Take the Guesswork Out of Watering
Try a moisture-measuring Sustee stick, instead!
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! This mantra is how we remember the daily eight cups of water we need to drink to stay healthy. But what's the mantra for watering plants? Worry, worry, worry? On the contrary. Watering can be easy when you have the right tools. Enter the Sustee stick: This moisture meter gauges exactly when it's time to water.
Even though your plant can't request a drink, a Sustee can tell you when it's thirsty. So, let's ditch the watering woes and make it simple. Here's how this magical stick can work for you.
What Is a Sustee Stick?
Why Do You Need a Sustee Stick?
Water, wilt, water, wilt—it’s easy to get stuck in this pattern with your plants. Sustee Sticks make it easy to break the wait-and-see cycle. Rather than waiting for plants to show signs of dehydration or overwatering, you can use a Sustee Stick to know when it’s time to give your plants a drink. This keeps plants from getting too much or too little water, and swinging between healthy and stressed. If you're a first-time plant parent looking to buy houseplants online, you should also add a Sustee Stick to your cart so you can be prepared right away.
Your Sustee Stick will keep you from falling into the common pitfalls of improper watering, such as:
- Yellow or browning leaves
- Wilting leaves and stems
- Slow, stunted growth
- Dry, brittle leaves
- Root rot
- Green soil covered with algae
How to Use a Sustee Stick
Once you have a Sustee stick for your pot, you gain peace of mind. This nifty tool makes it so easy to monitor your plant's hydration, all you have to do is kick back, relax, and admire your indoor garden.
Determine the Size
Sustee Sticks are not one size fits all. The size of your plant's pot will determine the size of the moisture stick needed. These sticks come in three sizes for small, medium, and large size pots. Small pots are less than 4.5" in diameter, medium pots are between 4.5" and 7" in diameter, and large pots are anything over 7" in diameter. Any easy way to think about pot size is that small pots can fit on a shelf, medium pots can be set on a table, and large pots have to be set on the floor.
Water and Wait
Before watering, simply place the moisture meter stick into the soil at the base of your plant, slightly angled toward the roots. Make sure the color indicator window at the top of the Sustee Stick is visible to you. This will allow you to see when the color changes, informing you that it's time to water. When the color window appears blue, your plant does not need to be watered. When it's completely white, it's time to give your plant a soak.
Water evenly and thoroughly until water comes out of the drainage hole. The time it takes for a Sustee Stick to recognize you've watered depends on the amount of water given and the size of your pot: Small pots take about 3 minutes for the meter to return to blue, medium-sized takes 15, and large pots may take up to 25 minutes.
Replacing the Cores
Eventually, you'll need to replace the inner core component to keep your moisture stick functioning. You'll know when it's time for a replacement when the stick stops turning blue, even after watering. This usually takes about 6 to 9 months.
To replace the inner core mechanism, remove the cap at the top of the stick by twisting it clockwise. Pull out the inner core which includes the color changing panel, and set in the new Core Refill for Plant Moisture Indicator. You can find replacements at our online plant store.