Step 1: Prior to using the meter, be careful to clean the probes with distilled water and wipe it off with a clean towel. This will maintain the accuracy of your moisture meter, regardless of the model you are using.
Step 2: Gently press the moisture meter’s probe or pointed end into the soil of your succulent (about 3 quarters deep into the pot). Make sure to be cautious when inserting the moisture meter into the soil; otherwise, you risk damaging the tool’s probe or the tool’s roots.
Step 3: After waiting around 60 seconds, read the gauge and compare the reading to the individual succulent’s water requirements.
 
- Your potting medium is almost dry. 1 to 1.5 or 1 to 3.
- Your potting medium is slightly dry to lightly damp if the range is 2 to 3.5 or 3.5 to 7.5.
- Your potting media is very damp. 4 to 5 or 8 to 10.
After waiting for about 60 seconds, check the gauge’s reading and match it to the individual succulent’s water requirements.
Step 4: Remove the moisture meter, clean it, and store it in a secure location once you have recorded each reading.
DON’T FORGET TO COMPLETE THIS STEP, AS LEAVING THE MOISTURE METER IN THE SOIL CONSTANTLY WILL PROBABLY DAMAGE THE TOOL’S SENSOR AND COULD CAUSE IT TO FAIL, OR WORSE, NOT FUNCTION AT ALL!
Important Information: All soil meters can be used with the procedures above. However, the pH level typically appears as the first reading on a 3-way, 4-in-1, and Bluetooth-enabled meter (which is usually measured on a scale from 1 to 14, 1 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline). You only need to touch the button on the meter or phone to alter or view the moisture, light, or temperature level (if you are using the Bluetooth-enabled meter).
What level of moisture do succulents require?
As you are aware, Because they require little water to survive, succulents are tough tiny plants. They are native to arid regions and store extra water in their thick leaves, so they don’t require much assistance from you or a watering can. But how frequently should you water this tough plant? every week? every two days? every month?
The most crucial piece of advice for watering succulents is to never water until the soil in their container is completely dry. Let the soil completely dry out in between waterings, we say. Don’t water the soil if it isn’t a dry, crumbly dirt. See, the majority of houseplants require constant moisture in the soil. Unlike your succulent. Keep the soil constantly moist, and the roots will rot. Dead succulents have rotten roots.
How can you tell whether your succulent plants need more water?
The appearance of the leaves is the best indicator of whether your succulent is being overwatered or overwatered. While an overwatered plant will have mushy, nearly translucent leaves, an underwatered plant will have wrinkly, shriveled up foliage.
These are the plainly visible warning signals that your succulent is being overwatered or underwatered. However, the signs are frequently difficult to read. A succulent that has been submerged in water may act similarly to a plant that has been overwatered.
And here is the part where most folks are perplexed. Other indicators can help you determine whether you are indeed overwatering or underwatering your plants.
How long should a moisture meter be left in the ground?
Moisture meters detect soil conductivity using the electrical resistance principle. Simply explained, stronger electrical currents indicate more moisture in the soil, whereas lower electrical currents signify drier soil, because water conducts electricity well. Some moisture meters can even detect the light levels around a plant in addition as the pH of the soil. Three-way meters are what they are known as.
Push the Metal Probe Into the Soil
Gently press the metal probe into the ground until it is about 4/5 of the way down. Remove the probe and try another area if you encounter resistance. The probe is sensitive, so you don’t want to press your luck.
Wait 30 to 60 Seconds
Typically, moisture meters provide a reading in 30 to 60 seconds. After 60 seconds, if you still don’t notice a reading, take the probe out, give it a gentle clean, and try again.
Read the Results
Moisture meters are simple to read once the findings are ready. The data displayed in the display window of a moisture meter may be on a numerical scale or a scale from dry to wet, depending on the type and brand. To increase clarity, the scales are frequently colored.
How much humidity do succulents require?
An average residence has a humidity level of 30 percent or less. The majority of plants, including succulents and cacti, enjoy humidity levels of 40% or greater. The majority of tropical plants need at least 60% humidity. In our experience, a humidity level of at least 50% is ideal for both people and plants in a house.
Your plants will probably let you know if they need more or less humidity, so you don’t need to measure it precisely (hint: keep reading to the next sections). However, there are several affordable, trustworthy hygrometers accessible online if you are worried about getting the humidity precisely right. This is the one we employ.
House plants typically require less warm air and more wet air than you may imagine. Usually, leaves that are papery or thin, like those of a fern or air plant, require more humidity than leaves that are robust, like those of a fiddle-leaf fig. If you wish to cultivate plants other than succulents and cacti in your house, we advise using one of the following strategies to raise the humidity there. This will ensure that your plants are healthy and happy.
How long should moist soil in succulent plants last?
Succulents respond best to the “soak and dry approach” of watering. Fully soak the soil, then let it dry completely before watering it once more. Additionally, make sure the succulents are in a container with a drainage hole and well-draining soil (more on that in a minute).
Pretty basic, yes? Watch this technique in action:
In general, it is better if water doesn’t reach the leaves of indoor succulents. It can decay if left on a leaf for an extended period of time.
Use a squeeze bottle or a tiny watering can with a nozzle (this one is great) (like the one in this super handy tool kit).
For outdoor succulents, where there is more breeze and the water will dry off more quickly, this is less of a problem.
If at all feasible, simply saturate the soil around your succulents with water. UNTIL the dirt has completely dried from the top of the pot to the bottom, DO NOT water your succulents again.
What are the signs that a succulent is too dry?
Succulents are better off dry than wet, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore the need to water them. In fact, the plant needs water to survive, and much like people, it will exhibit dehydration symptoms. Your succulent clearly needs extra water if its leaves are wrinkled and shriveled.
The cells attempt to bring in more water to make up for the water that has been lost as they release their stored moisture to the rest of the plant. The cells shrink as they run out of water and the plant is forced to rely on its limited reserves, which causes the once-firm and full leaves to collapse and shrivel.
Do my succulents need to be misted?
When I first learned about succulents, I was fascinated by the notion that they couldn’t die. They were frequently referred to as very low maintenance plants that adored being neglected. That sounds fairly simple, hmm.
To add to my bewilderment, I frequently heard the word “succulent” used in the same sentence as the word “cactus.” We won’t get into it here because there is a really fantastic essay on this site that explains the link between cacti and succulents, but a widespread misconception regarding cacti is that they never require water. Because I believed succulents required little to no water, I occasionally misted them rather than watering them. They love to be ignored, right? They require little upkeep, right? Well, I hate to ruin the surprise, but my succulents barely made it through this abuse.
The scoop about misting and watering is as follows:
*Water: After the dirt has dried, drown your succulents in water. Put them in water until the bottom of the pot is filled with water. If you have a catch pan, remove any water that has accumulated there. The best kind of pots are unglazed, porous ones with drainage holes (think terracotta pots). Your succulents will appreciate that they allow them to breathe.
*Low Maintenance: Succulents grow in nature with shallow roots that quickly absorb water and store it in their leaves, stems, and roots for periods of drought. Succulents are considered low maintenance because of this. They are designed to hold water for extended periods of time, so you don’t need to water them as frequently as some plants, like every other day. They won’t wither and die while you’re away, so you may travel with confidence. Just remember to give them a good drink when you do water them!
*Water Type: Rainwater or distilled water are the ideal water types to utilize. Numerous minerals in tap water can accumulate in the soil and even appear on plant leaves.
*Watering Frequency: A number of factors determine how frequently you water (climate, season, humidity, pot size, pot type, drainage etc). The best general rule is to wait until the soil has dried before watering it again. The roots may decay if the soil isn’t given a chance to dry up or if water is left in the catch pan. You can stick your finger into the ground and feel around to determine the amount of moisture in the soil, or you can use a moisture meter (commonly sold in gardening centers or online and relatively inexpensive).
Leave the misting to the babies, please! Actually, fully developed succulents dislike being misted. Because they prefer dry environments, misting them will alter the humidity in the area around the plant. Additionally, this might cause decay. To gently hydrate your propagation babies’ tiny, sensitive roots, spray them.
What does a succulent look like when it is overwatered?
How can you tell if your succulent is getting too much water? You can usually determine if a succulent is being overwatered or underwatered by looking for telltale indications. A plant that has received too much water will have soft, mushy leaves.
The leaves would either turn translucent in color or appear lighter than they would on a healthy plant. A succulent that had received too much water would frequently lose leaves readily, even when only lightly handled. Usually, the lowest leaves are the ones to suffer first.
The plant will look to be unhealthy overall. When this occurs, the plant is either being overwatered, sitting in the incorrect soil that does not dry out quickly enough, or both.
Your plants are being overwatered if you have been giving them regular waterings or if you have been following a watering schedule regardless of how the plant appears.
On the other hand, a succulent that has been submerged will have withered, wrinkled, and deflated-looking leaves. The leaves will appear thin and flat. The entire plant will appear withered and dry.
The leaves of a good succulent plant should be thick and solid, not mushy or desiccated.
To learn more about this subject, visit my post titled “How To Tell If Your Succulent is Over or Under Watered,” in which I go into great length about how you may determine whether your succulent plant is being over or under watered.
This String of Pearls ‘Senecio Rowleyanus’ plant leaf is one that has been overwatered. If a succulent’s water storage capacity has been exceeded, it may physically burst from overwatering.
A moisture meter for plants should be inserted how far down?
Today’s market offers a variety of soil moisture meters in different designs. They are conveniently available at your neighborhood hardware store or big-box home supply store. Find a meter that is simple for you to use. Spending a lot of money on a digital version that can cost hundreds of dollars is unnecessary. The affordable analog ones are excellent! You should budget $6 to $20. One of numerous dial meters available is shown in the image.
This analog dial meter measures from 0 to 10, with 0 being dry and 10 being wet. A list of plant types and their water requirements may be found on the instruction page that frequently accompanies moisture meters.
You may use your moisture meter to gauge how much water your tree or plant now needs after you know whether it prefers wet, moist, or dry soil. Selecting “Moist” is always a good place to start if you can’t figure out what moisture level your tree or plant loves. Most plants want to be “Moist,” and what differs is how long it goes between waterings. It’s time to water if your tree or shrub has the label “Dry.”
A general guideline for the trees and shrubs in a regular home is to water them if it hasn’t rained in the previous week.
With a meter in hand and knowledge of your plant’s moisture requirements, you are prepared to begin checking the moisture level of your soil.
For smaller plants, start the probe’s gentle insertion in the soil at least 4-6 inches away from the stem; for larger trees and shrubs, start several feet away from the stem.
At a depth of half the probe’s length, or 6 to 8 inches, the probe end should be inserted into the ground. It’s critical to gauge the amount of moisture around the roots in the ground (and not at the surface couple inches).
Keep track of your results and test the meter near the plant’s roots. You can determine how moist the soil is all around the plant by doing this.
A dry indoor space is where you should keep your moisture meter after wiping off the soil.
You can decide whether to water after receiving your moisture meter results.