Measurement of Soil Moisture

1. Determining gravimetric soil water. This is the most accurate method for your use. 2. Hand-feel method. This is a faster method but is prone to error since it requires experience and can be subjective. The preferred method for determining soil moisture is the use of gravimetric soil moisture. However, if a person has experience in the hand-feel method and is comfortable in this method, this is an acceptable method. The use of the hand-feel method and gravimetric soil sampling together is strongly encouraged. The hand-feel method will allow for more locations to be sampled while the gravimetric soil sampling can back-up results from the hand-feel. The following procedures will help in determining the amount of stored soil moisture.