A soaker hose is one of the useful tools that can be used by gardeners to get the maximum convenience in terms of watering their plants. Soaker hoses are known by their design. These hoses are like any other hoses, but the difference is it has tiny pore-like holes along its length. These holes serve as the passage of water from the hose.
Soaker hoses are efficient to use because when they are placed in the garden, the water flows directly from the hose to the root zone of the plants, allowing the plants to absorb the water slowly. When the water flows directly to the root of the plants, less water is used, but the maximum efficiency is reached and a lot of time is saved.
What Is a Flat Soaker Hose?
The flat soaker hose has holes only on one side. This hose is used by gardeners for watering long, straight rows of plants. The drawback of a flat hose is that rather than weep holes, it only has holes on one side of the hose. This is the reason for strict water flow along with the hose. But since it only has holes on one side, the water goes exactly where you want it to.
How Does Flat Soaker Hoses Work?
The porous holes in the side of the flat soaker hose allow the water to seep slowly and evenly. This makes the water soak into the specific area (base of the plant) where the water is needed the most. A special type of equipment is not required to make the flat soaker hose work. It works by just attaching to your outdoor faucet or spigot. A flat soaker hose simply needs to be laid near the base of the plants and allow the water to penetrate the soil and move it when desired.
What Is The Best Length for a Flat Soaker Hose?
A flat soaker hose comes in different lengths. The maximum length is 100 feet. It also comes in 25, 50, and 75 feet in length. The best length to choose when buying a flat soaker hose depends on the area of your farm or garden. Only lay the flat soaker hose in the planted areas of your garden.
How Do You Keep a Soaker Hose Flat?
The flat soaker hose has a naturally flat shape. Because of its flat shape, it can be easily stored. Keeping a flat soaker hose flat is easy. It does not roll out of its place if it is laid on flat ground. You can also bury it under a little mulch to stay in place, but you just have to remember that it can’t be buried too deep to avoid adverse effects.
The Benefits of Flat Soaker Hoses
The flat soaker hose is often made of nylon-coated mesh material, which makes it the best choice if you want to get a static and effective soaker hose. The flat shape of the hose makes it easy to meander under the plants and it doesn’t roll out of place. Its flat shape is also suitable for burying under 3 inches of mulch but it is not recommended to be buried on the soil as the soil may weigh down the hose. The benefits of using flat soaker hoses include the following:
- Time and Work Savings – A flat soaker hose allows the gardener to “just set it and let it do the work”. It makes the flat soaker hose convenient and easy to use.
- Money-Saving – Using a flat soaker hose involves less water because the water flows directly to the roots of the plants and it means that less money is also spent.
- Plants’ Health – Reduced pressure in the watering system makes the garden healthy and alive.
- Water Conservation – Use of water is reduced and the right amount of moisture is delivered right through the roots of the plants.
- Soil Conservation – The water coming from the soaker hose causes very little disturbance on the soil.
How to Use a Flat Soaker Hose Successfully?
There are lots of tips when using flat soaker hoses, pretty much the same as round hoses. Some of these are:
- The levelled ground is best when using flat soaker hoses because it facilitates uniform distribution of water within the hose.
- Fill the entire hose with water before watering so that the water will get the pressure it needs to make the water seep through the holes.
- Keep the restrictor disk inserted in the hose coupling at the water source to control the water entering the hose.
- It is ideal to use one water source for every 150-foot length of the hose so that the area will be properly soaked because as the length of the hose increases, the water pressure in the conduit decreases.
- High water pressure is not advisable as it may cause the hose to be damaged or break entirely.
- It is important to determine the suitable timing while watering using soaker hoses, for a standard 5/18 of an inch hose, you need 200 minutes to saturate the garden. Ideally, the soil needs to be saturated with one inch of water but most yards require about two inches of water each week.
- It is important to know how to set up a flat soaker hose system so that the set-up appears properly and the maximum benefit is gained.
The Final Verdict
A flat soaker hose is a type of soaker hose with a flat shape and has holes only on one side. This type of soaker hose is used if you want to let the water go on a specific side or area. Using a flat soaker hose is just like using other types of hoses. You just have to put it on your outdoor faucet and lay it beside the base of the plants and let it do the work. A flat soaker hose is one of the best to consider if you want to save time and money.
Also, read about round soaker hoses if you want to know about the other type of soaker hose.