At a recent regional
Water Symposium in south Florida, I realized that information
on the various kinds of water-saving products for the garden is
sadly lacking. As a result, this column over the next few months
will share the latest research on products such as soaker hoses
and in upcoming months, hydrogels, gator bags and tree collars,
hose nozzles, and rain barrels.
Soaker hoses
offer the perfect delivery of water to plants: slowly, steady
release at the soil line. This ensures that water is not wasted.
The slow release allows the soil around plant roots to gradually
absorb the water. And the proximity of the hose to soil means
that very little if any is lost to evaporation.
The soaker hose is
actually the grandfather of the drip irrigation system. It's a
long tube made of perforated or porous plastic or rubber‹sometimes
recycled rubber‹with hose fittings at one or both ends. When you
attach a soaker to a regular hose and turn on the water supply,
water seeps in sweat-like beads from the hose along its entire
length.
A soaker hose is different
from a sprinkler hose. The sprinkler type mists and sprays water,
which isn't as effective a water delivery as the sweat-beads of
a soaker hose.
In the past, soaker
hoses were recommended for plants in level beds of running rows,
the way you might plant a vegetable garden. Soaker hoses, in fact,
can be used that way in a wide, mixed ornamental bed. An easier
way is to snake the hose back and forth around the plants, trees
and shrubs. Since there's no straight line in my beds, I find
snaking a hose works best. In the case of thirstier plants, I
encircle a plant twice.
Hoses come in various
sizes and lengths: 1/4" 1/2" and 5/8" diameters; 25, 50, 75, and
100 foot lengths. I've bought two brands in the process of converting
my watering system to be water-frugal, Fiskars (at Costco) and
Better Homes & Gardens (Wal-Mart).
Here are some questions
I wrestled with when I first started working with soaker hoses:
How close should
I run the hoses for even watering?
It depends
on the soil type. In Florida's sandy soil, place the hose about
16 inches apart. On loam, 1.5 to 2 feet is recommended; on clay
soil, 2 to 3 feet.
Where does the
hose go vis a vis the mulch and soil?
The best place for the hose is under mulch or as deep as 6 inches
in the soil. Mulch and soil won't interfere with water delivery,
and doing so has other advantages. Besides hiding the black hose,
it also protects the hose from UV rays, thereby prolonging the
life of the hose. Burying it also aids moisture retention and
helps prevent the growth of weeds. Be careful to lay the hose
flat and as close to level as possible for even watering. A change
in elevation (whether it is actual terrain or simply a lump of
mulch) of 10 inches will be a problem.
How many minutes
do I run the soaker hose?
One way is to check water penetration with a trowel or soil sampling
tube after a certain period of time. Then you'll know how long
it takes, assuming you use approximately the same setting at the
faucet. Fiskars is more scientific: in 200 minutes, a 5/8-inch
soaker hose applies approximately 1 inch of water per 50 foot
length at a faucet flow rate of 1/2-gallon per minute. For 3/4-
inch of water, 150 min.; for 1/2-inch of water, 100 min.; for
1/4-inch of water, 50 min.
Once you've figured
out your delivery rate, use a time at the faucet to turn off the
water. Lacking that, set a timer inside so you'll know when to
turn the water off.
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