Why a soaker hose is the easiest way to water a garden

The cheapest bit of watering gear that actually changes how a garden runs

A soaker hose is a length of porous hose that weeps water along its whole length rather than firing it out of one end, so you lay it through the bed, turn the tap on low, and walk away. There's no fittings to work out, nothing to assemble and nothing to calculate, which is why it's the one I point beginners at when they ask where to start with watering.

What it's actually doing for you

Water goes into the soil at the root zone instead of onto the foliage, and that matters twice over. Less of it blows off as vapour or runs across the surface before it soaks in, so more of what you pay for ends up where the plant can use it. And the leaves stay dry, which takes away the overnight damp that fungal problems like mildew and black spot get going in.

The other thing it does, and this is the part people notice first, is that it takes the watering decision away from you. Standing there with a hose, everybody either overdoes it or gets bored and stops early. A soaker hose running slowly for a set time puts down roughly the same amount every time without you having to judge anything.

Laying it out

Unroll it through the bed so it runs past the base of the plants, weaving between rows in a veggie patch or looping around individual shrubs. Peg it down so it doesn't creep out of position, then put mulch over the top of it. Mulching over a soaker hose is worth doing for two reasons, since it keeps the water in the soil rather than letting the surface dry out, and it keeps the hose out of the sun, which is what makes cheap hose go brittle and split.

How long to run it

Run it on low pressure, because a soaker hose is not meant to be pushed hard and turning the tap up just sends water out of the first few metres. Somewhere around 30 to 45 minutes is a reasonable starting point, twice a week rather than every day, and then check it properly: dig down about 10cm afterwards and see how far the water has actually got. Sandy soil takes it fast and shallow, clay takes it slowly and holds it, so the number you end up with is yours rather than one off a website.

Put a timer on it

A tap timer on the front turns the whole thing into something that happens whether you're home or not, which is the difference between a garden that survives a week away and one that doesn't. That's the entire reason to spend the extra, because your Saturday is already spoken for and the watering is the job that quietly eats it.

The two things a soaker hose is genuinely bad at

I'd rather tell you this now than have you find out. A long run loses pressure toward the far end, so a 30 metre length laid in one piece waters the first half better than the second, and the fix is shorter runs off a splitter rather than one big loop. And the pores block up over time with grit and mineral deposits, particularly on bore or tank water, so it isn't a forever product and it wants flushing through occasionally.

It's also the wrong tool for a lawn, where you want coverage rather than a line, and for pots, where drip line with individual emitters does a better job.

Shop related products

• Pope Simple Set Single Tap Timer. Turns a soaker hose into something that runs without you.
• Pope Hold Down Stake 10pk. Pegs the hose down so it stays where you laid it.
• Easy Wetta Garden Mulch 50L. Goes over the top to hold the moisture and keep the sun off the hose.
• Pope Drip Eze 2LH 13mm x 30m. Drip line with set emitters, for pots and anywhere you want measured amounts.

Did you know the soaker hose itself is one of the things we stock in the shop and don't list online, in lengths from 10 metres up to 30 metres. Give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 and we'll tell you what's on the shelf before you come in.

The garden centre carries the watering gear and the mulch that goes over it, so have a look through the garden range or come in and we'll work out what your beds need.

Read next

• How to set up a low cost watering system for a veggie patch
• How to stop drip lines and sprinkler heads clogging up
• The best time of day to water your plants

I'm a great believer in any bit of gear that does a job while I'm doing something else, and a soaker hose is about as close as watering gets to that.

Cheers,
Candeece