How to Use a Soaker Hose

Ask any gardener. Everyone will tell you how important soaker hoses are when it comes to watering your plants and keeping your garden wet.

Even if you’re a beginner, a soaker hose will help you water your plants effectively with the correct water pressure.

I’ve been gardening for a long time now and trust me these hoses work like a gem. I can manage to water my plant perfectly, and they get enough amount of water they need to stay well.

Since plants are like my children, I want my plants to look lively all the time. I’m sure you want the same, right? Start watering your plants with a soaker hose, and you’ll see the difference within a week.

Don’t you have a clue how to use a soaker hose at all? It is pretty easy, to be honest. Don’t worry, as a fellow gardener, I would love to help you with all the information you need.

How to Use a Soaker Hose?

Please read the following steps carefully and learn how to use a soaker hose in less than five minutes. If everything goes right, you can start using soaker hose from tomorrow. And hopefully you will see the difference before the week ends.

Wind It Through the Garden

Firstly, you’ll need to make sure there’s a huge gap between your soaker hose and the shallow-rooted annuals. While you place it against the perennial’s stem, you’ll need to create a haven for disease.

There should be a 4 inches gap between the stems and the soaker hose as you roll it out to water the annuals. If you’re dealing with a large plant, like let’s say trees or shrubs, the gap should be about 12 to 24 inches from the stem or trunk.

It will let the water drip down over the roots very easily. Always remember, if you’re using clay soil, the water will disperse further. It won’t be the same case if you’re dealing with sandy soil.

To know the difference and make the best use of everything, a little experimentation will come handy while searching for the right spot.

Slowing down the mineral deposit buildups is important in the hose from water. If you want to do that, you’ll have to cover the hose using 2-inches of mulch.

Sometimes the soaker hose will have kinks in it. If that’s the case, just unwrap your soaker hose and spread it under the sun for a few hours. You can use landscape fabric pins to hold the soaker hose in place.

Setting the Faucet

In most cases, watering about 1” per week will be enough for your garden. The flow rates your soaker hose have is listed on its roll. You can also check the kit packaging to have all the information.

Remember, the narrower soaker you have, the faster flow rate it will offer.  Turning the water faucet too high will let you have water droplets like shooting streams.

If you want to prevent damage, turning the faucet on about one-quarter to one-half turn will be enough. The moment the water will seep from the pores is when you’ll realize. Everyone the correct pressure.

The further you’ll keep the water from the faucet, the lower the water pressure you’ll get. For this reason, it’s always recommended not to connect several soaker hoses together.

To deliver steady pressure, you should keep the hose length to 25 feet. Installing a Y valve on the faucet is a great idea if you want to water multiple areas.  For optimum pressure, you should water one area at a time.

Figuring Out the Run Time

If you don’t know how long you’ll have to water the soil using your soaker hose, you can do permanent damage to your garden.  So, when it comes to learning how to use a soaker hose, knowing the run time is simultaneously important.

Let me tell you about a simple trick. You can run the hose for 45 minutes in one go, alright? Then, check the soil and observe how deep the water has penetrated.

You’ll be able to know this simply by using your finger or a garden shovel. When it comes to annuals, the water must reach at least 4 inches deep. If you’re dealing with perennials, the water will need to reach at least 12 inches deeper or more.

Special Situations

Are you gardening in hillside areas? The soaker hose will help you to prevent erosion. As water rolls downhill, you’ll have to place the soaker hose uphill from the plants.

Remember, the plants higher up on the hill tend to dry out faster compared to the ones near the bottom. So, you’ll need to spend more time watering plants uphill than the ones on the lower lands.

If you want to water the plants on a slope, you’ll have to lay your soaker hose horizontally. Are you dealing with several potted plants? No worries at all; for easy drip irrigation, you can wind the hose through the containers.

What’s Now?

Now that you know how to use a soaker hose, all you need to do is buy one. There are plenty of amazing soaker hoses available in the marketplace. Get your hands on the soaker hose and start watering your plants like a pro from tomorrow.

You will see the difference yourself as your plants and garden will get the right amount of water sprinkles necessary.