Soaker hose length?

**walshevak** 2/24/2012, 8:27 am

All you engineers out there!!!

Can 250 ft of soaker hose plus 35 ft of connector hose between beds run off one garden hose connection. Or should I put a splitter on the faucet and run 2 hoses to the garden area. The beds are about 25ft from the faucet. I can break my 10 beds into 6 and 4 groupings if necessary. BTW, I have excellent water pressure

Kay

Squat_Johnson 2/24/2012, 9:41 am

I have a on/off splitter, about $20. It is useful when some beds are empty or just don't need a drink. I will quote myself...

Squat_Johnson wrote:Welcome!. I don't have anything that big, but will offer what experience I have... I have 3 beds that measure 4' x 24' , (3) 4' x 8' and a couple smaller 4x4 - my calculator says 432 sq ft... Not an expert, but clearly obsessed.

Here's what I have made use of that seems to work for me...

I have a 4 way on/off hose splitter that feeds all the big boxes. During the hottest times of the year, I run it for an hour or so couple times a week for the plants that have established roots. New plants still get watered with a wand.

I cut up water hoses using the repair male/female ends and run it under mulch.
I use soaker hoses that run lengthwise at the 1', 2' and 3' lines (see below. I put a trellis every other 4' section so I can reach around them to plant & weed.

curio 2/24/2012, 10:05 am

Several great ideas here. I have a question about the soaker hoses... well, two of them actually.
1) is it possible to use the repair kits, male female connections, to cut soaker hoses into smaller ones like you can with regular hoses?
2) is it better to slightly bury the hoses under mulch, as was mentioned?
Thanks... I'm not new to gardening, but never stop learning.

Squat_Johnson 2/24/2012, 10:18 am

I had the same thought about repair connections... I can say that with the canvas type soaker hose that I have, it does NOT work. They leaked and I trashed a hose.

curio 2/24/2012, 10:20 am

I don't think I've seen a canvas soaker hose. The ones that I've found (and use) are sort of a rubberized material that is very porous. I hate to risk having to trash my nice expensive soaker hose to experiment, but it would be much more convenient to be able to make two or three out of one.

**camprn** 2/24/2012, 10:40 am

curio wrote:I don't think I've seen a canvas soaker hose. The ones that I've found (and use) are sort of a rubberized material that is very porous. I hate to risk having to trash my nice expensive soaker hose to experiment, but it would be much more convenient to be able to make two or three out of one.

If you have an old garden hose that is on its way out you could make your own leaky soaker hose. Very Happy

Squat, I like that 4way valve, never seen one of those before! What a Face

**walshevak** 2/24/2012, 11:18 am

Yes the round porous soaker hose can be cut and connected. That is what I'm using. I'm running 25 ft per bed using the outside walls and the inside grids as the layout, buried under the MM a bit to hold in place. Then I'm running an old solid hose cut into the needed lengths to go between the tabletops.

I have a two head splitter like Squat's 4 head and a timer. I was going to use one head for the garden and the other for a sprinkler for the pots on the deck, but a 4 head splitter can be bought and the 2 head moved to the flowers in the front yard.

Total length of soaker hose is 250 ft in my 10 bed plus about 4 ft connector hoses between the beds and about 25 ft to the first bed. Will the last bed get any water or should I split the beds 4 and 6? Layout is not conducive to 5 and 5.

Kay

curio 2/24/2012, 11:31 am

Thanks for the information on cutting these beasties. Looks like I'll be able to use the soaker hoses this year. What a Face

**walshevak** 2/24/2012, 4:06 pm

I put soaker hose lengths into 4 beds, but am waiting until somebody can tell me if my last box will get sufficient water doing all 10 on 1 run before doing the connecting solid hose.

Kay

Squat_Johnson 2/24/2012, 4:22 pm

I can't say _yours_ will work. But I think so. I can tell you that mine work great. I have 4 large beds, 4' x 24'. I can water them all at once.

I must point out that my water pressure is crazy high. I had to put a pressure reduction valve at the house, the excess pressure blew out my water heater.

**walshevak** 2/24/2012, 4:43 pm

Well, if it makes any difference, I can run my front and back hoses at the same time and get water out 150ft to the rear of the yard. By my pressure doesn't blow out my water heater. Very Happy

Thanks Squat, I think you are right and it will work on 1 run,

Kay

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Soaker hose length?

Soaker hose length?

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great ideas

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canvas??

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Re: Soaker hose length?

Re: Soaker hose length?

Re: Soaker hose length?


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