DIY Soaker Hose
Wasting water is like throwing money down the drain. Using a soaker hose is not only easy on your pocket book when it's time to pay the water bill, it's also good for the environment. It's an efficient method of putting water where you want it, and allows the water to seep all the way down to the roots, which can help plants stay healthy during a dry spell. It's simple to make a soaker hose yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 50-foot garden hose
- Hose cap
- Tape measure
- Marker
- Drill
- ¼-inch drill bit
Instructions
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Lay the coiled hose out on your work space and uncoil 2 feet of hose from the roll. Measure 3 inches from the faucet attachment end of the hose with the tape measure. Use the marker to mark that spot on the hose.
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2
Drill a hole all the way through the hose at the marked spot, using a drill with a 1/4-inch drill bit, so the drill bit comes out the other side of the hose. Pull the drill bit back out of the hose.
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Mark and drill another hole 3 inches from the first hole. Keep marking and drilling holes 3 inches apart until you've drilled holes the entire length of the hose, uncoiling and coiling the hose as needed as you work on 2-foot sections at a time.
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4
Screw your hose cap onto the end of the hose that doesn't attach to the faucet. Coil up the hose until ready to use.
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Tips & Warnings
You might use an old hose that is safe for watering and already has a hole in it to make a soaker hose.
Attach your homemade soaker hose to a garden hose that is already attached to your outside faucet before you turn on the faucet if you don't want to soak the area close to your faucet.
Turn the water faucet on just enough so the water will trickle from the holes in the hose.
Because many hoses are made from reprocessed materials from the automotive industry, they may contain more than 100 times the amount of lead designated safe by the Environmental Protection Agency. Unless your hose is labeled "safe for drinking," do not water your vegetable garden with it.
References
- Photo Credit hose on lawn image by Coralie Palmeri from Fotolia.com
