The Best Garden Hose Splitters in 2022

A Garden Hose Splitter takes a water spigot and diverts this single water source into 2 or more water channels. It is the ideal gardening tool for anyone who wants to water more than 1 area at the same time or doesn’t want to move hoses from one site to another. There are shut-off valves that allow you to use just one side or both sides at the same time. Hose Splitters are generally attached directly to a spigot. Then hoses are attached to the splitter in order to divert the water into multiple (typically 2, but 3 or 4 may be an option if you have good water pressure) areas of your yard. 3 and 4-way Garden Hose Splitters are great if you want to maintain hoses for different areas. But they aren’t the best option for running all at once unless you have excellent water pressure.

The length of time you run a soaker hose depends on a lot of factors, so it is likely your ideal time will be achieved with some trial and error. A newly landscaped bed needs a lot more water than an established one. Your veggie garden needs more water than your landscape. Hotter climates need more water than cooler climates. Sunny spots need more water than shady spots. And on and on. When using a soaker hose on your newly landscaped plants I would start with an hour a few times per week or 90 minutes twice per week for the first month and gradually cut back.  For newly planted trees and shrubs a longer run time less often is ideal because it helps the roots establish faster and grow deeper creating a stronger plant overall. Most plants have established their roots in about 3 months, but some (ie: larger trees) may take closer to a year. Established plants probably need more like 30 minutes twice weekly or even an hour once weekly. If you have a decent amount of rain you can skip watering established plants that week.
The key is to watch your plants. If you see yellowing or flaccid leaves, you may be overdoing it. If you see crispy brown leaves or wilted leaves and stems, your plants likely need more water. Water more in the summer and less (if at all) in winter. Plants and trees do benefit from water in winter, even dormant ones, but they don’t need much. Usually rain and snow provides what they need.

The best type of Garden Hose Splitter is the one that works best for you. There are 2 groups of Hose Splitters when it comes to what they are primarily made up of. We will discuss the pros and cons of both types: