Love gardening? Then you need this smart device for growing healthier plants

If you love gardening, particularly growing new plants, shrubs and vegetables, then you need this smart device to get the most out of your planting. Enter: the smart soil moisture sensor.

For those new to the concept, a soil moisture sensor measures the amount of water present in soil. Soil moisture sensors are typically connected to an irrigation system and will collect information on the soil’s moisture content before each scheduled watering event. If the soil moisture sensor detects that the plant or patch already has sufficient water, it will tell the irrigation system to skip the cycle.

This type of soil moisture sensor can be stationary or portable. Stationary sensors can be placed in a fixed location or depth of field, for example, you can place a soil moisture sensor in a hanging basket and leave it there for the foreseeable. Alternatively, portable sensors can be moved around and used in multiple locations.

Having a soil moisture sensor in and around your outdoor space is incredibly beneficial for the health of your garden. Understanding what’s happening to the root of your crops and the moisture levels of your plants gives you a better idea of what your garden needs. If you have a watering system in place or you prefer to use a watering can or the best garden hose, it’s good to know if your plants need watering or not and soil moisture sensors make it far easier for you to determine this.

After checking your soil moisture sensor and seeing that your plants already have a good water content, you can be more precise about your watering schedule and tweak it according to the forecast more accurately. They can also help save you money on your water bills which can get particularly high during the summer months.

Soil moisture sensors aren’t exactly a new idea but with the advances in smart home technology, you can now get smart soil sensors which monitor and measure more information about your soil. Take the Senua Soil Moisture Sensor as an example.

The Senua Soil Moisture Sensor is a 4-in-1 smart soil test kit, which can be used on both indoor and outdoor plants. Using photometry equipment, the Senua Soil Moisture Sensor measures sunlight, nutrients, temperature and moisture levels in your soil in real time, to allow you to take care of your plants and crops throughout the seasons more effectively.

With the Senua Soil Moisture Sensor, you insert the sensor into your plants soil (about two-thirds of the way in) and connect it to the Flower Care app via Bluetooth. The app will collect all the data about your plants’ soil moisture and conditions, and give you caring tips on the different species of plants that you have around your home and garden.

While the majority of smart soil sensors are all about the moisture, the Senua Soil Moisture Sensor tracks four different components of your plant’s soil. First, it tracks and analyses the intensity of the sunlight your plant is receiving as well as checks the environment around it to ensure your plant is in the right spot for growth.

Next, the Senua Soil Moisture Sensor has four EC probes that track the nutrient content of the soil so you can adjust your fertilising schedule. Additionally, it will also read the temperature of the soil to make sure it’s in the right environment. Finally, the soil moisture detector measures the water content and can accurately tell you when your plant needs to be watered.

If you take anything away from T3’s Garden Tech Month, it’s that you should consider investing in a smart soil sensor. They’re not too expensive (the Senua Soil Moisture Sensor is £23.99) and it can help your garden flourish… and stop you from killing your houseplants, too!