaving the probe in for a full two minutes? I had the same problem with mine and found out you gotta push it all the way in and wait. The cheap ones measure electrical resistance, not actual moisture, so if the soil has any fertilizer or minerals the reading is garbage. I tested mine in a cup of distilled water and it finally worked right, but tap water gave me weird numbers every time. Honestly not worth the headache for ten bucks though. You sticking with the finger method now or thinking about trying one of those nicer digital ones?