Sustee water probe review

mudballs

mudballs

Well-Known Member
https://sustee.jp/en/
Screenshot (74).png

So I hold a Professional Lurker membership card in my wallet and one day i was reading a thread and saw this post
https://www.rollitup.org/t/i-think-they-dieing-from-root-bound.1065697/post-16639738
by MoFlow about a water probe i'd never seen before. It wasn't one of those bulky, bulbous, two prong thingy's, so i bought one instantly to test it out.
I wasn't going to treat this thing like a trailer queen in a living room potted plant, nope, this thing was getting the mudball treatment.
There's a couple of sizes for these, i didn't know that when i first bought it, i just slammed buttons "take my money!" I got the Large so im happy.
Thing works pretty good on first test outdoors. I haven't really ran this thing through the ringer like it's going to be treated week after week so durability is unknown.
There is also something on the packaging that says you should replace the filler (thing that turns blue) every 6 to 9 months, worry about that later down the road.
Knowledge is power and i like knowing what's going on inside my mounds water wise. This could help me save and extend my already thin rainwater collection so this is getting a thumbs up from me on first review, sorry for video size, couldn't be helped.


@Moflow, @m4s73r
 
cobshopgrow

cobshopgrow

Well-Known Member
nice test, to what i remeber they dont like to be pulled out of the soil too often as the cotton textile theyre based on can be damaged this way.
i just stuck mine in once and left it there, its working since.
some more infos can be found on the sustee website, there is a nice chart too, it goes white at 2pF right before where most plants starts to wilt a bit.
 
mudballs

mudballs

Well-Known Member
cobshopgrow said:
nice test, to what i remeber they dont like to be pulled out of the soil too often as the cotton textile theyre based on can be damaged this way.
i just stuck mine in once and left it there, its working since.
some more infos can be found on the sustee website, there is a nice chart too, it goes white at 2pF right before where most plants starts to wilt a bit.
Click to expand...
cob says the one he had for about 2 months in the pot finally stopped working. Looks like the roots and/or the caustic nature of the soil destroys the apparatus rapidly. For me I only use it for about 8hrs to get a reading then remove the device. I'm not saying this will prolong shelf life of the Sustee, just appraising anyone in the market for one of these should know they may not be durable enough for your application.
Thnx cob for the update
 
cobshopgrow

cobshopgrow

Well-Known Member
mine lasted almost the hole grow, so it wasnt bad at all.
worked reliable when it worked.
when it stopped working (simply stayed white), i pulled it out and felt quite some resistance as if the roots where growing in to it.
i soaked it in vinegar (mudballs suggested), it started to go blue again but i havent tested the sustee afterwards if it really works.
there is some cleaning instructions on the website for this case, vinegar isnt the official way while prob good if there calcium residue to solve.
ive also read that constantly removing it from the soil damage the fabric over time and shorten the lifetime.
of course that was not my problem, but i read it a few times.
prob there are a few ways to destroy these sensors, while in worst case such a cheap refill kit will fiix it in any case.
 
xtsho

xtsho

Well-Known Member
I don't get it. I've been growing plants indoors and outdoors for 50 years and have never once needed a probe to tell me when to water. I guess that's why they say people like me have a green thumb.
 
mudballs

mudballs

Well-Known Member
xtsho said:
I don't get it. I've been growing plants indoors and outdoors for 50 years and have never once needed a probe to tell me when to water. I guess that's why they say people like me have a green thumb.
Click to expand...
Just us growers digging into what's available ya know ...someone had to try those airpots with holes in the side to figure out they're valid. LST ties, same deal, people use different stuff. Just another thing in the garden some may like to use. I try not to judge and just put the info out there for anyone.
 
Moflow

Moflow

Well-Known Member
The sustee i got to try out has done a full grow. I took it outta the soil and gave it a good rinse under the tap to get rid of access soil, it turned blue, then I let it dry out - turned white, ready for round two. :D
At least you can buy refills for them cheap - ~ £7 $9
 
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