How to set-up and use the Crew Soil Sensor water meter
Great choice on your new Crew Soil Sensor. I love mine. There's nothing fancy about these clever little devices, but there is still a step you need to do before first use. Coming up is the one-step set-up, as well as how to use it, and what the results mean...
One-step set-up
Take the cap off the top, slide out the battery (included), and remove the blue battery cover (shown below). Slide the battery back in and pop the cap back on. Hold the sensor button for 5 seconds or until the red light flashes, and you're ready to go! Some will activate instantly and won't flash when you hold the sensor button down.
How to use your Crew Soil Sensor
Easy peasy. 3 steps...
1. Slide the probe in to the soil
Slide the probe into the soil down to the level of the blue line shown below. Push it in holding the top of the probe - the black part - NOT by pushing down on the top of the sensor - the white part - to avoid damaging or breaking the thin probe.
Don't force it! If the soil is compacted, try another area of the soil, or break the soil up using a chopstick or similar first before you insert the probe. Don't break hard soil up using the probe.
Insert the probe in an area about half way between the edge of the pot, and the stem of the plant, not against the very edge of the pot (where air pockets can cause incorrect readings). Not all substrates distribute water evenly throughout the substrate, so if you're unsure, take a few readings around the pot.
See steps 2 and 3 below...
Step 2: Press the sensor button
Step 3: Check the reading
The top of the sensor will light up, either blue, green or red, which tells you wet (blue), moist (green) or dry (red).
WET is a reading of 60% to 100% water saturation.
MOIST is the level a lot of our tropical indoor houseplants like to be, between 15% and 60% saturated.
DRY is where only a few like to be, such as cacti and some succulents, a reading of below 15% moisture.
Replacement battery
The Crew Soil Sensor uses a CR2032 round lithium battery which is readily available in NZ. It comes with one battery included.