The efficient use of irrigation water requires several kinds of information. One element of an efficient irrigation scheduling is monitoring the soil to assure that the crop irrigation goals are being met. Various soil moisture measuring devices were tested for irrigation scheduling in silt loam. Neutron probes, frequency domain probes, tensiometers, and granular matrix sensors were compared. Granular matrix sensors were tested as read automatically by a datalogger and read manually with a hand-held meter. Practical suggestions are provided to use soil moisture sensors to the benefit of crop production and water conservation.