I am brand new to this subreddit and really enjoying it👍🏻. Pictured is PART of my indoor jungle. Instead of replying to individual posts, I want to share a secret to all. The secret is a HYDROMETER. You can get one on Amazon for less than $10. Providing you are giving plants the proper lighting, most get sick or die from too little or too much water. In my experience, it is usually too much. Even though a plant may feel dry on top, it still may be wet at the roots. A hydrometer checks the moistness in the soil at the root and I never water without one. I don’t use fertilizer, just this handy gadget that keeps the plants happy both indoor and outdoor pots👍🏻
by Maleficent-Bid-3006
15 Comments
That’s a very common advice on the sub, but the 10$ ones you recommend are famously untrustworthy, and will lead you to kill your plant once they malfunction. Use the chopstick method, put a finger in the soil, or learn to weigh the pot to know how dry the soil is! Don’t rely on cheap gadgets and learn about your plants in your own environment, best way for them to be happy 🙂
I actually have been toying with the idea of buying a hydrometer for some time now. I’ve had one in my cart for a few months.
I know I had been over watering my plants. I’d been watering everyone at the same time I watered my plants in terra-cotta. Then one day, I pulled a plant in a plastic pot out of the decorative bowl it was in, and there was stagnant water sitting at the bottom.
So now I wait until they’re a bit droopy, and they perked up, and have grown much better. I know this isn’t an ideal way to have a watering schedule. *Knowing* if they need water (or not) would be a much better way to go.
You’ve helped me make the decision to buy a hydrometer. Nice jungle btw.
The problem with those moisture meters is that they are very unreliable with different types of soil. The chunkier the soil the bigger the chance that your water meter is just measuring an air pocket.
Naw, ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE
This is great but when you search Amazon for hydrometers it gives you 1 on the first page of 18836361924 pages of hygrometers.
Good news is you can get them at your local garden or hardware store for around the same price.
Don’t shop at Amazon. Hope this helps
Your jungle looks great!! Thanks for sharing
Might be okay for those with little experience, but it doesn’t really tell you how much to water given each plant is different.
And not fertilizing? That’s not going to be great in the long run. Watering weakly weekly / monthly with water soluble organic fertilizer will keep your plants healthier for a much longer period of time.
What part of the world do you live in climate wise?
Why didn’t I think of that. Thank you.
It was a game changer for me!
Or use an app to remind yourself when to water. Since I started using one, not a single root rot happened, or nothing dried out. Now all my plants die only because if thrips l.
I have NEVER heard of this magic before! *Hydro*meter you say?! Is it made of hydras? I have so many questions!
I know many debunk them but I have almost 100 plants thriving for years and I have two of these dumb sticks, one upstairs and one down. I have found it to be quite accurate, and it helped me discover that my “inert” play sand added to my mix was in fact holding tons of moisture instead of improving drainage. I use the hydrometer daily and it is for sure as useful as providing the correct lighting and soil type for my plants. Thank you, OP, for sharing the potential benefits of a simple and inexpensive tool. Works better than a chopstick.
If they can’t handle my inconsistent water schedule, they aren’t meant to live with me. I can’t even remember to drink water half the time