How do you tell if potting soil is dry or wet? A few accurate methods

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Images: Qingmeng

Watering is a routine part of growing plants, and whether the potting soil lacks water is a hard thing to judge. When to water is a pain point for many succulent growers, especially in summer, when watering risks death and not watering also risks death. So how do you accurately judge whether a succulent needs watering?

[Tapping method]: Tap the middle-upper part of the pot wall with your hand. If it makes a fairly crisp sound, the potting soil is dry and needs watering; if it makes a dull sound, the potting soil is moist and you can hold off on watering.

Weighing method: judge by how heavy the pot feels in your hand; when completely dry, it is much lighter. (People who handle their pots often will be better at this.)

[Visual method]: Observe with your eyes whether the color of the potting soil surface has changed and what color it has become. If the color has lightened or turned grayish-white, the potting soil is dry and needs watering; if the color has darkened or turned brown, the potting soil is moist and you can hold off on watering for now.

[Rolling and pinching method]: Roll some potting soil between your fingers. If the soil is powdery, the potting soil is dry and should be watered immediately; if the soil is flaky or crumbly, the potting soil is moist and you can hold off on watering for now.

[Finger test method]: Gently insert a finger about 2 cm deep into the potting soil and feel the soil. If it feels dry, rough and hard, the potting soil is already dry and needs immediate watering; if it feels somewhat moist and soft, the potting soil is moist and you can hold off on watering for now.

[Wooden stick method]:Insert a bamboo or wooden stick or a toothpick into the potting soil, pull it out and observe the moisture of the soil clinging to it, and you can judge the moisture of different soil layers.

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