# Will soaker hose work in the following scenario?



## wahoowad (Apr 25, 2011)

I have a 20x20 garden away from any water sources other than me transporting my 40 gallon tank in the back of my truck. Currently I use this tank to repeatedly fill a water can or sometimes I hook up a garden hose to it. Either method requires me to slowly deliver the water right at each plan.

I'm considering mounting another 40 gallon tank in one corner of the garden and running a small network of soaker hose down each row of vegetables. I would back my truck up to the new tank and quickly fill it from my truck tank, then let gravity feed the soaker hose. I can then spend that watering time weeding or doing other garden chores. 

All the diagrams I see online have a household spigot as the water source. Obviously a pressurized water system spigot has more water pressure behind it than the limited pressure I will achieve with a gravity fed tank system. I've never used soaker hose before so don't know how it would perform in this configuration. I am OK if it takes hours to deliver the water - that's part of the appeal. Just wasn't sure if the small tank would have the pressure to uniformly deliver all the water. Anybody know?


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## fishingpol (Apr 25, 2011)

I used a rain barrel attached to small drip irrigation system for tomatoes last year.  When the barrel was full there was decent pressure to put water through all the small heads.  When the water level dropped, the heads lost pressure and did not work well.

How about a dc powered pump hooked to a garden hose on the truck?


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## Nic36 (Apr 26, 2011)

How far are you away from your water source? Would it be very difficult to run a line of pipe to the garden and install a spigot?

I just ordered a drip irrigation system for my 12 tomato plants. I grew tired of trying to keep them watered last year, and the sprinkler I used sprayed the plants and caused the tomatoes to rot. It wasted water too. I will put a timer on the system and water them twice a day over the course of hours. (I did that last year, but with the sprinkler.) I bought the drip system for a pressurized system. You can also buy a drip system for a non-pressurized gravity feed system.   

I have tried the regular soaker hoses, but do not like them. They do not water evenly-especially on sloping ground. They water more on the downhill side. Good drip systems with the individual drip emitters have pressure compensators that allow them to water evenly at the same rate.


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## wahoowad (Apr 26, 2011)

fishingpol said:
			
		

> How about a dc powered pump hooked to a garden hose on the truck?



That is what I have set up now. Still requires me to slowly navigate the garden and drag the hose around to water all my rows. I use a spray wand to apply the water right at the stalk. I still waste some water due to runoff.


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## billb3 (Apr 26, 2011)

I've tried the round ones that are a bit stiff  and  my well pressure just isn't high enough to push a decent amount of water through the pores. They weep, but only on the high end of a pressure cycle. Once the pressure drops a little they practically stop weeping. Left on overnight the ground might soak  just two inches in a dry July.
I use  several inches of mulch, too so it isn't evaporating.
I've tried the flat ones  that are bit pricey and only 20 feet long, but they developed  holes  so there would be a puddle in one spot and nothing  elsewhere. With all the layers  I don't see how you could patch one. 
(The round ones willl  devolope streamers, too, but a little good  electrical tape can patch it)

Drip seems the way to go . With low pressure anyway.
I bought a starter kit ( hose and emitters ) last Fall - still in the box


I have just a little bit too much garden to do it by hand so I have to come up with something that works.



I have a rain barrel  that is filled  from a long barn gutter. With a 50 foot hose (5/8 ID, iirc) there was only enough pressure to empty the barrel when it was more than half full. The water wouldn't even flow through the hose with just the weight of half a barrel. Hose was on flat ground.  Rain barrel is for blueberries only.  It just isn't big enough for anything more.


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