Soaker hoses aren't that expensive. Why not get two more and leave them instead of constantly moving the one. Then you save a ton of time and don't risk breaking stems each time. So long as you have good drainage, the plants will take what water they need. General rule of thumb is that gardens require one inch of water per week by supplementing rainfall. You will have to adjust throughout the season and be attentive to the amount of rainfall you receive each week. There are two schools of thought on watering. Frequent shallow waterings or less frequent long, deep waterings. The general rule of thumb is that mature plants need 1-2 inches of rain per week in summer. You should provide whatever portion of this moisture is lacking. One inch of rain equals 65 gallons per 100 square feet of garden space. But this is just a guide. Time of the season, stage of the plants, soil composition, and many other factors affect the amount of water required. Be consistent during fruit production. Mulched plants require less water than plants that are not mulched. Raised beds require more than non-raised beds. If a good amount of compost is incorporated into the soil, less water is needed. Compost holds 6 times it's weight in water. Watering too frequently and too heavily is just as hard on plants as too little water. Roots require oxygen just as much as they require water and nutrients. Dry winds dehydrate plants. Cooler temps require less water. Those using drip irrigation whether from a soaker hose or milk jug are likely getting the best use of their water which is going right where it needs to go and the ground has time to absorb it. There are hundreds of methods of watering. Whatever you do, just be consistent. But I do agree, twice a day sounds like too much. Roots require oxygen equally as much as they require nutrients and water. I personally believe in a couple of deep waterings per week with the use of 2 inches of mulch to reduce evaporation and maintain a more stable soil temperature. Plants recover from dehydration much better then they ever recover from the roots being suffocated by drowning so under watering is better than over watering until you get the hang of it. Oxygen is equally as important as water and nutrients and rain water is always better than municipal tap water.

I have soaker hoses in four separate garden areas, all running off one timer. There are lots of Y connections, which come with 2 valves each. I use sections of garden hose to connect the areas. Where the garden hose needed to cross a lawn, I cut a slot with a straight-edged shovel, pushed the hose to the bottom of the slot, then by stepping on the slot, the grass closed up. I don't have soaker hoses longer than 50 to 60 feet, and I sometimes take the cap off the far end to check that all the water hasn't soaked out before it reaches the end. On one long perennial bed 6 ft wide, I have four soaker hoses in parallel 18" apart. On shorter beds, I wind the soakers back and forth in a serpentine pattern. I try to put the hoses between the flowers, not too close to them. I have a potted plant hanging from a shepherd's crook at the end of one of these beds, so I plugged a drip line into a soaker hose and ran it up the shepherd's crook. It needs a little more pressure to get the water up to the hanging pot, but it works. The pot gets water much longer than it needs, but the extra water just drains out the bottom. Some years I've had the soaker hose on top of the ground, and other years nearly buried in the mulch (barely visible). The water flows faster when above-ground, but when buried, it seems that the flow nearly stops when rain has already soaked the ground. (I have high clay content.) So I don't turn it off when it rains. Squirrels, shipmunks, and winter frost haven't done any harm to the system, but I remove the outdoor timer over winter. I also have a drip system for a potted herb garden, but that's on a separate timer. Jim

keep the hose out of sun light and flush it often it will last longer. If you want to "up" quality switch to 1/2" landscape drip line. I would suggest one with weep holes every 18" (you can get lines with different spacing). These use water even more efficiently than "soaker" hoses. Higher quality ones have weep holes that do not draw back water (and soil) into them when you turn off the water (which creates back pressure). That too will make it last longer. You will need a 1/2" line coupler to hook to a standard hose and a plug for each end. "T"'s, filters, pressure regulators and valves can also be purchased to set up several lines to one hose adapter and valves installed to only run a few lines at a time. Most, if not all, these parts can be found at home centers. If not landscape supply or larger nurseries generally have them. It is best kept out of the sun to last longer as well. Using a filter trap on your water source before it enters the line will help it last longer. "Lay flat" drip tape is another possibility. Though it can be used for several years depending on quality and setup. It will probably not last 10 years and also will require some adapters/filters. Here is a link that might be useful: example of 1/2

I am using drip tape this year to water the garden, and I LOVE it. The tape waters very even, unlike soaker hose. I got it at my local garden center and it was cheap less then $0.10 a foot. I built a header out of 3/4" PVC pipe, and threaded tee's, to attach all the drip tapes, and added a timer. The whole thing cost me around $70.00 including the timer. The tape has emitters every 4". I have been watering every day in the 100+ heat and my water bill has drooped, over prior years. If I took the time and money to mulch I would be watering even less. I lost my free supply of straw this year, so I didn't mulch. So my vote is for drip