Soaker hoses benefit flowers close together in the garden.
Soaker hoses deliver water at a continual, slow rate, precisely to the roots of plants or to a specific target. The hose has tiny holes along its length that allows water seepage. This method helps conserve water because there is no evaporation or run-off. It is healthy for the plants because it doesn't spray water onto leaves, where disease can take hold. Soaker hoses are used in flower and vegetable gardens, on specific areas of lawns and on trees. Does this Spark an idea?
Flower Gardens
Rose leaves can get burned with sprinkler water.
Use a soaker hose in a garden where plants and flowers are grouped close together. A flower bed with perennials, annuals, ornamental grasses, succulents and groundcovers will benefit from a soaker hose. A rose garden is a good place for a soaker hose because rose leaves are particularly prone to burning from water on the leaves.
Tomato and Vegetable Garden
Tomato plants need a deep soak about three times a week.
Dr. Steve Reiners, a horticultural scientist at Cornell University researched the use of soaker hoses in a tomato garden. Reiners applied 7.5 gallons of water per hour, three times a week, at two hours each time. The deep watering gave the tomatoes adequate moisture. "When the Northeast was plagued by a terrible drought, my tomatoes grew just fine," Reiners said in an interview in "Impact," the university's newsletter. Other vegetables that grow close together benefit from the slow release of water, including squash, corn, peas and lettuce. Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and shallots like the deep watering.
Spot Watering the Lawn
If a specific area of a grass lawn has a dry spot where sprinklers don't reach, then a soaker house can be effective. It can be used for spot watering lawn areas up to 3-feet wide. The hose emits water the entire distance, so it works well along a driveway, sidewalk or border where strips of grass make a sprinkler inconvenient.
Deep Watering Trees
Deep water newly planted trees, as well as trees in the middle of a drought, with a soaker hose at night. This is the most efficient use of water and best for the trees, according to a scientist at the University of North Texas. "When watering trees, remember that the roots extend in all directions as far from the trunk as the tree is tall, and it is important to irrigate the entire potential rooting area," said Don Smith, associate professor of biological sciences, in an article published by the school's newsletter, "Inhouse@UNT." "However, watering the drip line (the periphery of the canopy of the tree) is probably the most effective area to concentrate on if water is limited." Smith recommends two inches of water per tree, every other week.
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