[header] How to measure soil moisture [title] Stick your finger 1-2 inches (2.5-5.1 cm) into the soil. [step] If you're just trying to get a general idea of how dry or moist your soil is, simply take a good look at it. If it's a light color, such as tan, and/or is hard and compacted together, then your soil is most likely on the drier side. 
This may mean that you need to water your soil more. [substeps] Keep in mind that some soil naturally looks lighter, despite the amount of moisture in it.