Soaker Hoses vs. Drip Irrigation
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- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- I've had some blowouts with my soaker hoses in my garden. Here's why I prefer drip irrigation. What are your experiences with soaker hoses vs. drip irrigation?
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Kristen Whig is sooooo down to earth! I love her!
+Failure Engineer ha, ha - I do hear that occasionally- glad you enjoyed the video. Appreciate you stopping by!
Failure Engineer Omg she looks just like her! Even her mannerisms!
Good observation! You do look like Kristen Wiig ! She is one of my favorite actresses . I love your videos! They’re always so helpful. Thank you 😊
Seems wholesome
I do indeed LOVE drip irrigation. As a person who has used both, I am fond of the blowouts haha yours looked like mine last year! I switched my system and won't go back. I use a combination. Soaker hose works great for me because when i planted in rows, I just space my plants out at 12 inches, or 24 inches, and that typically would cover every single plant. The drip line is very nice, and it is easy to manipulate in the places you want it to go vs. the soaker hose where you better only be going in a straight line because it crimps so easily, and is square so you can't really coil it or anything.
Well said - sound like you've got a good system going!
I agree with the preference of drip over soaker hose, I have never actually used a soaker hose yet myself though I have dealt with them helping other people out.
I would note, that to fix a soaker hose one can simply cut out the damaged area and slip in a snug fitting plastic pipe to rejoin the cut ends back together and then use two hose clamps to clamp them down onto the plastic pipe.
One could also take this idea a little further and section "pieces" of soaker between plastic pipes where you specifically want watering if you wanted to better target soaker hose watering.
I use the soaker hoses from Miracle-Gro. They don't collapse like hers, and if they ever spring a leak, you just fill the crack with a little RTV and wrap some electrical tape around that spot. No more leak!
One thing to consider is your water pressure. If the pressure is excessive it will shorten the life of the soaker hoses and the drip system as well. I would recommend placing a pressure regulating valve where the drip system connects to the home. I assume you are running the system from a spigot at the house. I would also consider adding a filter to keep contaminants out of the system. The drip emitters are designed to run at a certain pressure in order to get the desired GPH. If the system exceeds the recommended pressure the 1 GPH emitter may be well over 1 GPH. I have installed literally hundreds of miles of drip and conventional irrigation systems and have never had an issue using a regulator. I have had major issues not using one however.
Thanks for the advice, Ken. We do have a pressure regulator at the top of the system, and I think the drip hoses just plain wore out. I think we've got it up and running now, it was a job to replace all those soakers, esp. since most of the garden was already planted and we had to work around the plants.
And that's why I call it irritation! And by the way, those flat soaker hoses can be fixed. You have to use 1/2" hose repair parts, cut it open and put repair part in the white inside hose. Leaks right by the end can be cut off and use the same end to repair u only lose a little. Irritation any way u cut it.
You Are awesome I’m 63 now starting gardening but I have a lot of energy but I don’t know about all that, I need a watering system in the state of Texas
I like soaker hoses for beds where the plants cover the area, like my strawberry patch. For most everything else I use drip irrigation for the same reasons you covered in the video.
Every time I search for answers to gardening questions on UA-cam, it always leads to one of your helpful videos. Thanks!!
soaker hoses are a great idea for a quick fix to ground cover type bushes. You can fix them with hose repair kits. Mostly they break from being in the sun. Also great for trees.
One thing about gardening there's always something to do that's why I love it!!!!!
You got that right, Michael! I love hard work and keeping busy and active! Keeps us gardeners in good shape, doesn't it?
Kim you are totally right, you always want something that can be repaired because everything fails at the wrong time.
Its never convenient to make repairs, but a necessary part of life. At least with the drip, its more easily done. Thx for watching, Cris!
I use drip irrigation in a lot of my beds. One of the best features in drip, is that you can install different emitters for different size plants. Also you can adjust flag emitters for 1/2 g/h up to 4g/h. So if you have large plants next to small plants, just turn the drip emitter down or up. very simple.
I just put some of those flag drips in for the first time. Now I am hooked on them for plants that have higher water requirements. Thanks for sharing!
I love my drip irrigation system. Thanks to your video last year I have one. :)
I never had good luck with soaker hoses here in Florida, so I went with the adjustable drip emitters. It's all connected to the irrigation system timer with water that's supplied by my well pump which is separated from the city water system... Well worth the investment for sure
Hello Tim - you are so luck to have a well there and be able to get your plants off city water. Wells are practically non existent here - but guess Florida's water table is much higher! Good luck with your garden and thx for stopping by!
Great tips, Kim! One advantage to gardening here is that we usually get enough rain and have never had to invest in an irrigation system. This time of year, I might hand water the garden a few times a week, but once the plants are established we don't have to water much at all. The mulch helps too. That said, I know that you have a very different situation there in southern California (to say the least). :D
wow, are you ever lucky! We have to water year round - esp this past winter with it being so hot. We just get plain toasted. My leaf mulch is helping, though!
Looks like I will be going with the drip instead. Your points were my concerns thanks for the video
Both systems have pros and cons. I have two large gardens 150X50 and use soaker hoses more cost effective as I can move them as needed to other rows. I can run 6 hoses at a time or more with hose spliters and with an old hose I make short coupling hoses out of it with connectors. End of the season I roll it all up and put a way and till up my garden. I usually have to replace a hose or two every couple years but for me I'm willing to accept this small issue and if you go with the better ones its not as much of a problem.
Drip systems are more
for a fixed location where things will not be moved or plowed up they are more expensive and involved to set up but you do have the advantage of precise watering. Still soaker hose is still more efficient than setting up a sprinkler ect to cover an area. So you have to look at all your requirements, but for what your doing yes drip system makes more sense
Hey, may I ask which brand of soaker hose you use and why you have to replace it so frequently? To you cover them when they're out during the summer or are they mostly in broad daylight?
I have laid soaker hoses out on top of the ground covered with mulch. Turn on the hose. Wait about an hour and a half. The amount of water disseminated along the length of the hose varies dramatically. So one part of the hose might be getting 2gph, another part getting 1/2 gph, and another part nothing. Much better to use something you have a bit more control over, and can periodically verify.
Hey, I know it's been a while since you commented but if you don't mind my asking - which brand of soaker hose were you using that you weren't satisfied with? Do you remember if it was used on an even surface or was it subject to hight differences?
I think they're all just poorly engineered. No two soaker hoses have the same thickness and roundness. The product isn't consistent, from hose to hose and even from inch to inch. None of them are a quality manufactured product. Just a cheap rubber product mass produced with cheap injection molding machines that probably make a dozen other products.
Drip irrigation has made watering so much easier in our little garden! We got the inspiration from your original drip irrigation video. :-)
Hello nellyandhernerd ! I am so glad my original drip video inspired you - thx so much for letting me know - I love to hear that kind of feedback! It really does set your mind at ease knowing your garden will be watered automatically. I love hearing my system click on in the morning! Your garden grows so much better with that regular watering, doesn't it? Thx for watching!
Thanks! I have a large dripper irrigation setup around my house. I was ready to just add a soaker hose for one of my raised bed. Until your soaker hose video warning. I guess I was being lazy, I had a new one sitting around and just wanted to use it (a soaker hose). After your video I decided to continue with drip irrigation. Thanks Dan
Hey, quality soaker hoses can be far superior to drip irrigation in certain scenarios like subsurface lawn irrigation. May I ask what kind of system you use to water your turf?
great video . i have a raw property that needs to be built up . 1 acre. need to plant 30 aborvites and fill in a 90 feet long front bed. property is on a slight hill. sounds like drip irrigation will be much better then soaker.
really appreciate your video and efforts.
After installing a one gallon per hour drip emitter (developed in Israel) the next morning I dug down 1 1/2 feet and was amazed. The moisture profile was that of an ancient wine cask. (w/o the handles) Geysers V/S - A underground moisture profile that resembled plant root structure, with deep moisture attributes. "Converting to" slow release drip emitters is not a question of "If" but "When" (don't forget to use a water filter if your emitters stop-up)
Great to hear that you are seeing such good results! I am sold, deeper less often is better! Thanks for the water filter tip, too! Appreciate you watching and commenting, Don!
Lovely update I never had one any but thinking about it thank you for sharing have a blessed day Kin
You must be one of the lucky ones to live in an area where there is rain! Blessings to you too, Linda!
Thank you have a blessed evening
I agree. Soaker hoses decay quickly. I feel repairing them becomes a perpetual task. I do use a polyurethane based soaker hose in one area that lasts longer in the earth. These urethane hoses cost more money. They run about $50 per 25 feet. Similar to your garden I have a multi tiered garden. This is one reason that I use predominately a drip system. I can run my drip irrigation directly to the plants as opposed to soaker hoses wasting water on the earth between levels. I find that drip irrigation saves water, is very versatile, is easily concealed, is easily repaired and that the tubing and emitters are relatively inexpensive.
I have fix soaker hoses with holes with a combo of un-waxed dental floss and expoxy. I have tried foaming type Gorilla glue and the un-waxed dental floss. I had the recycled tire type. They don't last forever. I like those. I have done drip too. They don't last forever either. It really depends on your application.
Thank you for this! I know it’s 8 years old but you’re reasons to use a drip kit vs a soaker hose. I hope to implement on a boxwood hedge that has failed and died from drought and lack of water 😢
I have never used soaker hoses but i have used drip irrigation. With drips amount of water to be fed to plants can be controlled easily, there are less weed and less efforts.
*Great info on Drip Irrigation, Kim!*
I'm glad you put this up. I've got an irrigation system in the works and I was going to incorporate soaker hoses from my local big box store. You've definitely changed my mind! I think the drip system will fit my needs better.
Hi AOG - the drip is the way to go in my opinion! I know that DIG does have a drip line that you can attach to your system in spots if you need to do so. It might be a good option if you have an area that is very densely planted. Good luck getting your system installed!
Repairable, yes. Use a short piece cut down the side to wrap around the leak.
Leaks /splits due to high water pressure. We water from a holding tank, not from a mains or pump tap.
I liked all 3 of your recommendations on the Drip Irrigation. Thanks I was thinking about buy a couple of soaker hoses today but they can run 25 dollars for 1 hose. The basic DIG setup was only about 50 bucks. I liked it basically for it being modular and parts can be replaced as needed.
Even though I don't have neither systems, I am team Drip Irrigation.
#dripirrigation #dripirrigationrepairs #soakerhose
***** h.f. got a starter kit cheap+ 20% off coupon
I put down some soaker hoses right before I left for the cabin a few weeks ago. My biggest problem with them was trying to install them by myself. They were so cumbersome and wouldn't lie down. In fact they are still sticking up all over the place. I just haven't had the time or energy to resolve that issue yet. Also, I attached several together and by the time the water goes through the first two, there doesn't seem to be much water reaching the third hose. Ugh. Don't want to spend any more money on this place as I will need to save for our move and all the improvements I will be making at our new place. Should have gone with the drip irrigation like you.
jerry prewett , *****
I originally tried to install a Harbor Freight drip system and I personally wouldn't recommend it. It was very leaky and just didn't build up the pressure enough to work effectively. It was a pain. I took it back and went with the DIG system.
Gardening With Puppies
You do what you can do, sometimes just to get by, right? Hopefully your system ties you over until you move! Been there done that too. Good luck. Paula!
i have not put mine in. hope i can get some use out of it .wish i would have known earlier.thanks CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY
Hey Kim! I hope you remember me from my previous comments, I have been feeding my plants and finally, my tomatoes and Zucchini is flowering! Thanks for your tips!
Yes, I sure do remember you! So glad you garden is doing well! Zucchini grows so fast, you will be eating it soon! Enjoy! Thx for stopping by and please keep me posted on your garden's progress!
i use a combo of soaker hose 1/4 inch stemming from my 1/2 inch poly irrigation hose. seems to work well just stick a 1/4 inch barb into the 1/2 poly hose in then attach a small 1/4 inch soaker hose of your determined length on the watering area. then just skip to the next area and make another hole. make sure to plug up around the barbs with silicone to make a better pressure build up =) maybe i will do a video explaining in more depth my set up.
That was what I used last year with great success. I loved it.
yeah i am liking it too you get to bring the amount of soaker hose to a small area around the base of the plants so they get good water but doesn't waste.
sounds like a great set up. I have seen those 1/4" soakers that you can tie into the 1/2" poly hose. Glad to hear they work well.
*****
Good to know!
TheItalian Garden
May have to consider this. Thx for sharing!
I wish I had seen this before I bought and installed my first soaker irrigation system. It's been 2 weeks of leaks and blow-outs even though is used a pressure regulator. I suspect I may have just gotten a bad run of soaker hose but either way, it says to me that soaker hose manufacturing is a good "idea" that's not yet ready for prime time!
lednew2010 Sorry you're having trouble with it! That is so frustrating after you invest the time and money! I'd definitely recommend the drip irrigation over a soaker hose. Good luck!
Hey lednew2010, I realize I'm pretty late to comment but do you remember what brand of soaker hose you used? They vary tremendously in performance depending on quality - and there are some quality soaker hoses out there that deliver on their promises, especially if used below the surface. CaliKim29 is right, it's not the right product if you only need a source of water every 10 inches or so because you designed your flower bed etc that way, but if you want to irrigate turf areas or rows of bushes, soaker hoses will deliver a better result and outlast drip hoses
I prefer soaker hoses on my gravity feed water catchment system. This is due mainly to the fact that between storms I might not have enough pressure for the drip emitters to work properly. And of course, with such low pressure, soaker hoses do not blow out.
I have always repaired my soaker hoses with super glue. I let them dry out real well and where they crack or break I would just squirt some in and it's fixed. It sticks to rubber very well. The trick to soaker hoses is to not turn the water up to high and you won't get blow outs. I've never had one blow out. Mine crack because I have stepped on them and it weakened the rubber. I use soaker hoses in my flower beds along the house but drip irrigation for vegetable gardens.
I’m new to irrigation and I’ve just bought a soaker hose. I found the video and comments very helpful. You say don’t turn the water on all the way, so would you say I can turn water pressure halfway and I won’t get a blowout? Great tip on super glue repair, btw.
Great video Kim. I am thinking of extending mine at the front of my house because two of my beds don't have an irrigation system put in and I am planting more edibles there.
Soaker hoses are great, but they do not / rarely work as advertised. First, if a plant is at the “front” end (the end closer to the source of the water) they will get 75% of the water. Plants at the end of the hose get very little water. The physics show that water is expressed from the porous soaker hose based on the water pressure at the point along the hose. To use soaker hoses “properly,” the in-source of water is supposed to be dialed down so that water pressure is equalized along the total length of the hose. That is VERY hard to do - and would take hours to water a garden when the spigot is barely turned on. The only way I could get this to work halfway reasonably was to use a 4-way diverter with a separate soaker hose on each outlet spigot - or use a 10-15 foot soaker hose. However, they still created an unequal water distribution network.
The other issue is that soaker hoses can, within limiting parameters, work well with good soil. My garden is a mixture of clay and sand: water goes straight down with very little lateral movement AND the clay further impedes overall water distribution. The ONLY thing that works for me is one of those “arching” sprinklers. That “rains” water, evenly, over my garden. I need to plant tall plants (climbing beans, tomatoes, etc.,) on the “far” sprinkle spray pattern to let the shorter plants get their fair share of water that taller plants otherwise would block. The water drops are large enough such that water evaporation is minimal, if done early in the morning (when the sun comes up). Additionally, in Nevada, I can only water in the morning because after 9-10am, the wind picks up and it is not possible to use the sprinkler efficiently. Bottom line is all areas of my garden are equally wet and to a decent and even depth that lasts 2-3 days (or longer with grass clippings mulch: see below). Additionally, sprinklers are easy to take down each year. With the drip irrigation system, I question whether this would work any better than a soaker hose is _supposed_ to work. The problem with drip systems is these seem to be somewhat permanent. I need to remove all irrigation hoses / systems so I can till my garden each spring and fall. Removing a semi-permanent drip system seems like a lot of work - plus only fate knows where the drips will be needed. My garden arrangement changes each year.
My biggest lesson learned, this year, is to spread grass clippings over the ground. I do not have any grass to mow; I wanted to cut down on watering (in a high desert area) and mowing a large lawn is not my idea of fun. I would rather creep along on my wheeled garden seat pulling out weeds, which is more efficient and now, very few weeds grow anymore. Most weeds are annuals, so once the residual seeds in the ground are gone, there are no mature plants to subsequently reseed my garden. My two neighbors do not used pesticides on their large lawns and I asked their gardener to give all the grass clippings to me. Over the past 5 years, I have most of my front lawn covered with ½ inch or more of, now, dried grass clippings. I started getting my garden covered last year and this year over this spring’s tilled soil. Last week when I did my first weeding, which only took 20 minutes because so few weeds sprouted, I noticed that the ground under the grass clippings was still wet / moist after near 100° temperatures for the past several days. That wetness often lasts 3-4 days: less watering needed.
The bigger problem I and many others I know have is seed germination is bizarrely slow the past few years; seed germination, but for peas and beans and cucumbers, was definitely less than 50% - but only for the stuff that germinated. Most of the seeds (planted in early May (the last two years) did not germinate and a few took, literally, 4 weeks to germinate and then grew V E R Y slowly for the next 3-4 weeks. By the time of the first frost at the end of October, most butternut squash and watermelon did not have enough time to ripen and my carrots were quite short and all three of the beets that germinated were only 2" diameter - but the turnips were sweet and tender, but for being half as large as they are “supposed” to be. This is a common narrative I hear from nearly everyone: stuff does not germinate and / or it takes forever for the seed to start germinating. I have been gardening for 65 years and have never seen this kind of garden nonsense: what is the issue? Are seeds bad, something wrong with the soil, climate change screwing things up…? Again, others in our area, as well as my sister in Tennessee in the same growing zone, have the same problem that seems to get progressively worse each year. Transplanting potted plants from a nursery barely more successful. I planted about 75 leek sets and only 8 are thriving / growing now. This is just nuts! Additionally, the first two rows of beans and peas _finally_ popped out of the ground after 3 weeks, but something (rabbits?) mowed off all the beans, and the peas struggled to become established in deeply tilled (8") soil. Yet, 3000 volunteer beans and at least 8000 okra and several dozen cucumbers are growing all over the place (distributed by my tilling). These were not eaten by whomever - but no volunteer tomatoes have popped up. So two weeks ago, I planted my “delayed” snow peas and they germinated withing 4-5 days! I have no idea if the carrots, beets, etc., have germinated until I can weed out all the volunteer junk and see what is left and growing where _I_ planted them. Ditto for flower seeds: not one marigold, zinnia, aster, etc., germinated - except for 5 Nasturtium (Tropaeolum sp., not the watercresses).
While pulling out the first batch of weeds last week, I saw that some seeds (spinach and arugula, I think) that I planted the first few days were just starting to sprout. I have no real idea where stuff I planted is precisely located: I just plant the seeds in an unmarked row and wait until they grow up. Row markers have no real value for me: when the plants germinate I will know where the rows are located. I rarely hoe anymore; pulling weeds out by hand assures that all weeds I pull will never come back; cutting weeds off at the roots just below the soil does not kill all the plants: they recover and regrow. Additionally, getting close to the ground, hand pulling weeds, causes me to be more in touch with my garden and notice things I would not otherwise notice: a Pacific Chorus Frog hiding in early morning, moist undergrowth; new plants (what’s this??-let it grow and see what develops); etc.; (it is amazing the variety of plants popping up (likely from bird poop), particularly plants that I have not seen around here, such as strawberry spinach (new one for me), gooseberry (transplanted under my apricot tree), black nightshade (that grew around our granaries on our SD farm and were used to make “blueberry” pies), etc. If I hoed my garden, I would miss all these pleasant surprises - and probably hoe the frogs in half.
I am thinking about trying out a (white) ½" PVC piping, above ground, which should be easy to dismantle in the fall. I will drill the smallest holes I can and, presumably, the “local” water squirting out of the holes would more likely to be the same quantity because the rest of the hose is solid which helps maintain constant pressure over the length of the hose.
Good deal, however I will say the first time I clicked I thought for a second or two that Carmela Soprano had her own UA-cam channel!
Great video and info Kim! We get rain almost 10 months out of the year here...fortunately for us :) This is very helpful for those that can use this system!
Good information.
Hi Misilla - lucky you - I can't imagine gardening without irrigation! It would be so nice not to have to worry about it!
M.A. Barb
Glad it is helpful, thanks for watching!
I have been thinking about this idea but didn't realize the differences. Thanks for sharing this information.
superslyfoxx1
You are welcome - thx for watching!
something ate our soaker hose..one website said it might be squirrels. we're going to try your drip system. thanks much
That will only make squirrel bites more likely as they are after the water in those hoses. With the soaker hoses, the water gradually seeps out after the water is turned off. Not so with the drip hoses as they usually need relatively high water pressure (>7 psi). Install the soaker hoses below the surface evenly to solve your problem. Have you installed the new system yet? What were your experiences?
Thank you and love all your videos ! Very helpful !
I've had more problems with drip tape than soaker hoses but my soaker hoses get brittle. Even if I cover them with mulch the heat gets to them. I live in southern Alabama and we don't often need to water but if I don't my tomatoes are busted and don't harvest well.
Im thinking of a soaker hose for my orange tree that is in our front yard. I have to pull the hose out once a week and do a slow soak for an hour. Every 20 min I run out and love the hose. Soooo, i thought maybe a soaker hose would help with me from running back and forth. What would you recommend instead? There’s no irrigation system close to this far front end of the yard. Thank you for all your educational info and I loooove your book!!
Heidi Gardner goes gardening!
I haven't seen a soaker hose that was worth much and that is when it worked, If it springs a leak all the pressure relieves there and doesn't work anywhere else. And it will spring a leak. Better to guild your own drip system as you are to control exactly where you need moisture.
Soaker hoses have their place as a tool in the garden, but I do love using drip irrigation as well. I have several videos on building an easy drip irrigation system here: ua-cam.com/video/rmRaMSQWEFY/v-deo.html and drip irrigation for containers here: ua-cam.com/video/YdHF3o6XWXk/v-deo.html What are you growing in your garden in your garden this season? Thanks for watching!
It’s like a soothing Kristen wig.
Have you used a 10 psi water regulator for the soaker hose ?
I like your videos! You should have your own show.
Ronald B. Vega Thanks so much, Ronald, appreciate the vote of confidence! Do you have a garden?
I swear I thought this was Kristen Wiig doing a gardening video at first lol
Drip irrigation is definitely better than a soaker setup. With the soaker, you end up with weeds growing everywhere because they are getting watered by the hose. The drip system keeps your pathways dry and weed free. One thing you must have in a drip system is the micron sized water filter in your drip line. Otherwise your emitters (drippers) will get clogged up after a while from the very fine sediment in your water supply. Good luck with your project and your Watermelons.
Hello BRTWATD - thx for bringing the filter issue up! Yes, a must for a drip system! Definitely cuts down on the clogs and repairs. Good luck to you too with your garden and thx for stopping by !
Sheet mulch, no weeds. :-)
Forgive my ignorance. In the drip irrigation line, if at some point you decide you no longer need a dripper/emitter where you have had one installed in the line ... can the dripper be removed without leaving a gaping hole in the line? Or is the dripper instead disabled in some way and left in place? TIA
You can buy small plugs that fit the holes - wherever you buy the dripper you can buy the plugs.
Definitely "drip". You can get a 1/4" tubing that attaches to the 5/8 main that has holes along its' entire length and may be used as a sort of soaker. For instance along a row of tightly bunched lettuce.
(33 is my new favorite number)
Hi Lon - That's why I love it too! I'll have to look for that line with holes in it -haven't used that before and would be perfect for a densely planted area. Thx for the tip!
Hi Kim! I'm new to your channel and to gardening. I love you videos because I live in Southern California too so it's helpful to see what you're growing. I was wondering what you're prepping, if anything, for the next planting season (I guess that would be late summer/early fall)? I've noticed gardening is all about thinking ahead. I want to know what I can be doing indoors (like starting seeds) or outside right now. I hope that makes sense. Thanks for reading! :)
You provided me with good info on choosing soakers or drip irrigation. Now I know. Great video! I just subscribed. Hope you don't mind me saying that you are down to earth attractive.
Where I live, its "Natural Rainfall" irrigation. I have used a drip line and its great, just remember the pressure regulator for best results. Soaker hoses are more of a temporary solution due to problems such as your blowout requiring replacement.
Lucky you getting that much rainfall. I do use a pressure regulator, it is a must for drip irrigation! Thanks for the suggestions!
Before your soaker hose let u down what was your success rate?
who is the maker of the drip system you put in?
my soaker hoses only lasted one year. I brought them out this year and tested them and had to repair them at least once per hose. it is difficult to find the right connector to fit the hose correctly not all 1/4" couplings are the same size. If the couple is to big it will just split the hose open again.
I also will be trying a PVC drip system this year i bought enough material to water 200' of row for $100. Hopefully it works as planed as it is cheapest method i have found to auto water =)
One year for those soakers is not long to last for the investment. Mine lasted three years. I haven't had good luck repairing them either. Same problem with the connectors. Too bad they don't make a connector that fits properly. Good luck with your PVC drip system. This should be good and sturdy and hold up for a long time. Thx for watching!
Hey Kim, on the off chance you respond to comments on 3-year-old posts - do you remember what brand of soaker hose you used? In the video it looks like it was used above surface (susceptible to UV-rays) and with significant height difference between water source and the end of the hose. Height difference always leads to uneven water distribution in soaker hoses, plus they perform a LOT better when used below the surface, regarding life expectancy and water efficiency. May I ask how you water your turf area?
Yeah, I'm still using the hose. Although in isolated places I'll fill a five gallon bucket mixed with plant food (organic /synthetic whichever is available) and just individually water the plants by hand.
The good ol' 5 gallon bucket! Such a great garden helper! I love it too, and fill mine with compost tea to water my plants. Works great, doesn't it?
fixing that leek is easy it the samw as fixing a regular hose cut the leek out and attach the two ends back together. . but you are right drip systems are better
Yes, it would be an easy fix - but I've since switched everything over to drip. Just works better for me. What do you like to use? Thanks for stopping by!
currently drip. but i am looking onto sub- irrigation on my big raised bed project still in planning stages
Hey Jesse, did you end up installing a subsurface irrigation system? I'd be curious to hear about your results and experiences!
Do you sow your watermelon directly to outside soil or raise seedlings indoors? I'm really new to this whole thing and would really like, if nothing else, for my watermelons to turn out. The few cantaloupe seedlings that I raised inside (I still have a bunch more that I have yet to kill) didn't seem to do well once I brought them out. Maybe it is still to cold at night. (I'm in MI)
Hello Eric - I actually do both, just to see which one works better. I usually have good luck with both methods, as long as I don't wait too long to transplant the seedlings started indoors. Otherwise they get root bound and they don't like that. But they also LOVE the heat, and will take off once nights and days get warmer. Good luck!
Drip irrigation is better but for me, too much work. With drip irrigation there are to many parts and the tiny holes can clog. Each year you have to change the parts to fit the plant configuration. With soaker hoses I just run the hose along the plants I am done. Bare spaces get watered but that is still good for the soil. At the end of the season I roll up the hoses and I am done.
Makes total sense, William. Great job!
Thank you
Ah come on nothing a little duct tape won't cure :) ok well i was thinking the same thing when i looked at drip irrigation vs soaker hoses. Seems like a bit of a waist to have the whole hose watering. I have yet to install a irrigation system yet but since i use container mostly i think for my application it would make the most sense to use drip irrigation :) thanks for the video of some of the issue you can have. I know no system is going to be perfect but this just makes since :)
+Benja's Uber 1337 Hobby We love duct tape around here too, ha, ha! Fixes most anything, but I did give up the soaker hoses long ago, and am hooked on the drip irrigation now. I always learn so much from my mistakes, but always like to go for it anyways! Drip irrigation works great for containers, takes the guesswork out of it, for sure!
That is good to know i'm on the right track of thinking. Always helps to have someone else to reaffirm my way of thinking :)
I have never had ANY luck with getting duct tape to fix the soaker hoses!!!
I bought soaker hose, measured its output and it was so low I switched to drippers. maybe at half power theyd work but still too little o/p.
+Rick Haynes Hi Rick- yes, soakers and drippers are definitely low pressure systems. The idea is to water slowly and deeply to get to the roots. IMO this is much more beneficial to the plants, than a quick blast of water from a hose. Gives the water a chance to soak to the roots, where the plant can really utilize it. Thx for watching!
Soaker hoses don’t require a lot of water pressure think your is to hi. Also cut the hose where leaking and fit a straight hose connector
you choose online drip irrigation pipe, if you use inline dripper drip irrigation pipe, you work would be must more easy!
+Sunshine Zheng thanks for the tip! Will have to try that as well. Thx for watching!
Iv'e had blow outs on my Soaker Hoses and fixed them.My Soaker Hoses are Reaching the END OF THERE LIFE.I'm going to replace them with A DRIP SYSTEM.Water is getting to EXPENSIVE to not have a system that puts water were you want it.The soaker hose still has a place.I'm moving on to a BETTER/COST SAVING SYSTEM.
Yes Ezra your exactly right-soakers do have their place but drip irrigation is more cost effective and consistent(with timers!!) ,cut down on fungal diseases and help provide you with more abundant harvests! Thanks for watching!!
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After a 10 year hiatus from gardening I returned in my retirement, I'd used both soaker and drip lines in the past but for expedience just bought some cheap soaker hose for my garden this year....What a Mistake!, for all the reasons you mentioned. Within a week all the soaker hose sprung leaks at their ends and spite of repairing continually broke off at the ends. I had a lot of drip connections and hose stored in the barn...wish I had dug them out and used them. Thanks for this refresher course on their use. :) just wish I had watch this vid 3 months ago instead of waiting for this 100 degree heat to retro-fit my irrigation system :(
ps: edit....I had 2 different types of systems when I used drip irrigation before... CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY Has there been a consensus on which is best or could you recommend which brand you prefer?
UA-cam truncated my comment the question was CaliKim "has there been a consensus of which brands are best or could you recommend a particular brand"
I. C. Spotz glad you are returning to gardening, and hope you are having fun! I started with the simple DIG kit: ua-cam.com/play/PLH4z_9MDD00IZejgtPBy03JLRm7yyVePw.html and added on from there. I think they are all about the same, though, most are interchangable, but not all. I found that out the hard way after I pulled out the soaker and installed some drip tubing in one of my garden beds and then tried to connect it to my main system. The fittings were just a little off so I had to tear it out and install a compatible size tubing. Hope gardening is helping you enjoy your retirement! Its so rewarding! Thx for watching!
In spite of some of the difficulties I really enjoyed the garden this spring, the plantings of vegetables and flowers attracted a wider variety of birds than I've seen lately...among others there are hummers, mockingbirds, pheasants in the adjoining wheat field, the owls nesting in the barn are fascinating to watch when they leave in the evening.
Thanks for the info on the drip irrigation.
Ya know for 2.00 u can buy a repair part...ao they are fixiable...
I wonder if you put a pressure regulator, as this guy did (before running the PVC to his flower beds), would a blowout be less likely to happen: ua-cam.com/video/SbYRdvEUJ70/v-deo.html
Jimmy Pappas .......see around 2:40 minutes into his video
Jimmy Pappas Thanks for the info, Jimmy! We do have pressure regulator in our drip system now. I'm sure this is very helpful to soaker hoses as well. Thx for watching!
Soaker hose or drip tape? That is strange looking rubber soaker hose.
Do you know any tricks for watering down a hill ? I have a hilly lawn and garden and I'm hoping for some creative tips. I have about 1 acre. Any ideas? :-)
The drip irrigation works great for this! Have you ever tried it?
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY I have but, It's mostly lawn (for now) and I'm not sure if that would work. What do you think ?
ELDK2008
drip would not be effective for a lawn, how about just a regular sprinkler?
CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY Yup, I can always do that but, I thought there would be a trick. For example, in my garden I used to cut furrows in the dirt. I would put the hose at the top, turn it on and presto....the water ran down hill and watered everything. I would stop as soon as it puddled at the bottom which took a long time. It worked great. Of course, this won't work for a lawn. Oh well, thank you any way.
Hey, I'm curious as to how you solved your problem. Did you end up going with something other than a sprinkler system?
I have the SAME gloves !!.... Can we be GLOVE BUDDIES??
I think u look like Kristen Wig, too
Anything that sits in the sun will die eventually. Like the hose you are replacing. Bury it, will last longer.
maybe next year you can try the aquajet. from www.intelligentirrigationllc.com/. John from growningyourgreens.com is testing them this year. I will put them in next year. They also have ones for pot that can be custom made and they are not that expensive. Just another option to go with.
Will check it out, Richard. I think I've seen John's video on that system. Looks like it would be very effective, if I remember correctly. Thx for watching and for sharing!
im moving to California..... I cant sit here in New York and watch one more watermelon crop failure.... it just seems wrong..... we need those watermelons......!!
??Aren't soaker hoses supposed to leak??
I never liked them becuase my plants are 7 feet a part and I don't want to water between my plants. I was smart enough not to buy them.
You are correct. Soaker hoses are junk!
Hey, may I ask which brand of soaker hose you used and what your negative experiences were with it?
Drip irrigation works better!
150k cli4cked on the video.. why??? Lol I think we all know why haha