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4. Secure all sensor cables through the provided cable clamps and then secure the
mounts by driving a screw through the clamp into the cable clamp mounts
located above the grommets.
Before "Planting" the Sensors
If you can, soak soil moisture sensors overnight in water before installing them.
• Always "plant" a wet soil moisture sensor.
• If time permits, wet the soil moisture sensor for 30 minutes in the morning and let
dry until evening, wet for 30 minutes and let dry overnight, wet again for 30 min-
utes the next morning and let dry again until evening. Soak over the next night
and install wet. This will improve sensor response during the first few irrigations
or waterings.
"Planting" the Sensors
1. Make sensor access holes to the depth required with a 7/8" diameter rod.
• Make a hole for the soil moisture sensor and a sepa-
rate adjacent hole for the temperature probe.
• For very coarse or gravely soils, an oversize hole of 1"
to 1 1/4" may be needed to prevent abrasion damage
to the soil moisture sensor membrane. In this case,
you will need to "grout in" the sensor with a slurry
made from the sample soil to get a snug fit in the soil.
2. Always install sensors in the active root system of the
crop with a snug fit in the soil.
CAUTION: In gravelly soils and with deeper sensors, you must
use extra caution to install the soil moisture sensor
without damaging the membrane.
• Lack of a snug fit is the biggest problem in obtaining
good soil moisture sensor readings.
• The ideal method of making the access hole is to have
a stepped tool. This makes an oversize hole for the
upper portion and an exact sized hole at the bottom
where the sensor is located.
2
Cold rolled steel,
round rod
1-1/4" (32 mm)
approximate
diameter
Overall length
variable
2-1/2" (64 mm)
7/8" (22.5 mm)
Stepped Sensor Installa-
tion Tool
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