Adding Nutrients with an EC Sensor

July 1 2024 1:43am • Est. Read Time: 2 MIN

As of March 2021, we have stopped supporting Rise Gardens EC/pH sensors and started offering Smart Care in our app. However, if you have chosen to continue using an EC sensor with your Garden we’d love to guide you during this process! Using a sensor is very beneficial as it allows you to make real-time adjustments to your nutrient profile based on your home's tap water and your specific plant's growth rates. This can lead to healthier plants and a higher yield! 


What does an EC sensor measure?


  • EC (electrical conductivity): This reading will tell you how much nutrients are currently in your Garden. Young plants want a low EC value (60-180 10*uS/cm), while mature plants want a higher EC value (200-250 10*uS/cm).


  • pH: Readings will determine If you have a low concentration of Hydrogen ions, your water is acidic. If you have a high concentration of Hydroxide ions, your water is basic. The optimal pH range is 5.5 to 6.5, known as the GROW ZONE for hydroponics. 


What EC Sensor should I buy?


  • $0: Cheapest Option. Rise Gardens Smart Care! It requires no additional sensors and is continually updated to become more accurate as more plant nutrient profiles are generated. Smart Care is a great option to use while you decide which sensor works the best, or if you are waiting on a calibration solution and need to add nutrients.

  • $70-80 Low-range Option, this Hanna Instruments DiST®4 Waterproof EC. This tester only measures EC. However, with combination with any off-the-shelf pH strips like THESE is a great low-budget option. In general, pH test strips can be less accurate, but will still provide sufficient data for use with our app. 

  • $186-200 Mid-range Option, this Hanna Instruments Combo pH/Conductivity/TDS Tester contains both a pH and EC meter, is very reliable, and can be stored easily. 

  • $300-400 High-end Option, Bluelab Guardian Monitor MONGUA Guardian Monitor for pH, Temperature, and Conductivity (TDS).  Arguably the best quality sensor set on the market which includes both a pH and an EC sensor with a separate display screen for continual monitoring of your Garden. This allows you to track your readings live to obtain the best results. 

Switching from Smart Care to Sensor Care 



How to use your EC sensor



Place your EC Sensor on one of the openings located in your water tray and wait for the reading to settle.



Once you receive the values from your EC Sensor you may need to make some conversions depending on what measurement is being used in your EC Sensor. Please see below for how to convert these values:




Once you have converted your values you will need to add them to the Sensor Readings in the app. You will see this when you are adding nutrients, see below.