A soaker hose has numerous benefits for the homeowners who maintain a garden are aware of. It helps in delivering steady water to the plant base to conserve water as much as possible. Other homeowners want to know more about soaker hose water consumption before making a change in their existing lifestyle. Soaker hoses are quite similar to garden hoses except they have small pores all along their length and are closed at the end. But how much water does a soaker hose user per hour and overall? The answer to this question lies in the details….
Soaker Hose – A Valuable Garden Tool
Soaker hoses are known for their efficient water delivery by providing focused water. It doesn’t spray water into the air where it gets evaporated before it hits the ground. A soaker hose delivers the water exactly where you want it to deliver. It delivers the water slowly and steadily when sets up correctly.
So the best Soaker hoses reduce the water runoff and maximize the amount of water your plants receive. They are a good alternative in situations where you can’t install a drip irrigation system or needs a flexible water delivery system. A soaker hose can also be connected to a standard spigot or a standard garden hose. They can move from place to place easily and are available in many different lengths for different situations.
Do the Soaker Hoses Save Water?
Have you ever heard about the drip irrigation system? The soaker is a basic version of such a system that helps in saving water, time, and effort. Soaker hoses are similar to water hoses except they have pores in them. These pores work best for small and medium-sized gardens as they water the plants efficiently. You left the soaker hose on the ground near the roots for watering them and doesn’t spray water on leaves and stem. This kind of water irrigation also helps to prevent fungus growth.
The water from the pores is good enough to keep the ground under the plant moist round the clock. If you use a soaker hose with timers, it helps increase its performance. The timers control the water supply depending on the settings. It is important to periodically check the soaker hoses for blockages and water distribution once you have installed them.
How Much Water Does a Soaker Hose Use?
Water usage is a primary concern and consideration for you when choosing a new hose for your garden. The water efficiency of a soaker hose depends on many factors. Generally, most plants require about two inches of water per week to thrive. This can vary depending on the plant type and environment. This means you need to have some information about the type of plants that grow in your area. The logical thing is to check how long a soaker hose needs to run to deliver the mentioned two inches of water.
We can start by checking the flow rate of the soaker hose and how it helps in applying the correct water amount to your garden. The flow rate of the soaker hose depends on the following factors….
- Hose diameter
- Water pressure
- Hose Length
These factors directly affect the water delivery from your soaker hose. Striving for the best soaker hose means perfect efficiency and performance. A longer soaker harms the flow rate. Also, a hose with a smaller diameter reduces the water amount that can be delivered to the plants in a certain amount of time. A good thing about soaker hoses is that they use a construction method that helps mitigate these factors, unlike garden hoses. They allow water to seep out along the length of the hose then delivering it all from the hose end. In this way, you get more efficient water coverage with lower pressure, a shorter hose, and a smaller diameter.
How Much Area Does a Soaker Hose Water Effectively?
This question is amongst the most common ones asked by home and garden owners. It is not possible to accurately measure a specific length of a garden watered by a soaker hose effectively. All you can say is that they are well-built to serve small and medium gardens. The efficiency of a soaker hose can be ensured using a pressure regulator. If you attach a pressure regulator to the soaker hose with a setting of 10 – 12 PSI, it can deliver the right amount of water to the garden.
You can monitor the pressure regulator at some intervals by digging a spot near the plant roots. The roots area of a plant should be half-covered with water after soaker hose application for 40 minutes at 10 – 12 PSI. A soaker hose has a low start-up cost and very easy installation. It only requires snaking around the plant beds, raised beds are ideal for soaker hoses.
How Much Pressure is Needed to Use a Soaker Hose?
Soaker hoses work well with low water pressure. If the water pressure is high, it can burst the pipe, resulting in backflow, and uneven watering. You can also attach a backflow preventer to the soaker hose. It will help in water conservation while protecting your water supply. The best setup is to use the backflow preventer in conjunction with a hose-attached pressure regulator. If you are not sure about the sufficient water delivery to your plants, you can test it by checking the water distribution in the first and last 3-feet of the hose. If you find a lot of difference, you need to recheck the entire system otherwise you are fine. It is always recommended to maintain low pressure throughout the system for the best results.
Tips to Use a Soaker Hose
- Avoid kinks in your soaker hose, let it relax a bit in the sunshine to warm up.
- Keep the soaker hose clean and clog-free. Do the flushing-out several time in a season to remove any sediments from it.
- Don’t let the soil cover your soaker hose.
- When digging in the garden, devise a marking system using anything to prevent any accidental damage to your hose.
- Don’t leave your soaker hose connected to the water supply when not in use.
