Drip Irrigation Vs. a Soaker Hose
In the increasingly water-wise world of gardening, drip irrigation and soaker hoses are becoming standard methods of providing water to plants. Each has benefits and drawbacks. Does this Spark an idea?
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Soaker Hose
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A soaker hose is a hose with pinprick holes in it, which allow water to escape and soak into the ground next to plants.
Drip Irrigation
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Drip irrigation systems include a system of tubing staked to the ground, punctuated with emitters at specific intervals, from which the water drips.
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Installation
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Soaker hoses are basic compared with drip irrigation systems. You connect the hose to the water source and leaves it on the ground near plants. Drip systems can be used to irrigate a more complex or distant layout of plants, and they can be buried.
Hardware Cost
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Drip systems are typically more expensive than soaker hoses, given the hardware and the accuracy of irrigation that they are meant to provide. Soaker hoses can be made by recycling old garden hose.
Efficiency
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For plants close together, a soaker hose is sufficient. But because it seeps water all along its length, it waters any ground between plants and rows. Drip irrigation allows you to set the distance between the emitters, delivering water only where needed.
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