Stake
A solar soil sensor that reads moisture at two depths and soil temperature every ten minutes.
$20
deposit$69 at launch
Choose a colour: StakeStake, by Fieldbench
Know which bed needs water.
Stake is a solar soil sensor. Push it into a bed and it measures moisture at two depths every ten minutes, then tells your phone which beds are drying out and which can wait.
Ships April 2027
Two depths
Moisture at 5 cm and 15 cm, so you can tell a dry crust from a dry root zone.
Runs on daylight
A solar cap charges a small cell. A week of cloud costs it nothing you will notice.
No hub needed
Your phone reads each Stake over Bluetooth. Add a Base to get readings while you are away.
We built it for our own allotment.
Two plots, one hose, and a habit of watering the wrong bed. The first Stake was a probe taped to a phone charger. The one you can reserve has been through three enclosures, two radios and a winter outdoors.
Where we are
Every stage between the bench prototype and your garden. We post an update each time one closes.
Done:
Bench prototype
Done:
Forty prototypes in twelve gardens
Done:
Enclosure tooling ordered
Now: Planned
Engineering validation build
Next: Planned
Radio certification
Next: Planned
First production run
Next: Planned
Shipping to reservations
In the box
Each Stake ships with what it needs. The phone app is free and needs no account.
- Stake sensor28 cm, glass-filled nylon, with two moisture pads and a temperature sensor
- Solar capScrews on top, and is replaceable if a mower finds it
- Pilot spikeSteel, for opening a hole in clay or stony soil
- Quick-start cardPairing in three steps
Reserve one
A deposit holds your place in the first production run. It is refundable until your order ships.
Stake three-pack
Three solar soil sensors for comparing moisture and soil temperature across vegetable beds.
$40
deposit$179 at launch
Choose a colour: Stake three-packGarden set
Six Stakes and a plug-in Base for following soil readings across a garden from home or away.
$60
deposit$389 at launch
Pay deposit: Garden set
Updates
See allThe validation build starts
Our 200-unit engineering validation build is starting with checks for assembly, weather exposure and radio range.
What the deposit pays for
Reservation deposits stay in a separate account and will fund only the first production run's parts order.
Ordering the tooling
We have ordered the steel moulds for Stake and set aside time to check the first moulded parts.
Questions
Which soil types can I use it in?
Stake is intended for vegetable beds in sandy, loamy or clay soil. Make a pilot hole in hard or stony ground, then settle the soil against both moisture pads. Watch how readings change after watering, since soils hold water differently.
How many Stakes do I need per bed?
Start with one in a representative spot. Add another where soil, planting or watering differs across the bed. Each Stake measures the soil touching its pads.
Does Stake need Wi-Fi?
No. Your phone reads Stake over Bluetooth Low Energy when you are nearby. The optional plug-in Base uses Wi-Fi to collect readings from up to 24 Stakes within about 60 m, so you can see them away from home.
What happens to the battery in winter?
The solar cap charges a small rechargeable cell, which lasts about three weeks without sun. Short days, shade and snow reduce charging. Keep the cap clear and check the battery level in the app.
Hear when it ships.
Two emails: one when reservations open to the waitlist, one when your Stake leaves the workshop.