Dear Terra
This seems like an elementary thing that maybe everyone but myself knew about all along, but it’s been revelatory for me.
At an a local hardware store, I purchased a gauge with two metal probes on it that can be stuck into the ground, a couple of inches or more. It can be set to measure acidity values, moisture content or just turned off.
After a short rain, I turned off my every-other-day ten-minute waterings at five irrigation stations. Using the little gauge, I have been testing for almost two weeks and found that my ground is still more than moist enough without turning on the automatic sprinklers.
I got another single prong tester for moisture only, and it confirms what the first gauge has been telling me…that I have been over watering with what I thought was a conservative guess as to my yard’s water needs.
I am so glad that I stumbled onto this helpful little device, and would recommend it to anyone who irrigates their yard or garden. It can save time, money, and–most importantly–precious water. Thank you for sharing.
Signed, Waterwise
Dear Waterwise,
Thank you so much for this great insight! I use a moisture meter in my flowerpots and garden beds but had never thought about the lawn. We all need to conserve water in any way we can! (Thanks to our own Tom Latimer)
Terra