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A typical garden moisture meter has a metal tip seperated from the rest of the metal rod by plastic. The amount of electrical conduction between them is what measures the moisture. If there is no contact between them it will not register.

That means that potting soil, bad for bonsai, will give good acuurate readings since the particles are so small and close together. With a good gritty bonsai soil like calcined clay, there will be no such contact because the particles are
larger, far apart with gaps in between them.

For me a finger is the best judge of moisture, but with a really good, fast draining mix you can water daily to be safe and not have to worry about over watering.

11-Mar-2008	#5
bisjoe bonsaiTALK Expert Join Date: Oct-2006 Location: Sammamish Country: USA USDA Zone: 8b AHS Heat Zone: 3 Posts: 153	A typical garden moisture meter has a metal tip seperated from the rest of the metal rod by plastic. The amount of electrical conduction between them is what measures the moisture. If there is no contact between them it will not register. That means that potting soil, bad for bonsai, will give good acuurate readings since the particles are so small and close together. With a good gritty bonsai soil like calcined clay, there will be no such contact because the particles are larger, far apart with gaps in between them. For me a finger is the best judge of moisture, but with a really good, fast draining mix you can water daily to be safe and not have to worry about over watering.