Replacing Clogged Soaker Hoses

Just when I thought I was ready to plant the seeds for our winter vegetables, garden karma said, "Not so fast." The debris was removed, the soil was amended,

and carefully leveled, tenderly smoothed. It was ready for seeds.

The final task before planting seeds was to test the automatic soaker hose system.

Fail. 

Our hard water clogs the tiny pores of the soaker hose, so after 5 minutes there were only a few drops leaking slowly out of the hose. At this rate, the stations would have to run 12 hours to soak a few inches of soil. There are places where the water seeps through and areas where it is dry.

This has been an ongoing saga in my garden. Our water is hard. When it dries, the water leaves hard deposits on everything from dishes in the dishwasher to car windows, and it ruins my soaker hoses. Because this keeps happening, I keep replacing the hoses. Every season I buy new ones and so today I decided to try something else. 

In one bed, I replaced the porous 1/2 inch soaker hose with 1/4 inch drilled tubing. This tubing has holes drilled every 6 inches along one side of the tubing.

The drilled holes are larger so hopefully they will not clog as quickly as those tiny pores of the other hoses. The problem with this type of hose is that the water comes out with some force, a tiny stream.

Because of this, it's important to have the holes pointing down so the water does not spray up into the air and onto the pathways and pavement. This was tricky because the tubing comes coiled and it wants to stay coiled.

The stakes were helpful to keep the tube straight and the holes pointing down.

In order to attach this 1/4 inch tubing to my garden hose, I used a swivel adapter (the white piece) and a 4 port manifold.

The 4 port manifold comes with small black caps that you twist off to attach the 1/4 inch tubing.

This will allow me to run 4 lines off of the one garden hose. According to the packaging, each line should be no longer than 15 ft in order to have enough pressure to function correctly, so I needed 4 lines to cover my bed.

At the end of each line is an end plug which creates the pressure needed to force the water out of the holes in the tubing.

Be sure when attaching the tubing to the manifold that the arrows printed on the tubing point in the direction that the water flows. 

It will be interesting to see how this new drilled tubing works in the garden beds. After running the water for a few minutes, it is clear that this tubing put out a lot more water than the previous porous soaker hoses. The soil under the surface is more evenly moist, but the surface is not moist between the holes.

It seems that I will need to hand water the seeds to keep them moist until they germinate and establish their root systems. For those seeds that should be sowed every 6 inches, I planted them in the moist zones. 

Like any garden project, this is an experiment. I can foresee problems with this system including the tiny streams of water creating holes in the soil or disturbing tender seedlings, or shooting into the air wasting precious water. Time will tell.

I'm curious if any of you have this problem with soaker hoses becoming clogged, and what solutions you have for this issue. 

How to Repair a Hose Leak - Tips for Beginners

I came outside to walk through the garden in the morning as I do each day, and found a little stream running down one of my garden paths. That was my first clue I had a problem.

A quick manual test of my watering system revealed this:

I had a fountain of water spraying over the fence and into the ally.

We are in a drought in California and I have written about how I try to conserve water in the garden. What a shame to see all that water wasted. This was the first time I have had a hose blow like this. I am thankful it didn't happen when we were away for a few days. At least I know it only was leaking one day.

I didn't see any other areas of the hose with a leak so I decided to repair the hose rather than replace it. Replacing it would be really hard at this point in the season because the melon vines have grown over the soaker hose.

This is an easy repair. Be sure to buy the correct size fitting as there are different sized hoses. My soaker hoses are 1/2 inch diameter. 

Here is what you need to make the repair; hose mender, screwdriver and tool to cut the hose.

The mender looks like this once the packaging is removed.

Find the hole.

Cut out the section of the hose that has the leak. Try to cut the ends squarely.

Loosen the screws and slip the green clamps over each hose end.

Push the black connector piece into the hose ends. Push it all the way in so the hose pushes up against the plastic rim.

Slide the green clamps close to the cut ends of the hose and tighten the screws. 

It is best to tighten each screw a little bit at a time so that the two pieces stay parallel to each other. By tightening each screw a few twists at a time, the pieces stay aligned to make the best seal. 

Now test your system to be sure there are no leaks. 

Drought, No Doubt - Tips for Conserving Water in the Garden

Standing at the top of Hoover Dam in Nevada, the view is stunning. And disturbing. Yes, I've heard we're in a drought in California. Yes, I try to be conscious of my water use, try to conserve. But seeing that bathtub ring around Lake Mead really stunned me. The water level is shockingly low.

Recently I visited my brother who lives near Las Vegas. We went on a tour of the Hoover Dam which is nearby. The dam was built in the 1930's and it is a marvel. 

It was built to tame the Colorado River which had an unruly tendency to flood. It was built to allow man to channel the water, to carry it to the fertile valleys so that future generations could grow organic food in their urban gardens (and take a shower afterward). The hydroelectric power supplies electricity too.

In Southern California we rely on a system of aqueducts to bring us water since we get so little rainfall. Seeing this source of water so depleted had an impact on me, it made me even more aware of the need to conserve water. Gardening obviously requires water, so I take steps to use water wisely. 

I thought I would share are some tips on conserving water in the garden.

1. Amend the soil, add organic matter. Rich soil holds moisture. My soil tends to be sandy so adding compost is a must.

2. Apply a layer of mulch. This prevents evaporation as it holds the moisture in and keeps the soil cooler by blocking the sun.

3. Water only when the plants need it. Every plants has its wilting point, the point where the moisture content is so low that the plant wilts. Clearly you want to water the plants before they reach that point. Some plants require more moisture than others, so grouping plants with similar requirements is helpful. 

4. Adjust how deeply and how frequently you water as the plants grow. When plants are young their roots are shallow, so they need to be watered more frequently since the top few inches of soil dry out the fastest. As the roots grow deeper, you need to water longer so the water goes deeper. Because the deeper soil stays moist longer, you can water less often as the roots grow deeper.  So as the season progresses I water for longer duration and less frequently.

5. Use soaker hoses. Soaker hoses reduce water loss through evaporation and run-off. They also target the water where you need it. I find that I still need to do some hand watering in my garden as there are inevitably a few dry patches between the hoses, but at least I'm not watering the pavement with sprinklers.

6. Water in the very early morning hours. This reduces water loss through evaporation. It also ensures the plants are well hydrated to face the heat of the day. Watering in the evening can lead to problems with mildew.

7. Let the lawn suffer a little in the summer. I love a perfectly lush lawn as much as the next guy, but it is such an extravagant waste of water. I'm guilty, lawns are present both in the front and backyards at my house. I water them just enough to keep them mostly green but they are not lush, that's for sure. Lately I've noticed more and more lawns being replaced by xeriscape gardens and I love them. Maybe someday I'll take the plunge too, maybe.

Seeing the dam gave me a renewed appreciation for the miracle which is running water and it made me proud of my American roots. The size is awe inspiring. 

What a feat of engineering and gusto. Knowing it was built in the depression gives it a nostalgic feel for me. What a source of pride and financial security it must have been to our depleted Americans at that time of struggle. Men toiled in the Nevada heat for fifty cents an hour, and they built this mammoth damn which is 726 ft high and 1,244 ft long and contains 4.5 million cubic yards of cement. The Hoover Dam Tour is a nice side trip if you find yourself in need of a break from the lights and chaos of Vegas.

A small community was needed to house the laborers who built the dam, so Boulder City, Nevada was born. I mention this because an extraordinary thing happens in that town each evening. Down from the mountains come a herd of big horn sheep, walking right down the city street to Hemmenway Park. They come to graze, and people come to watch. 

Big horn sheep with Lake Mead in the background.

Big Daddy

My nephew standing 20 ft from the normally elusive big horn sheep.

We counted 61 sheep in the park.

Baby horns

What a treat to see these beauties up close.

Drip Systems for Containers - Tips for Beginners

For years I watered everything by hand. This year I took the plunge and installed a battery operated timer with 1/4 inch drip system to water my window boxes and the pots on my front porch.

Let me share my experience so you can see what I've learned. It does take some planning and basic understanding of the various parts that are needed.

Let's start with the parts. The system I am describing is all 1/4 inch parts. There are larger soaker hoses which are used in the garden beds, but for this project all parts are 1/4 inch.

Timer with 4 Port Irrigation Manifold

My timer is battery operated so there is no need to run an electric cord to the garden. The top of the timer attaches to the faucet, just unscrew your hose and screw on the timer. The faucet is left turned on so that there is water pressure ready for the timer to release the water. 

This timer has 2 places where water comes out the bottom. On the left is my garden hose. On the right is the timed station that will water my pots and window boxes. I needed 4 lines to run off that one station so I attached a 4 port manifold where I can attach the 4 distribution hoses.

4 port manifold with 3 hoses attached, one port is capped.

They come with little caps which are removed before the hose is attached.

As you can see, I needed an adapter (white piece) to attach the manifold to the timer. Luckily I discovered that before I left the store. 

Soaker Hose

Soaker hose is porous.

Soaker hoses are made of porous material that allows water to drip out through very small holes all along the hose.

Water seeping out of soaker hose.

In my experience these 1/4 inch soaker hoses deliver water slowly requiring a long watering cycle. They also tend to clog (we have hard water) so the little pores don't allow water to come out evenly. Another issue I've had with them is that they tend to put out less water toward the end of the hose than they do near the faucet. These porous hoses sometimes will have a slightly larger hole which creates a tiny spray of water that can reach a couple of feet making a mess of the windows. For these reasons, I did not use them in this project.

Pierced Soaker Tubing

Pierced soaker tubing has small holes, usually spaced 6 inches apart.

This tubing has small holes spaced evenly along the hose, usually 6 inches apart. This is the tubing I use in my window boxes and pots because it delivers water faster than the porous type. The other advantage is that the holes are poked on one side of the tubing, so if it is place with the holes pointing downward, the water will not spray the windows.

This pierced soaker tubing has an arrow printed on it which denotes the direction of the water flow. Take care to attach it correctly so the arrow points the direction the water moves.

Pierced tubing has arrows showing the direction of the water flow.

Distribution Hose

Distribution hose has no holes, it carries water like a garden hose. 

Distribution hoses have no holes and are not porous so they carry water without letting any water out, like a garden hose. You use this between pots, and between the faucet and pots, where you do not want water.

At the store, the hoses come in rolls like this.

Barbed Connector 

Barbed connector attach two pieces of hose in a straight line.

This barbed connector attaches two pieces of hose, for example it can connect distribution hose to pierced hose like in this pot.

Barbed connector

Elbow Connector

Elbow connector attaches two hoses at a 90 degree angle.

Elbow connectors allow you to make a sharp 90 degree turn, rather than bending the hose which can kink the hose.

Elbow connector

Tee Connector

Tee connector splits one line into two at a 90 degree angle.

Tee connectors split the line into two lines at a 90 degree angle like this.

Tee connector

Wall Clamp

Wall clamps allow you to attach the hose to a wall.

To make the project look neat, wall clamps hold the hose against the wall using a nail.

Wall clamp

You can use wall clamps at the steps.

End Plug

End plugs seal the hose end.

End plugs are placed at the end of the hose to create the pressure inside the hose which is necessary to force the water out of the pierced hose.

End plug

Stakes

Stakes

Stakes come in handy to hold the hose in place.

In-Line Dripper

In-line drippers are placed anywhere along distribution hose.

In-line drippers are placed along the distribution hose by cutting the hose and putting this between the cut ends. It drips water into a pot. 

I chose not to use in-line drippers in my pots. I used the pierced tubing instead because the pierced tubing is what I used in the window boxes, and I wanted to be consistent so the water flow rates would be the same in the pots and window boxes.

There are other types of nozzles that I have not mentioned or used. Ask your store clerk for recommendations for your particular needs.

If you are finding it is difficult to push the connectors into the hose end, you can warm the hose end to soften it by placing it in a cup of hot water or using a lighter to gently warm it.

Now that you have an idea of the types of parts that are available, you need a plan.

Figure out where the timer will be placed. I attached mine to the faucet, but you could run a garden hose from the faucet to the timer if you need the timer someplace where there was no faucet.

Now imagine the path the distribution hose will take from the timer to the first pot. Determine what type of connectors you will need. Then continue on to the next pot again noting what connectors are needed until you reach the end of that line.

My goal was to hide the hoses as much as possible, so that determined the path of the distribution hose. Some of my pots are close together so I didn't use distribution hose between them. For larger pots I made a loop of pierced hose but for smaller pots I just ran the hose in a straight line across several pots in a row. For the window boxes I ran the hose straight across the box.

I have been told that it is best to keep the hoses 25 feet or shorter to provide adequate water pressure within the system.

For me, making a diagram was really helpful. It allowed me to figure out how many lines I needed and what connectors to buy. I took my drawing with me to the store and used it when asking advise from the store clerk. A picture is worth a thousand words and he understood what I needed so much easier than if I tried to explain the set up I had planned without a diagram.

Once you have installed the hoses, turn the timer on and watch how long it takes for water to start dripping out the bottom of the pot. That will determine how many minutes you need to have the timer run to adequately water you plants with your new automated system.