Please tell me about soaker hoses.

[FarmboyBill]

As I understand them there plugged on one end and the water as the hose fills us emits water either through little pin holes, or exudes itself through the porisness of the ose itself. What im wondering is, Once the water reaches the plugged end and backs uip, the further back towards its source it goes, the more pressure there is on it near the plugged end. Would the plants towards the plugged end get wy more water than the plants at the open end?
How wide will a hose penetrate, OR how wide should I make my bean, beat and pea rows, and should I have the house near the upper outer edge? Also how wide can my onion rows be with one.

Is there a certain amount of pressure that has to be applied, or will it work with gravity flow.?

[geo in mi]

The soakers I use are made of recycled rubber compressed together and rebonded so as to be porous--no pinholes. They operate on very low pressure and the pressure is not supposed to be turned up so high that the water sprays out--just slow drops like condensation or weeping. Takes a little T & E to get them started and you have to wait until the hose fills at the plugged end and then adjust the pressure--usually downward. Width--about eight inches--but that depends on how long you leave it in place and your soil type. I go about a couple of hours on this sandy soil and bump the hose right against the plant stem. If you have fifty foot rows, you can water four rows by using a splitter or manifold on two hoses with a valve on each, and moving each hose once.. I haven't tried, but I suppose you could water eight rows with four hoses in the same way--but you do have to tinker with the pressure, as one affects each of the others until you get them all adjusted and balanced...........

Haven't tried gravity flow, but the valves are only a buck apiece where I get them. And the pressure would depend on the volume of water in the tank. It would be worth a try, in my opinion.

geo

[uncle Will in In.]

We've tried one like was just discribed, and one with a row of tiny holes down both sides. This one will roll up flat like toilet paper when storing.
Neither one would put out water anywhere near even down the rows. When it gets really dry, we just sprinkle the garden a section at a time. One hour of sprinkling puts on about one inch of water. Most of our rows are two feet apart. If a soaker hose put the water out evenly, it would be great.

[jwal10]

Originally Posted by uncle Will in In.

We've tried one like was just discribed, and one with a row of tiny holes down both sides. This one will roll up flat like toilet paper when storing.
Neither one would put out water anywhere near even down the rows. When it gets really dry, we just sprinkle the garden a section at a time. One hour of sprinkling puts on about one inch of water. Most of our rows are two feet apart. If a soaker hose put the water out evenly, it would be great.

The pressure is too high, you need a pressure regulator to work good as a soaker. They make them with both hose fittings and you screw one end to hose bib and the hose to the other.

http://www.gardeners.com/Pressure-Re...efault,pd.html

These type soaker hoses are not near as even as the other types. If I use these type I go down the row and back with the one hose, one side gets more at one end the other side just the opposite. These type can be used holes down as a soaker or holes up as a sprinkler. The best type are smaller and poly, they have little slits in them to emit water. Thet can be put under the mulch too....James

http://www.dripworksusa.com/store/so...FQh9hwodcnpSNw

[Marcia in MT]

For many years, we used the recycled rubber porous hoses. They worked, but eventually were unsatisfactory and we replaced them with T-tape -- we are very happy with that.

Our garden is on a slight slope, and there was always more water at the downhill end -- no matter how we adjusted the pressure. (Our hoses came with a pressure reducer in each one -- a small disc with a hole in it. It could be removed.)

If there's a dip underneath the hose and it doesn't contact the ground, the water will drip down the underside of the hose until it contacts the ground again, and the low spot won't get any water.

We have extremely hard water, and eventually the pores plugged up with minerals where the water dripped out.

[ksfarmer]

I've used the soaker hoses for years and had good results. I use a timer to run for about 2 hrs. 25 lbs of water pressure works fine, gravity will work but put out less water, so you have to leave it on for longer times and you might get uneven distribution on sloping ground. Also older hoses or hoses from different manufacturers will not work well togather. My older ones tend to put out less water due to mineral deposits from my hard water. I use only 2 or 3 50 foot hoses togather,, more than that and you need more pressure to furnish the volumn of water needed.
I think you get a lot more efficient use of your water with soaker or drip lines than using a sprinkler. And some plants like tomatoes don't like wet leaves.

[FarmboyBill]

Would a sub pump be ok to use to pump out of a tank.? What does a roll of hose cost? What is T Tape?

[Meconella]

I've also used soaker hoses for years with great results. We live in a dry environment without summer rain, so we must conserve water.
We plant right next to the hoses, then cover everything with several inches of mulch. Both the plants and earthworms love this environment.
Unfortunately, so do the gophers.

I've tired hooking up a soaker hose to a submersible pond pump, and there simply was not enough pressure to work properly. And a gravity feed? forget it.

[Callieslamb]

I love soaker hoses. Don't they come with a little disk that you put in the opening that regulates the pressure - so the hoses don't burst?

[7thswan]

If you have alot of minerals in your water,the hoses clog very fast.

[geo in mi]

Originally Posted by Callieslamb

I love soaker hoses. Don't they come with a little disk that you put in the opening that regulates the pressure - so the hoses don't burst?

If you buy a 99 cent hose coupler with a ball valve in it, you can have variable control of your water pressure.

geo

[FarmboyBill]

What do hoses cost? Can I drive
Someone said they only cover an 8in area. If I was planting a 2ft row of peas beans beets, , OR carrots onions, would I need 3 rows of them within the row? One at the top edge and 2 down from each other 8in?

How do you work them for tomato plants that are further apart in the row?

[jwal10]

T=tape

http://www.dripworksusa.com/store/kitshop.php#KTAPE

Some other type irrigation

http://www.dripworksusa.com/store/kitland.php?lnk=left

[geo in mi]

Originally Posted by FarmBoyBill

What do hoses cost? Can I drive
Someone said they only cover an 8in area. If I was planting a 2ft row of peas beans beets, , OR carrots onions, would I need 3 rows of them within the row? One at the top edge and 2 down from each other 8in?

How do you work them for tomato plants that are further apart in the row?

About $6.95--$12.95, depending on whether on sale or not-- Menard's price-- for a 50 foot long hose. They are black, have regular hose couplings on each end--one end is capped. Directions tell you NOT to start out with high pressure, lest you blow big holes in it. Works by weeping droplets along the length. Capillary action spreads the water, once on the soil.

A two foot row of peas would probably need two hoses thru the middles--water spread depends on your soil type and how long you leave them on......Once peas are started and pretty well weeded, then carefully run the hose thru the middles and leave in place, so as not to disturb the plants roots, etc.. One hint--best to lay out the new hoses in a straight as possible line in the sun--softens them up, uncoils them--so you can get them thru the plants....Iffen the two didn't cover, you could use one extra and water from each outside edge to finish the job....

Not really useful for spaced out tomato plants or similar, since the weeping action happens for the entire length of the hose and would waste the water.

geo

[Harry Chickpea]

If a hose or pipe lays on relatively level ground, eventually the pressure equalizes, but will reduce at the far end once there is a flow of water. The walls of the pipe create a type of resistance. Once the flow of water it stopped, the pressure equalizes again.

Anything that has tiny holes in it is, by definition, a filter. If an unfiltered liquid is allowed to run through it, it will eventually clog. It might take a long time with some water sources, or it might take very little time.

I personally don't have the patience to deal with soaker hoses and the like, but if you do plan on using a bunch of them or any of the substitutes, do yourself a favor and get a prefilter with a replaceable cartridge, and let IT get clogged instead.

You can buy custom filters, or go to the camping section of Wal-muck and get a filter for RV water for a small system, or go to Home Despot and get a whole house filter and the connectors to make hose adapters. Over time, that is the better buy.

Some water, like that with high dissolved iron or mineral content will build up residue around the holes in pipes and eventually clog anyway.

[FarmboyBill]

My garden slopes 2 directions the steepest is from S to N with the lesser slope from E to W. I plant E to W. Geo, u say 2 should do a 2 ft row. If I lay them within the row will the water spread out sideways from them an appriciable distance if i had them apart a foot?
How can I tell with them how much water ive put on?

Im wondering, with tomato plants about laying the hose, a regular garden water hose, and makeing tiny holes at the site of the plants. That way only at the area of the plants would any water be let out, and then at the direction of the plants by makeing the holes on the sides of the hose faceing the plants. I could fold back the end so as to create a plug. One thought on this is, when it was hot, that water would get hot going down that hot hose. Would putting hot water on tomatoes in 90 degree temps be a good thing? I could see where, once it got hot with beans peas beets, lettuce, ect, that the folage would cover the hose thereby keeping it relatively cool.

[goatlady]

Been using those "weeping" type hoses for 20 years in my raised beds. I usually have 2 rows of hose per 4' x 8' beds, buried, and they water the entire width and length of the beds. Water capillary action will depend on the type of soil though, I use pure home-grown well done compost. Tomato plant roots spread out quite a ways as do broccs, etc. so I like to water the entire bed myself. I have 12 beds, all connected between each bed, so I turn on 1 faucet and water everything, run the faucet for 30 to 40 minutes once a week and top water the soil ONLY a different day IF the temps are over 95 for several days. Has worked nicely for me for all those years. Easy to pull up the hoses when adding more compost to the beds each year, and easy to change the configuration from rows to "S"'s depending on the crop in the beds. But I do Sq. Ft. intensive planting.

[frankva]

Originally Posted by FarmBoyBill

Im wondering, with tomato plants about laying the hose, a regular garden water hose, and makeing tiny holes at the site of the plants. That way only at the area of the plants would any water be let out, and then at the direction of the plants by makeing the holes on the sides of the hose faceing the plants. I could fold back the end so as to create a plug.

I do not recommend this. The hose can turn and then water goes up. Or the water can erode soil at the exit. Or Or... Another of my brilliant ideas was different sized holes for different plants. Also tried 1/2" PVC.

This would work for trees, maybe.

Investigate drip irrigation. Pressure regulator needed. Not expensive in the grande scheme of things. You still have to check it regularly for clogs or popped drip heads.

[po boy]

Walmart sold a 100 ft kit that I used for years. My rows are about 45 feet long and I ran a feeder line down one end of the garden and put T's and shut off valves at the start of each row. I looped the lines so they could feed from each end and used the shut off valves to regulate the pressure. Watered about 25 rows at one time. Photo of similar setup. Worked pretty good as I did not have wide rows.. Used this system for about 10 years. This year the squirrels ate holes through the lines faster than I could repair them and had to water with the sprinkler.

This looks like the stuff I used and if not for the varmits, would still be using them.

[FarmboyBill]

I see where hose is sold at 50ft lengths. My garden is 90sq. Assumeing id have 15ft at the ends to run the Cub and cultivator, tillers, ect, Id have at least 60ft. I see that the soaker hose can be cut to length. Can the T hose?

GUYS, Please remember, that water to me in doing this garden will be rare and hard to get. I will have to collect it off of my house, and pump it up to the upper edge of my garden into big stock tanks. I may have to constantly have to haul city water to replentish the tanks between rains as the season runs into summer.

I noticed that it said that the saoker hose is to be used on flat surfaces with only a 2in drop for 100ft. Whats your thoughts about that? Mine as more like 8in for 90ft.