Can You Use Sustee Outdoors? How It Works in Outdoor Pots 🌿
Yes, you can use Sustee outdoors. Sustee is designed to monitor moisture in potting mix and can be used with outdoor potted plants as well as indoor plants.
Outdoor pots can be particularly tricky to water. Hot weather, wind, rain, full sun and the size of the pot can all affect how quickly the soil dries out. Instead of watering on a fixed schedule, Sustee gives you a simple visual indication of the moisture around your plant's roots.
How does Sustee work?
Sustee is a simple plant moisture indicator that changes colour according to the moisture available in the growing mix.
💙 Blue = moisture is available
When the indicator is blue, there is still enough moisture around the sensing area, so you can wait before watering.
🤍 White = time to water
When the indicator turns completely white, the growing mix around the sensor has dried out and it's time to water.
There are no batteries, apps or complicated settings. Just check the colour.
Can Sustee stay in an outdoor pot?
Yes. Sustee can be used in outdoor pots and left in the growing mix so you can check the moisture whenever you need to.
It's particularly handy for plants that live on:
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Balconies
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Patios
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Decks
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Courtyards
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Porches
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Outdoor entertaining areas
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Sunny terraces
It can also be useful for plants that are difficult to judge by looking at the leaves alone.
Why is watering outdoor pots tricky?
Outdoor plants don't dry out at the same rate every day.
A pot might dry quickly during a week of hot, windy weather, while several days of rain can leave the growing mix moist for much longer.
That's why a fixed watering schedule isn't always the best approach.
Instead of thinking:
"I water my plants every three days."
Sustee encourages you to think:
"Does my plant actually need water today?"
Check the indicator first.
What about rain?
Rain can make outdoor watering particularly confusing.
You might normally water your potted plants every few days, but then a decent downpour comes along. If the potting mix is still moist, adding more water may be unnecessary.
If your Sustee is still blue, that's a useful visual reminder to wait.
Just remember that Sustee measures moisture around its sensing area, so you should still consider the plant, pot, potting mix and weather conditions as a whole.
And make sure your outdoor pots have adequate drainage. A plant can need water without wanting to sit in constantly waterlogged soil.
What about hot weather?
Outdoor pots can dry out surprisingly quickly during hot weather, particularly when they're exposed to full sun or wind.
Sustee can be useful during these periods because you can check the moisture level rather than relying on a calendar.
You may find that your plants need watering more frequently in summer and less frequently during cooler or wetter periods.
Let the conditions around the plant guide you.
Which outdoor plants can you use Sustee with?
Sustee can be used with many different types of potted plants, including:
- Foliage plants
- Flowering plants
- Herbs
- Shrubs
- Fruit and citrus plants
- Tropical plants
- Some drought-tolerant plants
The important thing is that Sustee is being used in an appropriate growing medium and pot size.
If you're growing a particular plant with specific watering requirements, use Sustee as a moisture guide alongside the plant's normal care requirements.
Can you use Sustee on Australian natives?
Yes, Sustee can be useful for Australian native plants grown in pots.
This is particularly helpful because native plants can have very different watering requirements. Some prefer consistently moist conditions, while others prefer the growing mix to dry between watering.
Sustee doesn't replace knowing what your plant needs. Instead, it helps you see what's happening with the moisture in the pot.
How do you use Sustee in an outdoor pot?
Using Sustee is simple.
1. Choose the right size
Choose the Sustee size that suits your pot.
2. Insert it into the potting mix
Insert the Sustee into the soil at the base of your plant, pushing it down to between the ▼▲ arrow marks on the meter.
3. Water your plant normally
When the indicator is white, water the plant thoroughly, allowing excess water to drain from the bottom of the pot.
4. Check the colour
Once you've watered, Sustee will turn blue as moisture reaches the sensor.
Then simply keep an eye on it.
Blue? Wait.
White? Water.
Does Sustee replace checking your plant?
Not completely.
Sustee is designed to make checking moisture easier, but it's still important to look at your plant and consider its growing conditions.
Things such as:
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Temperature
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Rainfall
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Wind
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Pot size
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Potting mix
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Plant size
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Sun exposure
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Season
can all affect how quickly a plant uses water.
Think of Sustee as an extra set of eyes for what's happening below the surface.
Outdoor plants, less guesswork
The best thing about using Sustee outdoors is that it gives you a quick visual answer when you're standing there wondering:
"Does this plant actually need water?"
No sticking your finger into the soil.
No watering simply because it's your usual watering day.
No guessing based only on the weather.
Just check the colour.
💙 Blue = wait.
🤍 White = water.