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Wireless Soil Moisture/ Temperature Station
6. To prevent fraying or cutting of cables,
secure them so they will not whip about in
the wind. Secure a cable to a metal pole by
wrapping electrical tape around them both.
Make sure cables are secure by placing clips
or ties approximately every 3 – 5' (1 – 1.6 m).
Note: Do not use metal staples or a staple gun to secure cables. Metal staples —
especially when installed with a staple gun — have a tendency to cut the cables.
Installing Soil Moisture Sensors
The soil acts as a reservoir to store water between irrigations, or rainfall, so that
it is available to the crop or plants as needed for healthy growth. The purpose
of using sensors to measure the soil water is to give you a better understanding
of how fast water is being depleted in the different areas of your field or lawn,
so you can better schedule your irrigations and correctly evaluate the true
effectiveness of any rainfall. By monitoring the soil moisture between irriga-
tions, you will gain a more accurate picture of this process over time, and
develop an irrigation scheduling pattern to meet your crop’s “need” for water.
This minimizes the guesswork, resulting in water savings, lower pumping
costs, and the elimination of excess leaching of nitrogen due to over irrigation.
While not absolutely necessary for operation, we recommend that a
temperature probe be installed with each soil moisture sensor. This allows the
soil moisture sensor’s readings to be temperature compensated for better
accuracy.
Note: WATERMARK Soil Moisture Sensor application information based on material
supplied by Irrometer Company, Inc.
Locating Sensors
Be aware of the soil variations in your field or lawn. The lighter soils dry very
quickly, heavier soils more slowly. Both conditions must be considered.
Furrow or Flood Irrigation
• Sensors are usually placed about 2/3 of the way down the run, just
ahead of the tail or backup water. This is the area where water penetra-
tion is usually the poorest.
• In tree crops, place the sensors on the drier side of the tree exposed to the
most sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is typically the Southwest
side of the tree, which is exposed to the hot afternoon sun.
Cable Clip
Cable Tie
Securing Cables with Clips and Ties
