New Grower actual 8 ph meter question

[Fantasy Island]

I know tons of people use thes. I can't recall if anybody has talked about the moisture gauge.

Does anyone use it to gauge their watering schedule? In my test pot I have been practicing ph. the meter seems to be at the same place as I'm drying out the pot.

So anyway if you do what depth and at what level do you consider your pot dry?

Thanks

 

[GoAuto6]

My personal thoughts are don't use the meter use your hands pick up the pots and feel them...Or just wait till they start to droop, then hit them.

 

[Reedroguez]

Lol, I didn't want to suggest this before, because I'm far from pro and thought my way old fashion but yeah, lift up the pot and if it's really light you can water or when they start to droop of course.
I used to stick my finger in the soil for quite a bit but found that there can still be lots of moisture on the bottoms of the bigger pots even if the top soil feels crisp dry.

 

[Duckster]

Faded and I were talking about this yesterday. When the top of my 5 gal airpot is dry 3" down and the accurate 8 reads 3.5-4 near the bottom of the pot, it's time to water.

 

[hecno]

I have one and use the water meter all the time, I got to about 4 to 5 in down then take a reading , I like it around 6 1/2 to 7 before I water, I have taken note of the root mass on other plants I have pulled and with the pots I am using 20 ltr and this seems to be the bottom end of the main root ball , I have not had them droop yet , and not over watered .

 

[Fantasy Island]

Yeah during my tests I was thinking about 4.

Thanks for all your responses

 

[Trapper]

So here's what I do...

I hold the A8 outside the pot and place the tip at the bottom of the airpot, where
I know the bottom to be, and take a rough "depth measurement"...
Then I insert the probe to that depth to make sure I'm reading the bottom
but not making contact with the plastic disc. If I'm below 3 down there...
it's time. As GA6 says, picking up the pot and feeling the weight is my
confirmation.

I notice sometimes (as confirmed by the A8) that there are pockets of
moisture sometimes....you can feel it when you pick it up and move it
gently, a slight "out of round" feeling...if that's the case I let it go for
a couple more hours, then feed.