If you have a green thumb and enjoy your time gardening, an entire section of your shed, if not the whole area, is occupied by different tools and gadgets. Nowadays, there is an abundance of these tools on the market. Some of these are essential, while others are designed to make gardening easier and more enjoyable.
Now, you have probably heard about a soil moisture sensor. What do you think, is it a vital tool, and should every have it or not? If you are not sure about the answer to this question, keep reading this article because we will tell you everything you need to know about this item.
What is a soil moisture sensor?
First thing first, let us explain what this product is precise. In the simplest terms, it is a tool gardeners use to determine the moisture level in the ground. As you surely know, the soil needs to contain the appropriate levels of moisture. Ensuring that this is always the case is the only way to be confident your plants grow beautifully. Most gardeners, especially those who have been enjoying this hobby for years, if not decades, can determine whether the plants need watering simply by touching the soil around them. Nevertheless, if you are a novice or simply want to take full advantage of the latest pieces of technology, this sensor will continuously provide you with accurate readings.
How does it work?
Even though it may appear to be a bit complex, this sensor works in a reasonably straightforward manner. In a nutshell, it measures the soil’s conductivity. The tool itself includes probes, and once you bury it in the ground, these probes observe the electrical resistance between them and hence, determine the moisture of the soil in the area. In case there is too much water, more electricity is conducted in the ground, and the sensor’s probes detect less resistance. On the other hand, when there isn’t enough water, electrical conductivity is lower, and, therefore, the resistance is stronger.
How much area can one sensor cover?
Obviously, the answer to this question depends on the tool you own. Generally speaking, most of them can cover an area of one or two acres. Naturally, some of them can cover a larger area, so make sure to check this property when looking to buy a sensor. In addition, this feature can also depend on the temperature and weather. Most of these items have a specific temperature operating range, which is something you need to consider to be sure you get the correct information. Before you make a purchase, you need to investigate all the features of the sensor, and you can learn what these are on renkeer.com.
Why should you invest in it?
Now that you know how it works, we need to tell you why you should buy one of these tools by listing some benefits.
It is convenient
The first one that probably comes to your mind is convenience. It won’t take you more than a minute to get an accurate level reading, and you will immediately know whether you should water the area or not. Plus, if you don’t have enough time, you do not even have to get your hands dirty by touching the ground and using the old-fashioned method previously mentioned. However, this is not all. If you want to take this benefit of convenience to the next level, you can connect this sensor with the irrigation system. That’s right. This is an option. If you choose to do this, you probably won’t even have to think about watering your plants since the sensor will determine whether more water is necessary, and the irrigation system will act accordingly.
Grow beautiful plants
The whole purpose of using gardening tools is to facilitate it for you and help you ensure the plants grow stronger. Well, as you can assume, this is also true for the moisture levels sensor. We are not even going to discuss the importance of water for plant growth. Instead, we are going to remind you that some of them can be very sensitive even to the slightest changes in the soil. When these occur, they can cause different types of issues and diseases. Sometimes, treating these can prove to be a challenge of its own. Therefore, the sensor doesn’t only boost the health of crops but also safeguards them and reduces the chance of any damage occurring.
Save water
Even though you cannot enjoy gardening and grow anything without water, it doesn’t mean you should waste it. After all, it is the most important natural resource, and we cannot survive without it. When you buy and install this sensor, your crops will not be the only ones to benefit from it. Since it provides you with the exact moisture levels in the ground, and if you connect it to the irrigation system, you will be able to use the precise amount of water every time. Due to this reason, this tool isn’t only eco-friendly and efficient, but it will also save you money. When it comes to the last one, you may not notice a significant reduction in your utility bill, and if you were to do some calculations and comparisons, you would understand what we are talking about.
It is easy to use
Finally, installing and using this item is very easy. The first step is to place the sensor into the ground. We already said that it includes probes, and all you have to do is insert these and push as deep as possible. That’s it. Now, all you have to do is wait a minute or so for the tool to complete its work and present you with the reading. Once this occurs, you should water the soil if necessary or, on the other hand, skip the next session. In the end, you need to clean the device and store it somewhere safe. Make sure to complete this step every time since it is the only way to ensure the tool’s longevity.
