An introduction, a garden, and a question about soaker hoses

7 years ago

I've been reading your advice and enjoying photos of your gardens since buying my home four years ago, I've learned so much, and my gardens have benefited greatly! The space above was bare dirt with a swath of overgrown prairie grasses, and now it's showing some promise. So-my name is Julia, I live near Chicago, and I aspire to a billowy cheek-by-jowl garden.

Here's my question, hopefully someone will be inclined to answer: I've begun using soaker hoses connected to a rain barrel. Because the flow is variable I'm not sure how to tell when enough water has gotten through the (fresh this year) mulch. Any advice is welcome and appreciated!

Featured Answer

gardenweed_z6a

7 years ago

The plants will show you when they need water; the foliage will begin to wilt. Another method of giving them supplemental water is to set recycled containers (i.e., gallon milk jugs with a pinhole an inch from the bottom) up against the base, filled with water (or water + organic fertilizer...i.e., seaweed extract) with a pinhole an inch from the bottom. Just keep an eye out for plants that appear to be stressed and take the necessary steps to revive them when they need your help.

"I aspire to a billowy cheek-by-jowl garden." That makes me think you favor the cottage garden style where everything is crammed in cheek-by-jowl. That's what I've ended up with after winter sowing perennials the past 10+ years. The spirea growing in one bed scares me. I grew it from winter sowed seeds harvested from a neighbors shrub. Hers never looked quite like mine does.

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Comments (9)

User
7 years ago
Indeed - your plants will always let you know if you take the time to be observant. I am also a fan of soaker hoses...but mainly for my potatoes.

You have already made a smashing start, Julia - kudos to you.
fairlywell thanked User
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NHBabs z4b-5a NH
7 years ago
Lovely!!

IME because of the low pressure of rain barrels, the plants at the far end of the soaker hose may not get as much water - you'll have to keep an eye on that. I always tucked my soaker hoses down under the mulch so water was going directly onto the soil and so they were protected from sun in the hope of extending their useful life.
fairlywell thanked NHBabs z4b-5a NH
fairlywell
Original Author
7 years ago
Gardenweed, the jugs with holes are an excellent idea! The roses and hydrangeas would especially love that. Campanula, thank you! Your name has been in many of the discussions I've found helpful! NHBabs, I'll try that. I was concerned that the mulch would block the holes (especially with the low water barrel pressure), but it's worth a try.
mnwsgal
7 years ago
I'd like that little flower in the center of the path to visit my garden. :-)
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
one of the best greenhouse growers i ever met.. let his plants.. on a routine basis.. wilt.. before watering again ...

the theory was.. it encouraged root growth ..

there is no reason you cant do the same ... just watch.. observe.. etc ..

my rain barrel .. weep hose project failed.. as there was not enough HEAD PRESSURE ... to actually let the water weep out.. at the far end of the hose ... this became readily apparent.. as i tried to attach a new length ...

the next step in your knowledge.. is to use actual engineered drip irrigation ... where release is predictable along the whole length ... but its not a rain barrel thing ...

come to think of it.. i also ended up with mosquito larvae in the whiskey rain barrel .. that was the end of that experiment ... i plugged the spigot.. added a pump.. and had goldfish in it for a few years... IN MI ... winter and all ... [a good heater too.. lol]

ken
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fairlywell thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
fairlywell
Original Author
7 years ago
Ken, the top 2/3 of my barrel can make it through a 25' hose on flat ground. Faster at the top, of course. Drip irrigation would be lovely. But, walk before you run...
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
can make it thru the end.. or have enough pressure to weep out???

anyway ... live and learn.. and my point was.. its ok if your plants wilt a bit.. to find out whats going on ...

ken
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fairlywell
Original Author
7 years ago
Yes, I understood! Thanks for the thoughts. I'm playing around with watering schedules this summer, trying to water deeply rather than often.

The hose weeps all the way to the end when there is sufficient water in the barrel. I forgot to mention it before, but the barrel actually sits on a 12" platform, which must give it a little bit of help.
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