Bought a $40 soil moisture meter and now I think it's a waste

I kept killing my tomato plants in the raised bed out back, so I picked up one of those Amazon soil moisture meters for $40 last month. Turns out it reads bone dry even when the soil is clearly damp after a heavy rain. I checked by sticking my finger in the dirt and it was wet three inches down but the meter said dry. Has anyone else had better luck with a different brand or is this just a scammy product across the board?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_webb451mo ago

...and the thing is, those moisture meters are really just measuring electrical conductivity, not actual water content. A cheap one like that will spike if there's ANY fertilizer or salt in the soil which throws off the reading COMPLETELY. I had the same problem with a $30 model from a hardware store until a gardening buddy told me to test it in a cup of distilled water first. If it doesn't read "wet" in plain water with no additives, it's basically a paperweight. Your tomato soil probably has enough organic matter and minerals to confuse the sensor.

jade321mo ago

Distilled water's pure, so if the meter reads wet there, it's working.