Best Soaker Hose of 2019 for Garden and Backyard Owners
Quality soaker hoses are efficient, earth-friendly tools to water your plants and will save you a lot of labor dragging hoses out into your yard. The best soaker hose needs to be moved only once or twice a year if laid in vegetable gardens or flower beds.
Rating | Product |
|---|---|
#1 Best | |
#2 | |
#3 | |
#4 | |
#5 |
What Is A Soaker Hose?
Too often, the terms drip irrigation and soaker hose are used interchangeably. There's a critical difference between soaker hoses and drip irrigation; while drip irrigation emits water at specific points along the hose path, soaker hoses seep water all along their length
Many gardeners lay soaker hoses along plant lines and leave it there for a season; in areas with no frost risk, some gardeners use them permanently. Because soaker hoses are extremely porous, they are vulnerable to dirt clogs.
Because they're generally a very dark color, some brands are highly susceptible to UV damage. Soaker hoses are an ideal and efficient method of water delivery with little loss due to evaporation.
The soaker hose reviews below feature several products that are 100% recycled and are even kinder to the Earth!
Tips For Safe And Effective Usage
Soaker hoses should be placed in areas where plants are tightly packed. They're ideal in a large flower bed or a vegetable garden. If you use them to water a line of trees that are widely spaced, you may waste a lot of water.
For best efficiency, lay your soaker hoses out before you mulch. However, be aware that hidden soaker hoses can be tripping hazards. Be sure to secure your soaker hose with landscaping pins so unwary gardeners aren't tripped.
Maintaining Your Soaker Hoses
When you pull up your soaker hoses before a freeze, you'll need to blow out the hoses as depicted in this video to get rid of dirt clumps and make it safe to store.
If your soaker hoses freeze in the garden, they may burst and be destroyed. In climates with little risk of freezing, you can clean your hoses yearly in this manner and put them back down on the bare dirt.
Connector Options
Soaker hoses generally have a female end that's open and a male end that's capped. If you need a great deal of soaker hose length, you can buy the hose with no hardware, cut it to length, add the female connector and just fold the other end and clamp it. Soaker hoses come with threaded connectors that you screw to another hose.
However, as these hoses spend a lot of time in the dirt, the connections can be hard to attach and you can burn a lot of time rinsing off the soil so you can screw the water hose to the soaker hose. Consider investing in quick connect hose connections.
These connectors are permanent attachments to your hose; rather than screwing on the hose connection, you screw a portion of the quick connect attachment to either end of the hose connection you want to make. Then, to connect your soaker hose, all you need to do is pull back the sleeve on the female connector, insert the male attachment, and slide the sleeve back down.
Safe Handling of Soaker Hoses
While flat soaker hoses are smooth to the touch, the industrial grade soaker hose selections are quite rough and may be hard on your hands. If possible, invest in some fingerless gloves to protect your hands when laying out hoses in your garden.
Best Soaker Hose of 2018 for Garden Reviews
The Gilmour hose is meant to last and comes with a 7-year warranty.
These flat hoses are extremely flexible and easy to lay out, so this is a great option for weekend gardeners who need to plant, lay out the hose, mulch and water all in a short time.
Be certain to pin it down with landscaping pin to reduce tripping, but leave space for the hose to expand once filled with water! Be certain to buy the length you need when purchasing flat hose; flat soaker hose bulk is hard to locate as the connector attachment can be tricky.
PROS
CONS
This hose will emit 1 gallon of water per hour at low pressure and is one of the best soaker hose for vegetable garden layouts.
This hose is quite thick and has an outside diameter of 1 inch. When you lay this out, it will want to stay coiled, so place it on a sunny day and be ready to pin it in place once it relaxes.
PROS
CONS
As previously stated, you're a female connector and a clamp from building your own soaker hoses to fit.
If you're starting fruit trees, be aware that the best soaker hose for trees is one that coils the trunk, rather than watering long stretches between the trees.
This double wall soaker hose could be a great way to build custom soaker applications for your new plantings. Be ready to lay this professional grade soaker hose in the sun to soften so you can lay it out kink-free.
PROS
CONS
This is a UV resistant soaker hose, so if you can't mulch over it, this may be the best soaker hose system for you. When working with flat soaker hose vs round hoses, it's tempting to curl them into tight corners.
Be aware that your Melnor soaker hose may kink when full of water; give it plenty of room to turn corners and consider putting it under pressure before you mulch to be sure there are no kinks.
PROS
CONS
This kit is a DIY gardening dream! If you've got trees or raised beds, you can build a custom soaker hose with stretches of non-porous hose to efficiently water specific plantings in your yard.
Ideal for new shrubs, trees, or any plants that can't tolerate being dry.
PROS
CONS
Conclusion
The best soaker hose 2018 is the one you can place and forget, and the winner of this review is the Pro Series 5/8-inch Soaker Hose. You will need to add connectors, but you will be able to completely customize your gardening layout.
Review the inside diameter of the hose, buy the right connectors, and be patient with this product. Wear gloves! It's extremely durable, but will want to stay coiled. Lay it in the sun until it relaxes, then bury it under soil or mulch in a kink-free layout for dependable water to your plants.
