Meters

Electronic meters can be used to monitor the pH, EC, or moisture content of living soil. Most plants grow well in soils with neutral pH of around 6.5 to 7.5. Living soils have a reduced pH because the micro-organisms in the soil decompose the organic materials, resulting in a lower pH or acidic environment. The EC is also important to measure as the presence of excess soil minerals can lead to toxicity which will damage your plants. A lack of EC usally means the plant is nutrient deficient, so you may need to increase the concentration of fertiliser.

We have both soil specific meters and more general electronic meters. The Bluelab Pulse Handheld Multimedia Probe can be used to measure the EC and MC in a range of different grow medias. To measure the EC and pH of soil with some of our other electronic meters, you can use a few different methods. You can remove some of the grow media and mix it into distilled water and then measure the pH and EC of the solution with your meter. Another method is to pour distilled water onto the plant and then catch some of the leechate at the bottom of the pot. You can then measure the pH and EC of the leechate.