Now is the time to bring your outdoor plants indoors to protect them from the winter cold. Since rain clouds can’t water plants in your home, plant parents are forced to act as a makeshift Mother Nature until spring arrives.
I live in an apartment and only grow ornamental plants all year round, but I’m having trouble figuring out how often and how much to water them. Joanna Gaines has proven no stranger to an expansive outdoor garden and vast collection of indoor plants, and she shared her genius helper to take the guesswork out of watering days: a soil moisture meter.
Xlux Soil Moisture Meter, $11 with coupon
Amazon
In a recent episode of Magnolia Table, Gaines reaches for a moisture meter, which appears to be an Amazon bestseller. She also shared her watering day hack with her fans on Instagram. “Today is watering day. Let me show you how I know it,” she said in the clip. “Look, my moisture meter is telling me that Mr. Fiddle is dry.”
Gaines inserts the tool’s probe into the potting soil and it reveals how wet the soil is. The easy-to-read meter is color-coded into three colors: red for dry, green for wet, and blue for wet.
On a 10-point scale, 1-3 warns the user that the plant needs watering, 4-7 indicates the plant can be left alone, and 8-10 indicates the plant is overwatered. So this tool not only helps you decide when to water your plants, but it also tells you how much water to use if you check the moisture level when watering.
The tool provides instant readings when inserted into the soil, and the small, single-point probe is minimally invasive and protects the delicate roots of your plants. Over 10,000 Amazon shoppers purchased this handy gardening tool last month alone.
“I’m a newbie to plants and before I got this, I was killing every plant I brought into the house,” said one shopper. “I have never had a plant die since I bought it, and I feel more confident in looking after my companions.” They added that it was “quick and easy to measure” and took out the “guessing”.
This Xlux Soil Moisture Meter is on sale today on Amazon for $11. Then keep scrolling to shop more indoor gardening essentials.
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