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Soaker hose offers the perfect
delivery of water to plants: slowly, steady release at the soil line. This
ensures that water is not wasted. The slow release allows the soil around
plant roots to gradually absorb the water. And the proximity of the hose to
soil means that very little if any is lost to evaporation.
The soaker hose is actually the
grandfather of the drip irrigation system.
When you attach a soaker to a
regular hose and turn on the water supply, water seeps in sweat-like beads
from the hose along its entire length.
Soaker hose if used properly can
help us conserve water and at the same time enjoy beautiful flower gardens,
trees as well as great tasting home-grown fruits and vegetables. Also use in
raised planters, median strips, foundation stabilization, hanging planters
and more.
Installing the hose system in your
garden is simple enough for just about anyone to do. An underground soaker
system is the most effective, because you don’t lose any water to
evaporation, and you can soak the roots of plants at a deeper level.
Installing your soakers underground is most practical if you’re planning a
new garden. You can incorporate the hoses into the garden design, and bury
them as you plant your garden.
An aboveground soaker system is much
easier to install for an existing garden, and the hoses can easily be moved
whenever necessary. This type of soaker system is still extremely efficient
and effective. You simply place the hose along the ground around the base of
your plants, or better still, bury them under garden mulch. If the hose
crosses an area of the garden which doesn’t require watering, you simply
connect a section of regular hose.
A filter is highly recommended. A calcium inhibitor filter (same type of filter
that is used on a misting system) is also recommended for areas with hard
water. For use on a well system, a filter is a MUST so that particles that
might clog the pores of the tubing will be filtered out. Well water
typically has particles of sediment in suspension. Installing a back flow
preventer is highly recommended to stop dirty water from backing up through the
hose into your household drinking water supply. This is simply a matter of
installing a one way valve between the water source or spigot and the first
length of hose.
Pressure Regulator is a MUST since soaker hose is designed to work at low
pressure (we recommend the fiskars brand regulator). |
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