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Watering Getting Insane - Soaker Hose Ideas?

18 years ago

Learned a lot on the irrigation forum, but I thought my interip NYC gardening neighbors would know the issue better.

With full south sun on the deck all day, watering is out of control. In Spring, the sprinker and timer was fine for when I wasn't home, but now its just not enough water directly on all the plants. My potted sunflowers especially require TONS of water 2x each day or they start to head south. Everything is in pots.

I am thinking of soaker houses or poking holes in a few regular old garden hoses? With the containers (several doZen) I'm thinking about the mess of hoses winding in and out, if "one pass" of hose will be enough for the high-water plants, and general "this could be a mess" stuff.

I considered poking slightly larger holes in hoses circling the perimiter of the fence above the plants so maybe there's a light trickle on them. Maybe?

Advice, experiences, ideas?

Thanks!

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Comments (4)

gordonhawk
18 years ago
I've bought a bunch of extra drip irrigation 1/2 " hose with holes every foot that release 1 gal/hr each... you're welcome to as much as you'd like at cost.. they are regulated openings.. and would be a bit more uniform than pokeing holes yourself.. or go all the way and set up a dripsystem... Gordon
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nygardener
18 years ago
There's Â¼" tubing you can buy that works much the same way. Setting up a drip system is easy and I highly recommend it. By running a Â½" "main line" tube around my railing (held in place with cable ties) and connecting that to a "C" or "S" shape of Â¼" emitter tubing in each planter, I was able to fully automate watering this summer. (Other sprayers and misters are available.) It's a huge labor saver and brings peace of mind when you're away. Work in some Greenmarket compost and bone meal every couple of months and there's no need to fertilize when watering; just pull out weeds.

You're halfway there with an outdoor hose attachment, which is the biggest challenge for city dwellers. You can use your timer if it's reliable. You'll need a filter, pressure regulator, some tubing and fittings.

Check out Dripworks (below), who will help you design your system for free and provide excellent support.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dripworks - drip irrigation
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Well, in my 30 odd years of growing roses, I have used just about every watering method known to man. Believe it or not, soaker hoses do deliver a lot of water, depending on the type you may be using. The term soaker hose is sort of generic, I mean it covers everything from the green hose with the holes in the top turned upside down to leaky pipe. Some nursery supply houses even sell a canvass one that really puts out the water. It is very hard to tell exactly how much you are putting out, but when I used them, I would normally turn the water on for an hour, and see how the roses looked after a couple of days of that. If they looked OK, I would use the one hour interval, if they were too wet, I would cut back to 30 minutes or go up 30 minutes to another hour, if they were too dry. After a time, I put one of those battery operated electronic water timers on the system, so that I wouldn't have to control it myself. The timer would come on when I wanted and be on for the requisite amount of time and then cut off, every day or every other or whatever. By using the water timer, I wouldn't have to be there to control anything, and the roses would still get watered. What you choose to do is really up to you. I don't use soaker hoses anymore, because I have found something I like better, and am sure that my time interval is just right. We are under water restrictions here, so I have to be more careful now.
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denni, Is this well water? You have answered your own question. Try a vinegar soak and municipal water flush or buy a new hose when this happens. Try a hose with larger pores or make your own 1/16" holes. Are you using a pressure reducer with your hose? How long until the hose clogs? Aloha
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I think that's what I got from Lowes but they didn't last very long. I was using them to water the lawns. Sometimes it gets too windy so that's why i use soaker. Forever to finish but very effective. I wonder if animals would even chew on them to get to water? I just found a few that were letting out more water than normal and wondered if they were from animal bites???
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I've heard that new trees should get 45 minutes a day ==>>> that a nonsensical answer from peeps who have no clue about your soil.. in your yard.. in your weather ... water plants when they need them.;.. and then let them near dry ... i think i gave you the link in your other post ... the new shrubs will only need water this year.. and only in drought next year.. and then be free range .. ergo ... you can use a temporary line.. which you just hooks up to the spigot when you need to ... and remove it after next season ... dont forget the mulch ... you would arm yourself with a hand trowel.. run the line for 30 mins.. and then go see how deep the water got ... and then water for another 30 mins ... you want to achieve a deep watering .. down into the root mass .. and keep going.. until you put down PROPER WATER ... after that.. and with good mulch.. you might not need to water again.. for a month ... when the heat of summer really hits .. keep digging small holes AND FIND OUT HOW IT ALL WORKS IN YOUR SOIL ... as noted.. absolutely no one can tell you hole it all works in your microclimate and soil ... ken
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nygardener
18 years ago
I should mention that the tubing is flexible and can be cut with scissors, and the fittings (corners, end plugs, etc.) work by pushing plastic connectors into the tubing. The only tool you'll need other than a pair of scissors is a hole punch, which you buy with the tubing. The fittings themselves create a seal; there's no need for adhesives or other chemicals.
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nygardener
18 years ago
Another trick I used is to water a small amount, let the soil absorb it, then water a little more. My timer's set to water for five minutes or so at 4:00 am, then again at 4:30, etc., several days per week. Dry soil tends to repel water at first; this gives it a chance to soak up more than a single 20-minute burst might.
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