The Blumat moisture enables you to accurately measure the moisture level near your roots. Often the moisture near the surface of the pot is fine while the soil near the base is very dry - or the reverse: dry at the surface and over-watered at the base of the pot. Seasonal differences can cause these conditions to rapidly reverse. With this Blumat Digital Sensor, you won't have to guess! You'll know exactly if your plants need water or not, and how much they need.
It works in a similar way to the Tropf-Blumat but it does not control watering. It measures the levels of moisture and/ or dryness. It operates using the tensiometer principle and indicates the amount of force necessary for a plant to absorb water. Knowing the moisture level in large containers is no longer a matter guesswork and experience, but rather of concrete numerical data. The higher the number readings, the drier the soil.
Until we started using the moisture meter ourselves, we were under the impression that the best practice with soil growing was to have a wet/dry cycle. Watering heavily and waiting a few days for the pot to dry out before watering again.
Once we started testing the blumat moisture meter, we saw explosive growth switching to daily waterings - with less water each time. Keeping your soil in the "sweet spot" (not too dry, not too wet) keeps your microbial cultures at peak performance. This has a downstream affect on plant growth, biostimulant creation, and will even increase terpenes!
Instructions for Use AND Resetting:
- Soak bottom green portion and ceramic carrot in water for at least 15 minutes.
- Fill carrot with water and attach to digital display head.
- Hold "On" button for several seconds until "000" or "---" is displayed.
- Insert bottom portion of meter into soil/growing media and wait 45 minutes.
- Press "On" button until a reading is displayed.
Interpreting the Reading:
- A display of 0 millibars is equivalent to the meter in a standing cup of
water.
- A display of 750 millibars is equivalent to soil completely void
of moisture.
- For high-value crops like hemp, a reading of 100 millibars for the vegetative stage and 120-150 millibars for flowering stage is ideal. These numbers will vary depending on variety and the type of soil.