One of the biggest challenges you’ll face in your garden this spring is ensuring the space gets the right amount of water. Controlling moisture can, of course, help ensure healthy plants. It can also limit traffic from pests that frequent oversaturated areas, and a moisture sensor are the best way to collect all the data you’ll need to keep your garden well-watered.

The old guard might tell you an analog device is the best way to track your garden’s moisture, and some well-respected gardening sites might even agree. If you prefer to monitor data on your smart device, the Netro Whisperer is well worth a look. The waterproof, solar-powered, and Wi-Fi-enabled device will cost you about $80 if you buy direct from Netro. While that may be more money than you want to spend for a moisture sensor, the 2nd Gen Whisperer may be worth the price, helping you track vital garden stats like moisture level, ambient temperature, and sunlight with the help of a user-friendly app that works with both IOS and Android devices. 

As a bonus, the Netro Whisperer can also sync with intelligent watering systems and is equipped with an LED light to illuminate your garden at night, helping deter rodents. If you’re a design freak, the Whisperer’s sleek curvatures are also pretty easy on the eyes. Unfortunately, that sleekness may make the Whisperer a little more delicate than you’d prefer, with some users noting theirs actually broke while being installed in the dirt.