How, and why to use a moisture meter for potted plants

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I'm rehabbing a couple of rubber tree plants that were languishing in the office of the Woman in my Life, and surprisingly I'm having some success. And I have to give a lot of credit to using a moisture meter.

Plants are like fish - you can kill them with kindness. And one of the best ways to kill a potted plant is to over-water it. And if you have a kind heart and you see a plant starting to droop, your first thought will be to give it a nice generous drink of water. And with enough of this kindness you will kill the plant, by drowning it.

Of course you don't want it to completely dry out, but just looking at the soil, or sticking your finger into the top of it, just isn't good enough information. So go get a moisture meter. Any type will do, and you can get them at any garden center.

This is how you use it: Stick it in the soil and push it all of the way down. At the bottom of the plant I checked today the meter pegged out to the right, meaning that the soil is very, very wet. Towards the middle, like you see in the pic up there, it's just moist, which is just right. Of course if it said dry you'd be wise to water it. Otherwise, leave it alone.

So there you go. Don't kill your plant with neglect, or kindness!

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