Hose storage?!

[Potter]

Hi,

This may seem like a silly question, but what do you all do to store your hoses to make easy unravelling/re-ravelling? I bought a 40m length to reach the nearest tap and although I only needed to use it a couple of times it was such a faff to untangle the huge knotted pile (plus the fact that 40m weighs a ton!).

The little gizmos that hang on the wall seem a bit to small for the length I have (plus I've nowhere to hang it), and I worry that the reels you can buy will just twist it. I have temporarily wound it around the 'legs' of my upturned wheelbarrow, but this will only work until I actually need to use the barrow! Anyone have any hose tips or tricks? Thanks, Julia

[pigletwillie]

I did this,

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/200...ong-hoses.html

Basically most of the hose is left in situ with outlets every now and again fitted with stop ends. Then a short length of hose is plugged into these and that area watered, unplugged and replugged into the next one. This just leaves the bit of hose from your plot to the tap that needs to be run out. The bit of hose with the sprayer on the end is about 5m long and is just unplugged and coiled up when not in use.

It works like a dream, no knots, kinks or crop damage.

[Matt.]

I have a thick 1" hose because we have a manual hand pump on our site. I keep it in a donut shape about 2' in diameter with string holding it in place. The srtring goes through the middle and tied on the outer edge. I have three or four different bits of string all the way round. I use a wheelbarrow to carry it and keep it in when winding it out or in. This works fine but you have to let the hose unwind itsself when rolling it out to avoid coils.

When winding hoses or cables from reels always try and rotate the reel, don't loop your arm round. If possible have the hose flat on the ground then roll the reel over it like firemen do. The same goes for winding it back in. If you do get twists take them out straight away with a skipping rope type motion. Without twists you'll find your hose much more docile and easy to use!

[Snadger]

I did this,

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/200...ong-hoses.html

Basically most of the hose is left in situ with outlets every now and again fitted with stop ends. Then a short length of hose is plugged into these and that area watered, unplugged and replugged into the next one. This just leaves the bit of hose from your plot to the tap that needs to be run out. The bit of hose with the sprayer on the end is about 5m long and is just unplugged and coiled up when not in use.

It works like a dream, no knots, kinks or crop damage.

Nice one Piglet!

Have you got the hose linked to your 1000Ltr containers per chance?

[pigletwillie]

I do in the winter Snadger when our water is turned off, as there is much less pressure it takes a bit longer though.

[Alison]

Have got a fancy auto rewind thing at home which OH managed to get off eBay, it's dead good as you just pull it out, pull in a certain way to lock, pull again and it rewinds perfectly onto the reel. Not cheap but at least I don't leave it out all the time to fall over. Wouldn't use one on a lottie as it'd probably get nicked but good for the home.

[Potter]

Thanks everyone!

I'd love to have one of those hose winder thingies Alison, my mum's got one at her's, I had forgotten that 'til now, I'll have a closer look when I go home next (though probably out of my budget and I'd also be worried it'd get knicked).

Piglet, I think you are really on to a winner, I think I could easily fashion the same sort of thing at my plot for just the cost of the connectors with perhaps a link to my water butt too? Got me thinking now.

Thanks for the advice Matt, the wheel barrow is already coming in useful for the hose, so perhaps it should live in it until I work out something more permanent.

Julia

[Alice]

Hello Potter, I have a big garden, and have hoses led about the place which I leave in place and just connect to when required. I also have one of those auto rewind things Alison was talking about. As she says, not particularly cheap, but does save a lot of work.

[Matt.]

I should add I don't leave my hose on site. Its the only really valuable item I've invested in so I don't want to see it pinched. I have several large water butts that I fill with the hose from the well so only have to do it every now and then. Good job too because pumping >600 litres is a workout in itself!

A further question to everyone is how do you find using the pressure in your water butts for watering using a hose? Do you have them on a raised platform? I thought about trying it this year but after reading about it decided the pressure isn't sufficent. I've been using buckets but a hose would be a lot easier.