On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 03:45:27 +0000, Timothy wrote:

On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 18:35:44 +0000, Natty_Dread wrote:

I know this is a stupid question, but I'm a fairly new gardener who is still
learning so bear with me. What's the most effective way to use a soaker
hose? I've been told to bury the hose under the mulch and let it run, but I
don't know how to tell how much water my plants are getting that way. How
long should the hose be left running? Is there any benefit to a soaker hose
over a hose with holes in it that sprays up? If the mulch gets soaked, will
any of that water leach into the ground and water the plants below ground
level? Any assistance is appreciated. Thanks!

The amount of water your beds/garden will need have to do with many
factors. Soil type, temperature, plant types...etc. A rule of thumb is to
aim for it an inch per week. A gallon or two per plant should be good
enough. The bigger the plant, the more water. The more sandy the soil,
more water. The higher the temperature, more water.

I personally like to bury my soaker hose. I don't like looking at it
really. I would expect that a buried hose would be more efficient than an
above ground hose. It would seem that a buried hose wouldn't loose water
to evaporation. But that is just a guess.

Almost forgot to add....

Take your soaker hose and put it in a 50 gallon drum, 35 gallon garbage
can..etc. Turn on the hose like you would normally would and time it. See
how much water your can/drum has after 10, 20, 30 minuets. This will give
you a good feel on what your hose will put out in any given amount of time.