What is a moisture meter?
There are two main types of sensors that measure the volumetric water content in soilless media: Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) and Capacitance.
Both types of sensors measure the dielectric constant of the substrate. The dielectric constant is 1 for air, 3-5 for mineral soils, and 80 for water. If the ratios or properties change this will alter the dielectric constant of the substrate. With calibration such sensors can be used to measure the volumetric moisture content of horticultural media.
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What is the difference between a moisture meter and a tensiometer?
Moisture meters estimate the volumetric moisture content of a material based on the dielectric constant of the substrate. Tensiometers provide a measure the force required to obtain water from soil. Tension is a direct measure of the force a plant ...
Which tool do you recommend I use to measure the moisture content of bio365 media?
bio365 soils release water across a wide range of tension, allowing for dry backs during crop establishment with low risk of wilting and providing options for fewer waterings and use of strategies to dry stress the plant, if desired during later ...
Does the presence of biochar in your media affect how I should measure soil moisture and other properties?
Biochar has an inherently high electrical conductivity. This conductivity may interfere with soil measurements. We have occasionally seen erroneous measurements with push in type pH and EC meters as well as TDR moisture meters. While infrequent, it ...
What is a tensiometer?
A tensiometer is used to measure the force required to obtain water from soil: known as soil moisture tension, soil water suction, or soil matric potential. A porous ceramic cup or tube is buried in the soil at the depth of interest. This ceramic cup ...
Do you recommend a specific type of water?
We do not, but it is important to understand the quality of water being used in horticulture. In particular, you should understand the alkalinity of you water and presence of any minerals. If you have a high ppm water source, we recommend treating ...