HDE Hydroponic Grow Kit Review

Good meters for hydroponic and soil gardening, easy to read and use, accurate. Amazon Affiliate Product Link: http://amzn.to/1RVRJnP

This set contains three tools to help you with growing fruits and vegetables hydroponically and in soil. There is a 3-in-1 moisture, pH, and light meter that is meant to be used in soil, a total dissolved solids (TDS) meter which measures the total amount of mobile charged ions, including minerals, salts or metals dissolved your water to monitor nutrient levels, and a separate digital pH meter for measuring the pH of liquid solutions (for hydroponics).

The soil monitor is super easy to use and read and it does not require any batteries. Just stick it in the dirt next to your plant in the area that you want to measure and read the measurements on the meters. There’s a switch on the unit that allows you to change the reading from moisture to pH. This is great for knowing when to amend the soil for plants that love certain kinds of soil conditions like acidic soil for blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. You can also gauge whether or not an area is receiving enough light at a given point during the day and whether your plants need watering which is useful for indoor/outdoor potted plants.

The pH meter has a simple on/off switch and LCD display for the pH readout. This unit takes 3 coin cell batteries that are loaded in the top by simply pulling the top off (batteries included). The pH meter needs to be calibrated with a buffer solution before first use. These are available at hydroponics stores and online but is not included with this set. What you want to do is mix the buffer powder with water and then ensure the meter gives you the correct reading. If it’s off, use the included screwdriver to turn the trimmer screw on the back to adjust the meter until it is correct. The case also has holders for extra batteries for the unit. Do be careful not to touch the electrode because it’s a very fragile and thin piece of glass and breaks easily.

The TDS meter requires two coin cell batteries that are again included and loaded in the top of the unit. It also has a simple LCD display readout and is an instant read tool. After submerging it in your nutrient solution, press the hold button to freeze the reading on the LCD so that it will remain when you remove the tool from the liquid to read it. The readout can display from 0-999.

All three tools are easy to read and operate. They provide the basic and essential information you’ll need to maintain a hydroponics system and care for your soil grown plants. The measurements appear to be accurate and the tools are constructed using light-duty materials.

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