Soil and Plant Moisture Monitoring

Monitoring soil and plant moisture levels is essential for maintaining the health and productivity of landscapes, crops, and gardens. By understanding the moisture status of your soil and plants, you can make informed decisions about irrigation, fertilization, and other management practices.

How Do You Monitor Moisture in Soil?

Several methods are available for monitoring soil moisture, each with its advantages and disadvantages:

Tensiometers

• Measure soil water tension (suction)
• Accurate and sensitive
• Require careful installation and maintenance

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) and Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) Probes

• Measure the dielectric constant of the soil
• Provide continuous measurements
• Can be affected by soil temperature and salinity

Neutron Probes

• Measure the amount of hydrogen in the soil, which is proportional to moisture content
• Deep penetration
• Require radioactive materials and specialized equipment

Soil Resistance Blocks

• Measure the electrical resistance of the soil
• Relatively inexpensive and easy to install
• Less accurate than other methods