A soaker hose seeps out water from tons of tiny holes throughout the length of the hose. We place it on the soil and the water reaches the roots of the plants directly without spraying into the air and wetting the leaves.
Soaker hoses reduce water waste as compared to the other methods of irrigation and decrease the chances of diseases in plants by keeping their foliage dry.
Installing a soaker hose is usually a low monetary investment for the average home garden but it will take a bit of time to set up and they can work well with timers to keep your garden or trees watered regularly.
Timers need to be attached to the Hose, to have the water flow at the required time. There are a number of methods to make soaker hose. Once you’ve used it, your garden will thank you with a gift of beautiful flowers and delicious vegetables.
Things Required to Make a Soaker Hose From a PVC Pipe
- PVC Pipe
- Measuring Tape
- Marker
- Drill
- Drill bits
- Elbow fittings
- Heat gun
- Hacksaw
Step 1: Resize the PVC pipe
Take the measuring tape to measure the size of the garden. Lay out the pipe and mark the place from where to cut using a marker then cut the pipe using the hacksaw to the size that is required.
Step 2: Drill the holes into the PVC pipe
Use the drill to make holes in the PVC pipe. The size of drill bit depends on how much water flow you require from the holes. We need to mark the places where we want holes using a marker. Make sure there is a reasonable gap between each other. Then, use the drill to make holes at the marked places.
Step 3: Join elbow fittings to the PVC pipe
If the plants in our garden are not planted in one single straight line then use elbow fittings to move the pipe in any other direction. We use a heat gun to connect the elbow fitting to the PVC pipe. Make sure the PVC pipe is connected correctly and there is no leakage.
Step 4: Connect the PVC pipe to the tap
Use a heat gun to glue the inside part of the PVC pipe then screw the PVC pipe with the tap and open the tap. By opening or closing the tap flow the pressure of the water can be adjusted.
Can you Make a Soaker Hose From a Regular Garden Hose
Yes, We can make a soaker hose from a regular garden hose. It is another method to make a soaker hose.
A regular garden hose, hose pipe, or just hose is a flexible tube that is used to transfer water. We have a number of common attachments available, for example. syringes and sprinklers (which are used to collect water at a point or spread in a large area). We usually attach taps.
See this post for more on choosing the right hose for your needs.
Things Required to Make a Soaker Hose From a Regular Garden Hose
- Regular Garden Hose
- Marker
- Push Pin
- Scrap fabric
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
- Hose caps
- Stainless clamp
- Brass fitting
- Screwdriver
Step 1: Attach the hose cap
Put the stainless clamp onto the hose first, and then connect the brass fitting into the cut end. Then slide the clamp back up over the hose, and then tighten it down using a screwdriver. This will stop water to go out of the hose and will increase the pressure so that the water flows out from the small holes.
Step 2: Make the holes in the Hose
Use the push pin to make holes in the hose. We use a push pin as it can easily make holes in the rubber. We need to mark the places where we want holes using a marker. Make sure there is a reasonable gap between each other. Then, use the push pin to make holes at the marked places.
Step 3: Make a cover for the hose
We need to make a cover for the hose so that the water does not sprinkle out. Take any scrap fabric and trim it. Then, sew it to make a tube. Put it over the hose.
Step 4: Position
Place the hose around the targeted plants. The fabric will stop water to sprinkle and make it drip towards the plants.
PVC Drip Irrigation vs The Traditional Soaker Hose
PVC Drip Irrigation is a slow process of dripping of water from small tubes with small emitters. The water comes from these emitters at a very slow rate and penetrates the soil. The best part of this system is that it focuses on the root area, that is, water only drops the part of the soil where roots grow. It is considered the most effective under all irrigation methods because very little water is dissolved and the soil takes enough time to absorb water.
There is a very low chance of water to evaporate or lose and then turn the copper into the cut. Use a screwdriver to secure it (really very straight). On the other hand, The Traditional Soaker Hose is a hose that pours water from small holes. The water flows through the hose and slowly through the walls.
Similarities
Both types of irrigation allow you to put water on the roots of the plants. Watering near the ground as a sprinkling from above has some advantages. First, when you are at ground level water, you target the most accurate plants. You only water plants, not weeds over plants. You can also keep the leaves of the plants dried. This reduces the possibility of diseases and other diseases that require a moist environment to grow.
Ultimately, irrigation on the ground reduces evaporation, which is inevitable when blowing the tiny drops of water through the air.
Cost
A drip irrigation system requires regulators and filters, which makes it a little expensive. But soaker hose is the cheapest water tool that you will find. Just buy a better hose for the garden, add one side to your tap and start to water your plants.
Durability
Soaker hoses are more prone to cracks and leaks, especially if they not taken care of. If it remains under the sun for a long time, the tube will be damaged. Most of the hoses are made of rubber and are not durable. If they leak, it’s hard to fix it to last longer. But drip irrigation systems can easily be repaired if damaged. You can replace the emitters if damaged.
Clogging
A soaker hose has bigger chances of blocking because they do not have filters to block debris in the water. But the drip irrigation system is designed with small passages for filters to filter the debris and avoid clogging.
Coverage Area
Soaker Hose is best for small and medium beds and plants placed together. But if you try to reach the large beds, the water flow drops. So, the drip irrigation system is best for large vegetable pots.
Precision
Although Soaker Hose is cheaper, they are less accurate. The water comes out of holes along its full length. Thus, when the Hose is watering, the plants are watered and everything is in the middle of the plant. On the other hand, a drip irrigation system can be placed so that they fall completely on the root area of the plant. For small plants, you can use an emitter. This allows you to check not only the location of the drip but also the flow rate.
Soaker Hose and Drip irrigation system both are good as both save a lot of water but both are different in many ways so you need to choose according to your requirement.
How to Connect a Garden Hose to PVC
Garden Hose is a tube that is flexible and is used to water plants. We have a number of attachments available that can be connected to water the plants.
Things You Will Require to Glue the Garden Hose to PVC:
- PVC threaded adapter
- PVC primer
- Glue
Step 1: Connect the PVC to the adapter
Spread the PVC primer on the outside end of the pipe and then apply the applicator to connect the PVC
Step 2: Connect the Garden Hose to PVC
Spread the glue in the inner part of the adapter to connect the Garden Hose to PVC.
There is another method to connect Garden Hose to PVC and that is by using glue
Things you will require to screw the Garden Hose to PVC
- Faucet
- Adjustable pliers
- Plumbing tape
- Wrench
Step 1: Wrap the plumbing tape
Wrap two or three layers of the plumbing tape around the male adapter, to ensure there is no water leakage.
Step 2: Screw the garden hose
Use a wrench to screw the garden hose to the PVC. Hold the pipe at one position using adjustable pliers to stop from breaking.
Step 3: Check for any leaks
Open the faucet to see if there is any water leakage and if there is then tighten the faucet more.
PVC Sprinkler Fittings vs Holes
PVC Sprinkler Fittings make the water come out with pressure by having a small but sharp opening.
There are different sizes, shapes, and colors. Different conditions require different shape, size, color, etc. The prices also vary from high to low. The water comes out of very small holes. We use it for large scale gardening. A lot of water is saved as less water is spread or provided to the large area.
PVC Sprinkler Fittings are used in agricultural, residential and industrial areas.
On the other hand simple holes make the water come out in a large amount at the same place. As the water is being put on the same area always grasses or plants might die. See this post on the overwatering of seeds for more on this.
Basically a lot of water is wasted as some area gets all the water while the other is deprived. It takes time to make holes whereas PVC sprinkler fittings don’t consume much time or energy in setup.
Why This Method Isn’t Typically Recommended
While you can opt for the PVC semi-soaker hose method outlined above it isn’t really recommended very often by experts in lawn care or gardening.
There are a handful of reasons behind this- the main ones among this might be summed up in the following points:
- Hard to make the right holes: A Soaker has really minute holes, and it really isn’t easy to make such small holes on PVC pipes. A lot of people have tired it and have ended up struggling quite a bit. So, it really isn’t recommended by them.
- High Pressure Needed: You would need a really high pressure to actually make this system work. You can’t just expect to have it working by itself like it does in case of a soaker hose. You must keep in mind that a PVC pipe is an entirely different thing, and that is another reason why it isn’t really recommended.
- Does not work on the basic principle of the soaker hose: In all honesty, this method doesn’t really work on the same principle as an actual soaker hose does. A soaker hose is a soaker hose because of the material that it uses, and because of how it behaves. This setup, on the other hand, although might produce a similar effect, does not really work in the same way.
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