soaker hoses

[The Mouse]

I know it seems silly to be thinking about these now, when the soil is already waterlogged for most of us, but this is the time of year when I start planning for next year!

I've often thought about using a soaker hose on my allotment, so that I could get on with other jobs while the plants are getting water.
However, I don't really know where to start, and am hoping that some of you can make a few suggestions.

Firstly, I'm not sure how much of the allotment I could realistically water at any one time by this method, given that pressure from the tap I would be connectiong to is not brilliant. In fact, if one of the other three taps on the site is in use, the pressure can fall to a trickle.

My plot is long and narrow (about 150ft x 14ft), and I have divided this into five smaller sections, separated by grass paths.
I was wondering whether just to buy one 15m length of soaker hose, and try to wind this along the rows in one of the smaller sections, moving it from section to section at each watering session.

Or maybe I should try to set up something more permanent right down the allotment?

I would really love some advice on this from any of you who have used these hoses.

Many thanks, in advance

[sally wright]

Dear Mouse,
we use lots of soaker hose where I work and it is very good. here are a few tips on getting the best out of it.
1. use only clean or fine filtered water through it as it can clog up easily.
2. it is best used at low pressure as it is not a strongly made pipe and high pressure will will find the weakest point and you will have a fountain.
3. it will work better under mulch or woven fabric and it will last longer. again when it is not in use roll it up carefully and put it out of sunlight.
4. do not rely on the end joints staying connected when just pushed together. all the companies say this will be enough, it isn't, use jubilee clips to joint the hoses together properly.
5. soaker hose will give a more even coverage if it is joined back on itself and made into a loop.
6. if you can leave it running overnight i would recommend that you do so.
7. dont forget to label the pieces of hose if they are for different sized beds. this saves a lot of stress in spring when you are busy.
8. it is best left in place during the growing season and if you are going to have several beds attached to this system it is best to have an easy release joint for the separate sections.
9. if all your beds are the same size you could design each pipe layout for different crops so that they have water in the most efficient way eg the carrot bed has a grid system but the squash bed just has a loop.
10. use pieces of cheap green hose to join sections together if they are not where water is needed. eg the ends of a grid system for rows,
11. remember the longer the hose the more time it will take to water a bed thoroughly. check with a trowel just how far the water has gone.

happy soaking
Sally Wright

[The Mouse]

Thanks so much, Sally.

That's exactly the sort of thing I needed to know.

I know this is one of those 'how long is a piece of string' questions, but what length of soaker pipe do you think I could run off one tap with not very good water pressure, assuming that I will probably be limited to 4 - 6 hours of watering each time? Unfortunately, I don't live near enought the allotment for overnight watering to be possible, at least not on a regular basis.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Bert The Mouse, i'm not trying to complicate things, but i use a flat sprinkler hose. You can either have the slits facing downwards to soak between rows, or facing upwards to water a larger area, very handy for watering seed beds. I have a length of normal hose to enable the watering of different areas, and just move the sprinkler hose to where it is needed.

[The Mouse]

Dear Bert The Mouse, i'm not trying to complicate things, but i use a flat sprinkler hose. You can either have the slits facing downwards to soak between rows, or facing upwards to water a larger area, very handy for watering seed beds. I have a length of normal hose to enable the watering of different areas, and just move the sprinkler hose to where it is needed.

Hi, OH

I've seen pictures of those, but I read something that put me off (but I can't for the life of me remember what it was ).

This might be a really stupid question, but do they need more water pressure than the other sort? They look like they might!

And do you join yours back on itself, like Sally suggested, or do you have some kind of stopper on the end?

As you'll have noticed by now, I'm not very clued up on these technical things, so I will probably be asking a lot more silly questions before I decide what I should get and how to set it up.

thanks again,
Bert the mouse

[Nature's Babe]

Here is a link to Emilia Hazlips method that suits both flood and drought, I am trying two new beds like this in my front garden and intend planting a mix of veg and flowers potager style. If your water pressure is poor then this might be an alternative.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 864235132#

[sally wright]

Dear Mouse,
we run 50m lengths through our herbaceous borders with no trouble. I don't seem to have made myself clear on the point that low water pressure is a GOOD thing for soaker hose. We generally turn on the tap for no more that 1/4 to 1/2 a turn. Anything more than that risks blow outs as it isn't strong stuff. The whole point of a soaker hose is the gentle distribution of water over many hours.
The point of having both ends of the hose connected to the water supply is to even out the pressure throughout the pipe. It helps the water to leave the pipe more or less equally all the way along the pipe and reduces the stress on any one part of the pipe and helps it to last that little bit longer.
Regards Sally Wright.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Bert The Mouse, the thing you may have read is that the slits can get bunged up over time, but this is only a matter of turning the water on and running your thumb nail over the hose.

We have a low water pressure here, but it works fine, it just doesn't cover such a wide area in the upright position.

No you don't join them back on themselves.
They also come pre-bunged at the end, so you have to try and buy a length that suits your plot.

And one more thing, none of your questions are in the slightest, silly.
There's lots of things i don't know.

[The Mouse]

Dear Mouse,
I don't seem to have made myself clear on the point that low water pressure is a GOOD thing for soaker hose. We generally turn on the tap for no more that 1/4 to 1/2 a turn. Anything more than that risks blow outs as it isn't strong stuff. The whole point of a soaker hose is the gentle distribution of water over many hours.
Regards Sally Wright.

Dear Sally
Don't worry, I had understood what you were saying about the pressure.
I guess I've looked at so many articles/comments on these hoses that I simply forgot. So many people elsewhere seem to be suggesting that the length you can run of one tap is very limited because of pressure!

Thanks again to all of you. Thanks to your advice, I'm starting to get a much better idea of what I need and what would probably work best on my plot.

Because I've got five separate beds (not to mention the new half-plot which will be given over mainly to fruit), I think I need to set up separate systems on each, then move my main hosepipe around to connect to any one system at a time.

Both for budget reasons, and because I'm on a bit of a learning curve, I'll probably get one system up and running before thinking about the next, so I can adapt my plans (ie. learn from my mistakes!!!) as I go along.

Talking of budgets, I've read that some people just get old hosepipes and make lots of holes in them - do you think that would work?

Thanks again.

[peter]

Because I've got five separate beds

OH, calm down, its just a vegetable bed.

Interesting the comments about pressure, does the water manage to get to the end of the leaky bit?
Is it a matter of ensuring that the leaky bit is as near to level as possible, or, alternatively laid so the water runs downhill to the bunged end?

[oldherbaceous]

All's calm here.