Hand held soil moisture meter

[Exfarmer]

Does any one use one professionally. Looking for a small hand held one to measure moisture in pots containing citrus, they are incredibly finnicky, worse than potatoes.
there are plenty on amazon for next to nothing and probably worth just that.
have seen a Lutron advertised at £150, which is not an issue if it is any good

 

[DanniAgro]

That looks a good instrument, and as you say, you will have to pay that sort of price to get something accurate and reliable. Although I've not bought a soil moisture meter, having bought tools of this type in the past shows that £150 is the minimum price to go for.

 

[Brisel]

What do our root and veg crop growers use? @Spud @Sonoftheheir ?

 

[Bogweevil]

Weighing pots is the simplest and best way of measuring root zone water content for container plants. After watering compared with before

If root damage is a problem consider a more free draining potting medium.

Unless you use the pricy Delta T probes moisture meters are unreliable in pots IMHO.

 

[Exfarmer]

Weighing pots is the simplest and best way of measuring root zone water content for container plants. After watering compared with before

If root damage is a problem consider a more free draining potting medium.

Unless you use the pricy Delta T probes moisture meters are unreliable in pots IMHO.

Ah that looks the dogs doo dahs, cant find a price easily , which suggests it is probably out of the question sadly

sadly I dont think the wife would be up for weighing the pots every day

 

[Spud]

What do our root and veg crop growers use? @Spud @Sonoftheheir ?

I find the old Reglone 'SMART' Test as good as anything - get a handful of soil from around the tubers, and see if it will press into a ball. If it will, then moisture is ok, if it immediately falls apart, then it is too dry. If it fails to fall apart when bounced on your hand, its too wet.
Granted, soil type plays a part in the effectiveness of this method, but it is surprisingly accurate. And cheap!

 

[Exfarmer]

I used the Vacuum gauges for years, very simple and totally reliable would be very happy to buy some if they were still avalable, but cant find any.
citrus are incredibly difficult to grow in pots it seems the watering is recomended every 2 days, but both under and over makes them drop their leaves. All the exxperts recomend to go under rather than too much. Were doing fine until the warm weather last week and my lemon tree lost half its leaves one day
It should recover, but have just taken drlivery of a nice new Orange as well and don't want the same to happen
felt I should include a picture of my new plantation

 

[Bogweevil]

Nice plants, not cheap, and I guess it is a conservatory so probably plenty of light, the most crucial thing for a citrus. Low light. warm conditions and they are a goner. Keep it cool remembering that in April it can get very hot in conservatories if the sun comes out.

They like spending summer on the patio - even the best conservatory cuts out 60% of the light, which is significant in winter.

Generally keep them as dry as you dare in winter, not dusty but barely moist. You can start feeding now - they like a high nitrogen feed for acid loving plants, so not AN prills, though I have had good results with AS.

Watering pot plants is quite skilled and weighing pots when just moist and again when watered enough to become wet but not soggy gives you an objective maximum amount of water to add whenever the barely moist stages is reached. You soon get your eye in and can dispense with weighing. It beats learning by killing several costly citrus plants.