A Greenhouse Game Changer

Rick Yates

Technology is coming to the aid of growers once again, this time in the form of a versatile direct-stick meter. The Pulse multimedia meter from Bluelab measures EC (electrical conductivity, AKA soluble salts), soil moisture and temperature in a wide variety of growing media.

Pictured: The Pulse meter with depth gauge.

Peat, coir, composted pine bark, rockwool and mineral soils can all be tested with nearly instant results. For the greatest amount of precision, the Pulse meter offers different settings for each type of soil mix. Settings can be quickly and easily changed to efficiently test multiple media mixes.

The Pulse meter can also be used to test solutions, saving the need for an additional meter. Test results can be transferred to a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone with the help of the free Pulse mobile app. Test data is stored by the app, so growers can easily review and analyze data. The Pulse app is now available for Android devices and iPhones.

Compared to making slurries and performing the 2:1 test, the Pulse meter is a bona fide timesaver. Testing is so fast that a large number of samples can be taken in order to get the most representative picture of what’s going on in the crop.

Pictured: The Pulse meter mobile app is currently available for Android devices and iPhones.

Calibration and cleanup are fast and easy, too. The probes are 8-in. long and come with a built-in depth gauge to ensure consistent measurements. Note: The Pulse meter can accurately test pots 4-in. deep or deeper. GT

Rick Yates is GGSPro Technical Support Manager for Griffin. He can be reached at ggsprotech@griffinmail.com.