Find the right garden hose
It ’s such a simple-minded piece of garden equipment : A subway system to disperse water supply . But nothing make more aggravation ! A garden hosepipe that kinks , leaks , is stiff and wo n’t relax or is heavy to drag around can be really thwarting . As the corporal gardener forGarden Gatemagazine and professional horticulturist , I ’ve used 100 of hoses over the years made from a wide variety of material - vinyl , synthetic rubber , plastics and even metallic element - they all have pros and convict . So take a face at all the unlike eccentric of garden hose below and watch out my secret to finding one you ’ll be well-chosen with and how to like for a garden hose so it survive for years .
You May Also Like : How to Water Perennial PlantsHanging Basket Watering TipsHow to Choose the Right Garden Hoe
What to look for in a garden hose
High quality fittings
you could get cheap hosepipe with aluminum , stamped alloy , or charge plate couplings , butbrassis the most perdurable . Get the kind of coupling with an octagonal shape so you may use a pliers to relax the connection if you demand to .
Burst pressure rating
mark the promotional material for a burst pressure military rank above 350 PSI . The higher it is the less potential the hosepipe will spring a leak if someone drive over it while it ’s full .
In regions where freezing is of concern , look for cold weather ratings , too , so you get it on whether that hose can last water freezing within .
Hose helpers
How to care for your garden hose
To stave off a kink in your garden hosepipe do n’t yank on the remainder to straighten it out . Instead , walk back to the kink and open it so you do n’t set the wrinkle or crock up the hose . For the same reason , do n’t close up or curve the hosiery to stop the flow of piss — become the pee off at the root or with a shut - off valve . Coil up the hosepipe after each use to keep it straight . A larger whorl ( 2 to 3 feet in diam ) leaves the hosepipe more relaxed and less potential to kink when uncoil .
To put your garden hose away for the season , run body of water out of it after shut off the faucet . This agency there ’s no body of water inside that could expand and erupt in cold wintertime temperature . attend your garden hose on a wide of the mark , labialise hanger or lurch to prevent kink . Never use just a nail or single thin bait as these will stimulate the hose to crease . If you ’re tired of having to fortify writhe the hose into the garage thishandy deviceis an all - in - one horse wrangler and repositing unit of measurement .
Garden hose comparisons
In my pursuance for the perfect hosiery , I ’ve tried quite a few dissimilar materials . Here ’s what I ’ve discovered .
Vinyl hoses
commonly one of the least - expensive hose , vinyl is often reinforced with cording or nylon mesh in multiple plies to make it potent and undestroyable , so it is good for attaching tosprinklerswhere you might result the water supply turn on all day with a timer . They lean to be stiff and hard to coil , and often kink and rekink in the same spot . I have cursed this kind of hose far more than any other , but it ’s a good hose to use in office where I can leave it string out in one blank space — such as to reach a distant bed .
Polyurethane hoses
A polyurethan hosiery is lightweight to utilise and does n’t kink as much but is a bit stiff , so it can be fussy to volute and not as bendable when pull through the garden . Mypolyurethane hosehas a smaller diam , so I get less water output — not slap-up on a sprinkler , but so light to drag around that it ’s one of my favorites .
Precoiled polyurethane hoses
Precoiled polyurethane hoses are stretchable and skillful to use for speedy waterings on a regular basis — on the patio , in a greenhouse or sunroom , by the veggie garden . Do n’t put in one in a heap or the coils will sweep up together . Instead clothe it carefully from ahose hangeror try sliding the coils down a length of PVC or a broom handle like you see in the picture to keep a precoiled hosepipe neatly stored .
Rubber hoses
Though heavy , a construction - grade rubber hosiery has a foresightful life-time and can take a whacking while being pliable and easy to coil . twist can be shaken out and do n’t commonly leave a crease that reoccurs . My favorite black caoutchouc hosiery will allow mule marks on concrete , hands and dress if it rubs too hard , but it wash away off .
You Might Also wish : How to Divide 45 + PerennialsMust - Have Pruning Tools for GardenersDrought - Tolerant perennial
Polymer hoses
Usually fuddle water system good , this material is lightweight , soft and flexible , gently curling around plants , pots and corners and hand-build easily for storage . Mypolymer hosekinks like crazy , but the creases do n’t set and will unkink with a quick twirl of the end like a jump roach . It coils so easy and is so light that all is forgiven if I unroll it first before using .
Metal hose
I love thismetal hosiery ! It ’s pricier , but tough , really lightweight , does n’t curl ( though I have deal to twist it up occasionally ) , I can drag it around and it easily uncoils . If the hose heats up in the sun , it chill quicker than other material so I do n’t waste water running until the water system is n’t blistering . It will catch on corner or sidewalk cracks but you could snap it like a whip to dislodge it . Mine has a smaller piddle output due to the narrower inside hose diameter , but it can power a sprinkler .
Expandable Garden Hose
There are many versions of an expandible hose — unremarkably a rubber tube encased by a durable , stretchable fabric . I hold it seems gimmicky , but I eff how light and loose to store mine is — all 100 ft . contract and fits in a 5 - gallon . bucket . If you detest coiling your hosepipe when your done using it , you ’ll love an expandable hose — it basically puts itself aside !
Soaker hoses
The great thing about soakers is that they employ a lot less water system — up to 70 percent less — than wands or sprinklers . And none of the water system is wasted since it ’s directed right into the territory near the roots where it ’s needed . Once I mark asoaker hosein the garden , I pass on it in place all time of year . Turn the faucet on just enough so the entire hose is weeping , but not spraying .
It can take a little practice to know how recollective to allow the hosiery ply . experimentation in your garden by running it for an minute with the spigot on a quarter turn . The next solar day see if the soil is still dampish at least 2 inch down . If the soil ’s juiceless , H2O again and this time get the soaker scat longer or plough the faucet up a piece .
