The Best Soaker Hose Choices

A soaker hose is a hose that drips water through many tiny pores. Soaker hoses are a great alternative to drip irrigation systems. They are much easier to use for the home gardener and can be moved around like a regular hose whereas drip systems are much less flexible and are usually installed by a professional.

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.

For a very basic set up just lay the soaker hose near the plants you want to water. Soaker hoses work best on flat ground. If your water pressure isn’t great, stick to shorter hoses for best results. 

Installing a soaker hose is a breeze. Simply attach the soaker hose to your traditional garden hose and place it where you want to water. Use anchoring pins to help keep your hose in place and mulch over your soaker hose(s) for a stationary system. If you are moving your soaker hose between watering sites you can skip the anchor pins and mulch. Add an automatic timer to your soaker hose system and save yourself even more time!

The term soaker hose and drip hose can be used interchangeably. However, drip irrigation systems use tubing with water emitters that attach to your main tubing line.

Yes! Soaker hoses are an inexpensive and simple DIY option for your landscape and garden.

You can. It will help lose less water from evaporation. Mulching your soaker hose is another option that will help with that. It also conceals your irrigation system which is particularly useful in your front yard where others will view your landscape more often. But burying your soaker hose isn’t necessary and for those of us who want the versatility of moving our soaker hose(s) around, it’s not a great option. 

Round soaker hoses tend to last longer and kink less than flat soaker hoses. If you are burying your soaker hose definitely go with the round hose. Flat hoses are less expensive and some prefer the less bulky look of them when they are not in use. Overall our preferred type of soaker hose is a round soaker hose. But if you are moving your hose around a good bit, you may prefer a flat soaker hose.