An efficient way of watering your garden has been invented and it is better than your ordinary sprinkler system. Soaker Hose is actually the grandfather of the drip irrigation system. In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about keeping your gardens irrigated properly with a soaker hose, the preferred tool for root level irrigation. When used correctly soaker hoses are a much more efficient way of maintaining your garden than using a conventional garden hose for both watering plants and keeping the soil moist in areas that need it.
There are a few reasons for this. First, they are normally buried in the ground which greatly reduces evaporation. For the same reason, they normally output water at a very low rate. There is much less water runoff if you’re using them on uneven terrain. It is also much easier to place them precisely where water is required.
Top 5 Soaker Hose: Compared
We have included a few reviews and tips and even the best way to use a soaker hose foundation of your house if you live in a dry area or have built on clay, to avoid damage to your foundation and walls over time.
Here’s the 5 Best Soaker Hose Reviews for Your Garden
1. Osmile Professional Series Soaker Hose – 100 Foot by Osmile
Combining an incredible 100 ft. length, a regular ¾” brass-made garden hose connection, a manageable 25 pounds weight and top of all, the capacity of emitting 1-gallon water per foot, this product is a great asset for watering your lawn or garden. At low pressure, it wets one-foot soil within one hour only, which is too fast a process compared with any hand water hose. Besides relieving you of tiring trialing of the hose under the hot sun, its industrial-grade strength makes sure that while looping around the flower bed, the hose doesn’t crack, resulting an unexpected flood in your garden. However, never form a circle or loop smaller than 2 feet, otherwise some kink may be produced causing hindrance in constant passing of water.
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The gardeners, who consider the soaker hoses as some despicable kit due to the inconsistency in spreading water throughout their full length, will find the Osmile Professional Series Soaker Hose astonishingly practical. Because this well-designed soaker hose dispenses the same volume of water very efficiently from the front to the end. Thanks to its 1″ diameter large and 2″ thick walls that deserves little bit appreciation also. Why? It not only slows down the soaking procedure (which is good for effective watering without getting curved) but also reduces the chance of sudden breakdown. This remarkable feature often remains absent in less expensive soaker hoses. So, from now on, getting your large field soaked will be a task of minutes. Just lay Osmile Soaker on your lawn, cover it with layers of mulch and set a timer. Simple! However, manage to confiscate air from the hose before use.
- Hose releases water very slowly but very evenly from beginning to end of the run
- Water distribution up to 5,280 feet on level terrain
- The leak rate is 1 gallon per foot, per hour at 30psi
2. Bosch Garden & Watering 27050GT Green Thumb Flat Weeper & Soaker Hose, 50
If flexible garden hose and water-saving are your demand, the Green Thumb 27050GT flat weeper fits the bill. It’s super pliable, so to make its installation on your garden tremendously down-to-earth. The distinctive formation of this 50-ft. soaker hose is ideal for saving water even while saturating the widely spaced shrubs.
During your setting it up near the vegetations, it wouldn’t mind taking a mild bend. But a sharp kink will certainly obstruct the flow. However, you can rely on it for decreasing the amount of vaporization in the soil around the bushy plants and roots. Perfect for watering tender and under matured plantings. Note that, for enjoying the best of what it’s capable of, manage to access low water pressure through it.
Handling this fabric type hose is more convenient than the plastic or rubber manufactured ones that bend or twist easily hampering the continual soaking process. Fastening a timer with this dependable Chinese product, you’re allowed to forget watering your plants manually. Once set, it’ll take care of your flower bed years after year making them grow naturally. However, for ensuring its long-term service, you’ll need to pay attention to some facts. For instance – since it can’t tolerate the weight of piled up snow and uninterrupted contact with ice, covering it with mulch would be a standard solution. Notwithstanding its susceptibility to extreme cold weather, this inexpensive model has no other drawback to lag it behind other pricy soaker hoses.
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3. Gilmour Flat Weeper/Soaker House, 75 Foot
Convinced that the weeping method watering will keep a vegetable garden fresh and lively all the year round, we are stoked to see the growing lineup of weeper hoses in the recent market. The Gilmour Flat Weeper is our favorite of these soaker hoses due to its unique combination of easy DIY watering system, sturdy construction and pliability. This affordable hose is above average in all categories except the visibility of kinks if used on some shorter lawn. However, it’s perfect for straight large garden area.
Unlike the typical rubber soaker, it’s manufactured from perforated PVC liner which has made it comparatively heftier. To safeguard it from the damaging ultra violet rays, the PVC liner is further coated with fabric. Moreover, the fabric plating saves the hose from getting clogged which guarantees unswerving soaking. All these make the product enduring and ensure an extended-ongoing watering season after season. Buyers should be aware that most of the soaker hoses’ performance begin to worsen with the passing of time, but even with anticipated deteriorating performance, the Gilmour can be expected to remain impressive. Still doubting its quality? Don’t. Because 7-year warranty is Not a joke!
The Gilmour soaker hose is unique in its straightforward way of installation. Use mulch to cover the hose and by clasping it with a timer, you’ll never forget to irrigate your lawn. So, if you’re like us and hate polluting the environs, this 100% eco-friendly recycled vinyl made hose deserves some extra consideration.
- Snake through rows of new seedlings or under mature plantings for efficient, deep...
- Create an easy DIY watering system by burying the hose under mulch. Hook it up to a...
- Made of 100% environmentally-friendly recycled vinyl
4. Dramm 17010 ColorStorm Premium 50 Foot Soaker Garden Hose, Black
Durable, incredibly lightweight and boasting kink-free operation, Dramm 17010 ColorStorm Premium is the one soaker hose we’d most want to have in our pack when a garden needs irrigation. It absolutely dominates the other garden hoses in watering the soil. It meticulously saturates the deep-rooted plants and saves 90% water from the regular drenching system.
Whereas other models can leave some corners or a large chunk around your vegetations bone dry, constructed out of recycled material, this 50-ft. black comes handy in wetting all the way through your lawn. Unlike the hoses with thin wall, Dramm 17010 will eradicate the geyser effect, cheers to its 50% thicker wall. It also causes less dehydration and assure that excessive water is not consumed. Snake this USA product through rows of new sprouts or pre-mature vegetation to keep them healthy and vibrant. In addition, the nickel-plated brass fittings are immune to crush, leak and gradual waning. Surprisingly, this high-grade rubber hose is backed by lifetime guarantee.
- Soaker hose
- Conveniently water gardens and beds
- Evenly waters from beginning to end
5. Apex 1030-50 Soil Soaking Hose, 50-Feet
Whereas most of the soaker hoses like Gilmour Flat Weeper aims at watering the even surface only, by allowing irrigation on patchy lawn or high flower beds Apex 1030-50 Soil Soaking Hose stands out of the crowd. Teknor Apex fabricates this hose using Vinyl which provides it enough stretchiness to be located amidst the plants effortlessly in proper position. Its soft structure has improved the workability and you can save up to 30% water by wrapping it with humidity-retaining mulch. Interestingly, such covering with soil or mulch won’t steal its ceaseless performance owing to its clog resistance feature. Besides, ABS Plastic E-Z Tite brass couplings build reliable links for consistent wetting.
What’s more? You can join up to 400 feet in order to moister your lawn without the slightest chance of getting folded or knotted impeding the smooth flow of water. Available sizes include 25′, 50′, 75′ and 100′ and all of them provide steady and uniform wringing operation throughout the full hose length. At 8 GPM flow rate, this USA made quality kit waters your lawn better than ordinary garden hoses. However, if you’re planning to spread hot water on some ground, we recommend looking for some other stuff developed to withstand that much adversity.
- Right to the Root!
- Up to 30% water savings
- Weeping pores allows for even soaking directly to roots
Soaker Hose Installation: Basics and placement
- This guide covers all aspects of soaker hose irrigation: where and how to place them, optimal length and flow rate for a hose, correct spacing between hoses, how often you should apply water to your property with them.
- Usually, your soaker hose will be attached to the end of a standard garden hose to apply water where it is needed precisely. Remember that these specialized hoses are not made for watering lawns; rather they are the perfect solution for watering root systems of plants in garden beds.
- Generally speaking, these root-level irrigation systems are comprised of either 1/2-inch or 5/8-inch hoses. If you are trying to irrigate an area that is a fair distance away from the water source you might need a 5/8″ diameter hose together with a 1/2″ size that can be joined using a compression fitting. Using the larger diameter hose closer to the faucet means that the water will have an easier time traveling all the way to the smaller diameter hose.
- If you attempt to use a large diameter hose over bigger areas, the pressure from the faucet may be insufficient to effectively deliver water all the way to the end of the hose. On the other hand, if your yard is rather small and your garden is near the faucet, i.e. within 50 feet or so, you might be fine using only a half-inch diameter hose, though again you will need a standard hose leading from the faucet itself. For very small areas there are also hoses that come in 1/4″ diameter.
- To more quickly irrigate larger areas you can lay hose lines 12 to 18 inches apart from each other if you have sandy soil and up to 2 feet apart if your soil has a high clay content or is loam.
- How often you run your hose will depend on exactly what you are growing of course, but a general rule of thumb is to turn it on for about 30 minutes two times each week. Check to see that the soil is moist, and naturally be aware that over-watering also will severely damage or kill plants.
- As the seasons change, you will vary the amount of water being put out to your plants by way of your soaker. The basic idea here is that watering your garden is entirely different from watering your lawn in practice, and so you need a different approach that is much more precise and better-suited to irrigating root systems. The best solution is a soaker hose, not only for your plants but your budget as well as the environment.
Soaker Hose Flow Rate
Most professional gardeners and irritation specialists recommend a maximum of 1 gallon of water per minute for each 100 feet of soaker hose you are using. Because of the specifications of these low-flow-rate hoses, you will achieve the best results if you limit the soaker portion of the line at the end of the garden hose to be 100 feet.
This applies whether you are using a 1/2 inch diameter hose or a 5/8 inch diameter. The pressure regulator which you should have installed on your line between the hose and the faucet should be set to approximately 10 or 12 psi.
For 1/4 inch diameter hoses, you should not exceed 2 gallons of water per hour for every 10 feet of hose.
Where To Place Your Soaker Hose
One thing you should never do with a soaker hose is to place it running uphill or downhill. This will severely reduce the effectiveness of the water delivery because it will be impossible for the hose, through which water is running at a very low flow rate, to apply water uniformly. The best way to place your hose is on level ground, and if this is not possible then you should at least try and place it across sloping property so that it is as level as possible. This way, at least when the water flows downhill it should do so at a fairly even distribution across the area you are watering. For a very steep slope, a surface drip irrigation system would be the preferred solution.
As previously mentioned, bury the hose beneath the surface of the ground no more than 6 inches deep. There are many reasons why you want to do this. First, the whole idea with root level irrigation is to get water to part of the plant that needs it, i.e. its root system. A slow flow of water to the roots of the plant is probably the most efficient way to properly water most plants in your garden. Naturally having the hose system buried is a more attractive way of presenting your garden bed as well.
Another enormous benefit, especially in these times of increased awareness about water conservation, is that because soaker hose systems are buried beneath the surface of the soil, they prevent huge amounts of evaporation that would otherwise occur with a standard hose configuration. Not only does this save water, it saves homeowners a lot of money each year, especially those of us who live in very warm climates.
Don’t Forget: Backflow Preventer and Pressure Regulator
It is absolutely critical that you use a couple of soaker hose fittings that will turn your hoses into a ‘smart’ irrigation system: start with a backflow preventer between the faucet and the garden hose. This small device prevents water from reversing direction back into your drinking water. Since the hose flows at such a low rate and because it is normally buried just beneath the surface of the ground, it is fairly common for the holes in it to get clogged. A backflow preventer will at least make certain that the flow of the water does not reverse entirely.
You’re probably wondering how to prevent damage to your hose in the event that the holes in it are plugged, and the backflow preventer is working properly. The answer is to install a pressure regulator that will be activated when the flow into the hose stops. In this case, the pressure is handled and halted by the regulator just as a faucet normally would. Many homeowners also like to install a timer on the backflow preventer/pressure regulator assembly so that the entire system can be easily set and subsequently monitored and re-checked.
This applies whether you are using a 1/2 inch diameter hose or a 5/8 inch diameter. The pressure regulator which you should have installed on your line between the hose and the faucet should be set to approximately 10 or 12 psi.
How to clean soaker hoses
Well, here are some quick and easy steps to clean up your soaker hose and all you need is a scrub brush, a large tub, some dishwashing liquid, and finally some hose valves and end caps.
Cleaning Steps:
- After each growing season, remove the hose from the ground and brush off all the dirt you can see. At the same time, inspect the hose for any tears or breaks.
- Once the dirt has been brushed off, coil the hose in a large tub of water. You will need to weigh down the hose with something heavy such as bricks to keep the hose immersed.
- When the hose has been submerged, add three to four tablespoons of dishwashing detergent. Make sure to avoid cleansers with ammonia or those that have been chlorinated since these can deteriorate the rubber.
- Let the hose soak for two to three hours.
- Afterwards, remove the hose from the tub and connect the hose to a water source and flush the inside for two to three minutes to remove and leftover debris from the hose.
- Remove the hose from the water source and lay it out and inspect it for any pores that are clogged. Each spot should then be marked with painter’s tape.
- The clogged holes should then be pierced with a pin to push the dirt into the hose. Reconnect it once more to a water source and flush once more for five minutes.
- Air dry the hose and store it away from sunlight if it is not going to be used as ultraviolet radiation can deteriorate the rubber.
A Better Garden With A Soaker Hose
If you own your own home and have enough space in your front and back yards, chances are you have at least thought about planting a garden to produce vegetables and other interesting plants for consumption by you and your family. More and more, people are attempting to reduce food costs by growing their own food, and in addition to being a practical, money-saving step that you can take to reduce your food budget, gardening is also a terrific hobby, especially for senior citizens and for children.
I’d like to suggest that before you go ahead and create this garden of yours that you think carefully about irrigating your garden as it is an entirely different process from how you already go about watering your lawn. If you bury a soaker hose a few inches below the surface of the ground you will have not only taken a huge step toward giving your plants the moisture they need; you also will be spending a lot less money on the water you’re using to help your plants thrive.
Last update on 2024-12-03 at 15:29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Details
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