John Bachman wrote:
I have soaker hose that has been in the ground for 13 years with no
problems. It is the recycled tire type. I use it in rows of
raspberries and strawberrys where I really prefer a ground soaking
rather than a spray on the plants - that encourages fungal problems.

I started with a combination of recycled tire soaker hoses, and drip
irrigation. I have removed all the drip irrigation, and replaced it with
the soaker hoses.

Why? Well, the drip emitters were constantly getting clogged. I had to
be super careful when working around the tubing. I had to drain the
tubing for the winter. It just all got to be too much trouble.

The soaker hoses are pretty tough. If I bump them with a hoe or rake,
they don't need to be repaired. They don't clog. I can leave them out
for the winter without draining them because they are essentially
self-draining. Initially they were more obvious in the beds, and less
aesthetically pleasing, but as plantings around them became more mature,
and mulch built-up, they've disappeared into the landscaping.

These days every bed has soaker hoses snaking through them. I have a big
spiral that I lift out of the way when preparing the summer vegetable
bed, and then drop it back into place before putting in the transplants.
The only place I still use overhead watering are the containers I water
by hand, and the only section of the lawn that I water during the
summer. I have quick disconnects on everything, and a small collection
of meters and timers that I move around as needed. (I especially need
things to automatically turn-off zones as I always forget what I
started.)

Every spigot has 2-way or 4-way splitters, and during the summer I have
one 100' length of hose that's always under pressure going to a splitter
with quick-disconnects in a far corner of the yard. Some of the soaker
hoses also have segments of regular hose running between the start of
the soaker zone, and the water source. Those get drained for the winter,
but are left in place. Nearly every connection has a quick disconnect to
isolate zones, and insert timers or meters as needed.

What I do may not work for everyone -- especially if you're not
someplace with mild winters. But I'd never go back to drip irrigation,
and clogged emitters. I want to spend time deciding where to water, and
how much. With drip irrigation I needed to do that *and* spend a lot of
time maintaining the system. Too much of a pain.

--
Warren H.

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Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
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