Soaker hose system recommendations

[patf]

I'm looking to make my garden watering as easy as possible and also not wast water which i would likely do if i move hoses around with sprinklers etc.

I have 11 4ft wide hilled up beds. Each bed will have 2 rows. So i was thinking soaker hoses right down the middle

rows are 36 ft long which is a odd length for stock hoses. I was wonder what people would recommend include where to buy?

I see some system where you can have up to 500' on one spicket, so If that is really possible it could be on large zone.

Should i go with stock hoses, or mixter of poly tube to connect the soaker hoses?

Any recommendations?

[davidg]

i bought a 500' roll of soaker off ebay a few years ago. the first year i used it UNCUT and just snaked it around the garden. since then i have cut it a few times, and just use a hose clamp to close off the end. you could get a couple 50' or 4 25' ones and just cut to length.

[patf]

Originally Posted by davidg

i bought a 500' roll of soaker off ebay a few years ago. the first year i used it UNCUT and just snaked it around the garden. since then i have cut it a few times, and just use a hose clamp to close off the end. you could get a couple 50' or 4 25' ones and just cut to length.

David, Thanks for the reply.

500' is probalby about right for me. I have 11x36' double rows to cover so about 400'. But I also have 2 experiments where i am growing potatoes in 3x3 boxes and I have a dozen berry bushes I am planting nearby. so 500' would not be that much extra. Do you recall who you orded from? There seems to be alot of vendors and it is nice to get some recommendations from people who have purchased their hose before.

[KRS]

Originally Posted by davidg

i bought a 500' roll of soaker off ebay a few years ago. the first year i used it UNCUT and just snaked it around the garden. since then i have cut it a few times, and just use a hose clamp to close off the end. you could get a couple 50' or 4 25' ones and just cut to length.

0.50" or 0.25" ?

[davidg]

.5", but i have no clue who it was. it has held up good, i don't store it for the winter usually just leaving it laying in a pile outside or some years even leave it in the garden. i've had a few blow outs from overpressure in it before i finally figured out the right pressure to run it.

when i cut it into sections i went to lowes and bought some 1" PVC, screw together coupler ends, male/female hose ends to fit the PVC, tees with 1/2" female threads, and a handful of 1/2" screw in nipples. i put a tee every 4 feet along the PVC pipe, and every 10' i put a coupler. the soaker fits the nipple and is held on with a hose clamp. i can make my pvc 50'+ long, or break it down into several 10' sections and connect them with regular garden hoses. this has worked great for the last couple years, though the hose clamps tend to rust pretty quick when out in the weather! i feed this off my deep well, and even with 6-7 years of minerals the hose has not clogged yet. i can't get a full season out of the hoses from Wally world/Lowes.

oh and for blow outs i simply use some 1/2" metal conduit and splice it in with hose clamps. most of these now are cause by an errant hoe or the driver of the X500 not paying attention and trying to cut a little too close to the garden!

[SonnyT]

I have used the 1/2" soaker hose for many years. About 4 years ago I went to drip irrigation for the Tomatos/ Peppers and have not been real happy with it. So I am going back to my soaker hose for everything this year.

[davidg]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Colorite-Bulk-Soaker-Hose-5-8-Inch-by-250-ft-garden-/180842736719?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a1b11 2c4f is the hose i have, it is 5/8 not 1/2 inch. i knew that did not sound right yesterday.

i also recommend soemthing like http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mechanical-Hose-Watering-Irrigation-Timer-For-Low-Pressure-Drip-And-Soaker-Hoses-/190641491201?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c631e 4d01 as the hose does NOT come with a pressure regulator. if you run long run you don't really need one so long as you don't turn the bibb on full blast, but for shorter runs the pressure can build too much and cause a blow out. that's what the little rubber plug with the small hole is for on store bought soakers, i used to throw them away and then wonder why every hose i bought blew out in no time!

and for thos blow outs try http://www.ebay.com/itm/Garden-Soaker-Hose-CONNECTORS-Brand-New-/380331598793?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588d87 a3c9