Soaker hoses one of the keys to easy, consistent, and deep watering making them great way to water both vegetable gardens and flower beds. Extend the life of your hose when they spring a leak with this short video tutorial about how to repair a garden soaker hose - a quick fix for under $4!
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If you've read any of my gardening tips about creating an easy care garden throughout the years of AOC, you know that soaker hoses are a key component to making gardening easier, whether you grow vegetables, plant flower beds, or both. (Unsure what a soaker hose is? Here's a link to what I'm talking about.)
Watering at the base of the plants - and not paths - is also best for your plants, providing a deep watering that can't be replicated with hand watering and without the loss of water that comes with overhead watering. Of course these benefits (and more) can be had with any type of ground watering system, whether it's drip systems, automatic in-ground, or soaker hoses.
How to Use a Soaker Hose
I love soakers the most, though, because they are cheaper than the other two options and they are SO easy to use. In my first years of gardening I bought a garden drip kit - holy cow, that was beyond me: connectors, different hoses, and the dreaded flow regulator...yikes, I got rid of that quickly!
To use a soaker hose simply:
- Buy it.
- Uncoil and let it sit in the sun a few days (key if you don't want to fight it to go where you want in your beds).
- Remove the ridiculous "flow regulator" plastic disc they all come with now (they didn't when I started using them- it's usually a blue disc) - it will take days to water with those in place! I find it much easier to regulate the flow myself with the spigot.
- Lay it where you want, snaking it around or near your plants.
- Hook it to your hose - make it super easy with these quick-connect hose ends.
- Turn the water on and let it run for 2-6 hours, depending on the flow and how dry your beds are (check to see how they water with your flow).
That's it, which is why they've worked for us for years.
Update: In fact, we created a super simple DIY automatic watering system for our new raised bed vegetable garden using soakers and inexpensive PCV piping! It's been a game-changer for us, so check it out here if you need a hands-off, inexpensive option.
The One Issue with Soaker Hoses
The one drawback with soakers is that after a few seasons, especially if you leave them out all year like we do, they will spring leaks.
Occasionally we've even gotten one or two bad brands of soaker hoses that start leaking within a few weeks. That is not the norm, though, and we always try to stay away from that brand going forward.
The good news is, repairing a garden soaker hose is an easy fix - one that Brian has done many times to repair our soakers.
Since we sing the praises of soakers, we thought it would be a good idea to provide a quick tutorial to show just how easy it is to fix them. In just a few minutes and for less than a few dollars, your soaker can be working again to make your gardening life easier!
Watch how to repair a garden soaker hose:
Soaker Hose & Repair Supplies List:
- Soaker hose (1/2")
- Quick-connect hose ends
- Hose mender set (1/2")
- Hose mender set (3/8" OR 1/2") Note: Reviews say you have to stretch it, but that it does work for 3/8 inch.
- Screwdriver
Do you use soakers like me? Why or why not?
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