Indoor/outdoor Moisture Sensor Meter with Full Color Instruction Card, Soil Water Monitor, Plant Care, Garden,lawn

Surprisingly, no reviewer has recognized that this device acts as a battery. The anode and cathode are formed by the copper shaft and the lead tip. The electrolyte is the moisture in the soil. Low meter readings will result from low soil moisture (as intended) and, although not intended, from corrosion of the copper shaft or lead tip. So, clean the tip and shaft regularly with something like steel wool before inserting the probe in the soil.I bought 6 of these testers and all gave different readings until I used steel wool on the shaft and tip. After cleaning they all gave higher readings and did a great job of signalling the moisture content of the soil.You can test the device by submerging the tip and shaft in a few inches of water. If the meter's needle moves into the "wet" zone, no cleaning is needed. If the needle doesn't move quickly into the "wet" zone, cleaning as described.

Wow, what a great little device! It really takes out the guess work out of when your plants need watering and if you don't have a natural green thumb it will save a lot of plant lives. I will state as others have that mine did not work right out of the package but another reviewer has suggested cleaning it and it makes all the difference! I was about I toss mine away thinking it was junk and the I came back here to see if others had a problem and it's clear that many have. Another reviewer suggested rubbing it with a piece of steel wool, as I didn't have any I just used the nylon scrubber side of my kitchen sponge and it worked. To test if your is working just put it in a cup of water to see if it reads wet, mine did not so I knew I had an issue. So, thanks to the reviewer who gave the original advice. It would be nice if the manufacturer enclosed this kind of advice with the unit.

I purchased this Indoor/Outdoor Moisture Sensor Meter from New Resources Group more as a backup for the Dr Meter I had purchased earlier from Amazon. Much to my surprise I discovered this is an exact copy of the Dr. Meter. Same color, same instructions, same identical construction. AND I'm pleased to report this meter is as accurate as the more expensive DR Meter. Why other commenters are having difficulty using this simple gadget is beyond me. The only criteria I would stress to follow is to use ONLY an absolute dry cloth, prior to AND AFTER taking a reading. Very important. The probe shaft inserted in the plant soil will not provide accurate readings if NOT PROPERLY CLEANED. Finally all guess work as to the actual soil wetness of my plants is removed.

I really wanted this to work but it unfortunately is worthless. No matter what I stuck this in, once it got about 6 inches deep it would say wet.Then I stuck it about an inch into completely wet soil and it said dry.I honestly have no idea how this thing has 4 starrs... it must be fake reviews.Do yourself a favor and just hand test the soil (stick your finger down in it) or put a stick in it. pull it out, and see how wet it looks.

Within just a few uses, I knew this meter was not working properly. I tested the soil with the meter and the needle barely moved off of 1. Then I stuck a pencil down into the soil, left it there for a few minutes and the tip of it was pretty moist. Then I put my finger down into the same hole and knew that there was much more moisture in the soil than the meter was reading. I had followed the directions for care and made sure I cleaned and dried it after every use. I will not by this again.

I've always wanted porch plants but always end up during cause I over or under water them so I did some research and found these. It takes the quess work out of watering . have used it the last few days and I love it. Its easy to read and UAE and don't need no batteries.

Great product. Does not need battery. Long rod to get deep into the ground. When I first tested in a cup of water, it wasn't reading correctly (the needle remained on dry). Per user comment suggestions, I took a stiff sponge and ran it up and down the rod to clean it. This moved the needle a little bit but was still reading dry. Then I noticed the little black (protective) rubber at the tip of the rod. Once I removed that, it works perfectly. Went outside to test my newly planted trees and discovered that the soil was very wet so I removed the layer of mulching to allow it to dry. If it wasn't for this simple product, I'd most likely ended up drowning and killing my new tree seedlings. Highly recommend this product.

I was worried I was over-watering my tomato plants. I thought I would buy one of these handy dandy moisture monitors to make sure I wasn't over-watering. I popped this into the soil, and it read immediately. I guess I'm doing okay though, because it read right in the middle, which is good. My succulent garden, read in the "dry" area, which is right where they need to be. I might have been overly cautious, but at least I put my own mind to ease and won't ruin a whole crop of tomatoes because I loved my plants too much.I also used this in my lawn. Took four different readings. Really easy to do. Just slip the little probe into the dirt, easily, and slowly, and it will read immediately. We are now on meters in my city, and rather than waste the precious water on a lawn and plants that don't really need it, this little guy will tell me when my plants REALLY need water.The probe is on the skinny side, so be careful when sliding it into the soil/dirt. Don't shove it in, just ease it in. It is easier in containers, as they typically have well draining soil, and it usually isn't compacted. However, my lawn took a bit more force. I can definitely see how someone could break the probe off, but at the price I paid, if it lasts a season, I'll be happy. Highly recommended if you are looking for something simple, and easy to use to make sure you aren't wasting water.