My houseplants kept dying until I tried this $13 device

Indoor plants It is very difficult to maintain health and vitality, especially in the winter. You are trying to replicate a complex and naturally appropriate biome within your home. Plants that thrive in nature are wilting on your countertop, and sometimes, it’s really hard to determine what you’re doing wrong.

One of the most common causes is humidity. Not only do the needs of individual plants vary, but if you see a problem with a plant, often the first reaction is to water (overwater), which can lead to over-watering, or to under-water, which can lead to drought.

Personally, I’m definitely guilty of this habit cycle, so I thought why not buy a humidity sensor and see if I could create a watering schedule based on the actual data: would my plants benefit? Can a cheap soil sensor help me save the orchid on my kitchen counter that has been struggling for weeks?

How soil moisture sensors actually work

Common capacitive soil moisture sensors depend on the electrical properties of the materials from which they are made. Typically, they consist of two conductive surfaces separated by a non-conductive material, called a capacitor.

Dry soil acts as an electrical insulator, which is a poor conductor but can carry an electrical charge. This ability to store charge grows as humidity levels increase, affecting the electrical properties of the capacitor. The sensor measures the dielectric constant. It then translates it into a percentage or a number or, in case $13 sensor I got from Amazona simple reading on a scale ranging from 1 (dry) to 10 (wet).

The length of the probe on the sensor I purchased is a great feature, as it allows me to read the soil moisture level down to the bottom of very deep pots. This is critical because the roots can draw different amounts of water from the soil throughout the pot, and during watering the soil may become saturated differently at different depths.

Let the data tell you when to water

Before this test, I relied on typical indicators of when to water. I tried to follow a schedule with most of my houseplants, even as I grouped plants with different needs that needed watering at different frequencies. I’ve also relied on anecdotal evidence, such as the finger test, where I tried to get a feel for how moist my plant’s soil was, or by testing the weight of the pot or observing signs of wilting or drying out in the plant itself.

The problems with these methods are numerous. First, I have a garbage memory. Remembering to drink water on a specific day was difficult enough; Having to remember multiple schedules for multiple factories was untenable.

The “anecdotal evidence” approach wasn’t much better. Unless you’re sticking your finger deep into the soil in different spots throughout the pot, you won’t get an overall sense of moisture, and surface moisture can be deceiving. And most importantly, the human being I can’t technically feel wet.

The pot weight reading was a guess at best, and often by the time the plant began to show distress, it was too late.

Insert the sensor. Once I got my unit, I started tracking the decrease in humidity over a period of days. I also tried to observe how different plants dried not only at different speeds but at different depths inside their pots. I recorded the daily results for each plant in a notebook I purchased specifically for this purpose so I could track changes over time.

Most of the early results were not surprising. The top few inches of soil dry out faster than deeper soil, which stays moist longer.

Also, in the beginning, it was clear how important soil type/composition was: the quick-draining, sandy soil in pots with succulent plants dried much faster than the richer soil in pots with tropical plants.

Results after several weeks

I would like to say that I saved some plants that had turned yellow and were on the verge of death, and brought them back to green life, but the truth is that none of my plants were in such desperate shape. I just wanted a consistent way to avoid overwork and underwater and build a reliable schedule. In this regard, the sensor has been a resounding success.

By taking readings in each pot for two weeks, I was able to get a sense of how quickly moisture drained from each pot. With this data in hand, I built a robust, data-driven watering schedule and created calendar reminders for myself based on what I learned.

Three weeks later, I’m seeing improvements, especially in the orchids mentioned above. Orchids are known to be fickle with regard to watering (and retain water very differently at different depths).

Watering properly has resulted in new leaves growing, and I’m even seeing buds sprouting on them for the first time since they first dropped their flowers several months ago. The aerial roots appear greener and healthier, and the leaves themselves are waxy and firm. (They were completely droopy before this experiment.)

I’ve also seen fewer yellow leaves on some of my other plants. Overall, I’ve seen a strong improvement in consistency. Whereas previously, some of my plants looked a bit tattered while others were relatively thriving, now they all look healthy and well-maintained.

While I’ll still check in with the sensor from time to time, the nice thing about this experiment is that I now have a reliable schedule. So, until I introduce new plants, I don’t need to keep measuring every day.

However, the most surprising outcome of the whole experience was somewhat unexpected: trust. Instead of the haphazard approach I had before, which made me feel uncertain and sometimes feel a little guilty when I watered (or forgot to), now I water my plants with confidence. I know I’m doing the right thing in taking care of them and contributing to their health rather than guessing, and it’s hard to overstate how much I’ve enjoyed the whole process as a result.

In the end, it was worth it

So, was it worth the price and hassle? For me, the answer is a resounding yes.

Not only was the initial investment very low in cost, but there was little overhead to conduct testing and track results. In fact, I had a lot of fun observing the differences over time and between plants.

The analog sensor I got, although cheap, provided reliable and consistent readings and was easy to use. Simply stick it into the soil to the depth you want to measure, and the result will be displayed instantly.

Again, the real benefit is trust. Not only do I have a better sense of how much water my plants need and when, but I feel safer every time I fill my watering can.