soaker hoses

[mrswadders]

A little advice/opinion please

when I was shopping in poundland I noticed that they had soaker hoses in, do you think they would work in the greenhouse if connected to water butt/container and the tap left on? Just wondering if I can get MrW to rig something up when we go away, its the first time we've gone for a whole 2 weeks and I don't think eldest son can be trusted to remember! (he is 26 so not a teenager but 'doesn't do' gardening!)

I already have pop bottles in place but wondered if this would be worth the bother

cheers folks

[bario1]

£1 for a soaker hose? Are they the black porous rubber kind? If so, I would avoid them - I bought cheap ones and they just snapped when you tried to straighten them out!

[mrswadders]

they're not solid look a bit like 'crinkle plastic' type ones if you get my drift!

[mrswadders]

just looked online and can't find them, wonder if I was dreaming, will have another look in the shop and report back!

[bario1]

Think I found them online, are they Charlie Dimm*ck ones?

[Cadalot]

I bought some and put under slate along the line of my grapes, but I connect them to the hose they seem to work OK

[Llevrah]

You weren't dreaming I've seen them in there a couple times and thought hmmmmmm should I?

[Bigmallly]

I have also been thinking of getting some recently:

[cheops]

I used these before - last year and also got them in Poundland. I had them snaking in and around the flower beds and they were well hidden under the foliage. They worked very well - all I had to do was connect the end of the soaker to my hose turn the tap on and come back 20 mins later and connect another one. I didn't open the tap very much so the water came out of the soaker slowly and not like hundreds of fountains.
However in your case if I'd read things correctly you are hoping gravity will work the sprinkler for you. I'm not so sure gravity would be enough pressure but maybe I'm wrong. You only have to spend a pound to find out and if gravity doesn't work you have a sprinkler for your future use. Go on - be a devil and try it out.

[Peteyd]

Heh, i tried to make my own soaker hose in my first year of growing because i was too tight to buy one. i drilled lots of little holes at different angles in an old hose pipe.

yeah... it didnt work. The water pressure wasnt enough / the holes were too big and it was like a jet out of the first foot or so but after that it was barely a trickle...

I just leave it to the professionals now and just buy a purpose made one.

[Jay-ell]

I have had one of these hooked up to a waterbutt a couple of years ago. It will work but you might need to get a timer which works on low pressure as although it'll be a trickle in comparison to mains pressure it will still drain a waterbut quicker that 2 weeks. Can't remember how long I left it on for - possible 30min - hour to give the bed a good soak.

The hose has a row of little holes all along one side - so if you're using it in pots it'll drip water in the pots and in the gap in between watering the floor.

I’m currently using one of these (but without the insert with a tiny little hole to reduce pressure)

Micro Irrigation Kit at wilko.com

connected to one of these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darlac-Elec...s=darlac+timer

You'll have to make up a connector for the timer to the water butt with
Charlie Dimmock Universal Hose Connector Set 4 Pieces

I fill the water butts up once a week or ten days, add comfrey concentrate and that's the watering for the pots. That way my toms get consistent watering even when I cant get to the plot and I don't have to keep lugging the watering can about.