Simple tips on how to choose the right hose for watering your garden

Reinforced or not: which one to choose

Hoses are available in nylon, plastic, rubber, single-layer and multi-layer. To decide which one to choose for the irrigation system, you need to look at your site.

If the garden area is not small, the water source is far away, then you will have to supply water over a long distance, in which case, most likely, a pump will be used. The pressure of the water flowing out of the barrel and the water supplied by the motor is very different: in the first case, any single-layer hose will do, and in the second, you will need a strong one that can withstand a pressure of at least 6 bar. Regular garden single layer used for tree watering will hold 3-4 bars. When water is supplied with high pressure through such a conductor, it wears out too quickly.

Traditionally, a rubber hose is associated with a garden or summer cottage. It has many qualities due to which it is chosen: it is strong enough, elastic, resistant to low temperatures and ultraviolet light. But it is heavy and difficult to move from tree to tree or garden to lawn across the site while watering. In addition, the composition of rubber is different, most often they buy hoses made of toxic rubber for watering the garden, the plants are not harmed, but when planning to use it for drinking water, you need to choose a product with a sanitary conclusion about its harmlessness. This can be important as water is often supplied to farm buildings for animals and people. When choosing a rubber sample, remember that the wall thickness should be 4-6 mm, not less, and the softer the rubber, the longer it will serve you.

PVC hoses are not as durable as rubber hoses, but they have their advantages too. Single-layer ones are cheap, but may not last until the end of the season: they curl, wrinkle, fade under the influence of the sun. Only a multi-layer reinforced hose should be chosen for the irrigation system, and the reinforcement is better than a braided mesh, and not a cruciform. This option is more durable, it does not break, it is able to withstand heavy loads and high air temperatures. The outer braid is more durable when it is made of nylon rather than plant material. The rubber version will still last longer due to its immunity to ultraviolet light.

If you intend to use any devices that increase the pressure, it is better to take a three-layer hose, with an inner reinforcing layer and an outer protection made of polyvinyl chloride. For watering large areas (stadiums, golf courses), four- and five-layer analogues of increased strength are used, but it is impractical to choose them for irrigation systems for a vegetable garden or garden trees.

A reinforced hose will be the best option for garden irrigation systems. It practically does not require maintenance, is resistant to mechanical damage, and can be used intensively for up to 10 years. If an intake hose is required (for taking water from a well), then only a reinforced one is used here.The only drawback is weight, but for such cases there are reels on wheels to make it easier to handle it in the garden and in the garden.

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Hose diameter and length

It is easy to determine the length, you need to find out the distance from the water source (tap, well) to the farthest tree or bush that needs watering. The figure is rounded up to ten upwards - that's all the arithmetic.

The choice of diameter depends on the total length of the hose and the expected water pressure. If you take a very small diameter, then the stream will turn out narrow, which means that water will be supplied for a longer amount of time. If the diameter turns out to be too large, and the water pressure system is weak, then this irrigation will not accelerate. Usually, when buying, you have to choose between the values: 13, 15 25 mm.

You need to know exactly what pressure your pump is designed for, find out when buying the number of layers in the hose. Each layer adds strength to withstand the extra 4 bars, it's so easy to calculate which one is required. Multilayer reinforced hoses can withstand pressures up to 40 bar, but this is hardly necessary in the garden for watering trees, so it is better not to overpay the extra money for an exorbitantly powerful product.

We choose by purpose

What are garden hoses for? With their help, water can be taken from a well or well, water supply to a house or outbuildings, manual or automatic watering of garden trees and garden crops can be carried out.

For the water intake, we definitely choose a reinforced hose with a safe inner coating (we are interested in the sanitary conclusion). For the supply of drinking water, we strictly select a harmless hose. For irrigation systems, this is not so important, here you need to pay attention to what temperature it can withstand and what pressure.

There are hoses (Sardinia, Winner, Tricolux), which are coated inside with a special compound created on the basis of today's biotechnology, ensuring environmental friendliness and harmlessness to humans. The double-reinforced structure allows for high pressure handling. Such hoses can be used for any household needs - to supply water to a residential building (both cold and hot) or to water trees and flowers.

Presto-PS from Italy offers a special drip irrigation ribbon hose. Its microporous surface slowly passes water along its entire length, it is buried to the desired depth near the roots of vegetable crops. It provides economical but sufficient watering directly to the plant root system. And there are hoses, along the entire length of which there are 3 rows of small holes, they are placed at a certain height for drip irrigation of plants. Products of this type are very convenient to use in automatic irrigation systems.

Separately, I would like to focus on transparent hoses, there are good reviews about them, but such an instance without a special reflective layer can bloom from the inside. Under the influence of the sun's heat and light, algae multiply inside, from which it is very difficult (almost impossible) to get rid of. After using the hose, a little moisture always remains inside it, it is she who begins to emit an unpleasant odor, bacteria are diluted in it under the influence of the sun. Better to opt for opaque options.

How to store

The length of time that manual and automatic irrigation systems can be used will often depend on how the hoses are stored. It is best to store the hose in its original packaging. If a special drum is not provided for storing it, you can do it yourself, wind a hose around it after use, this will exclude the possibility of kinks, kinks, mechanical damage, and will also save space.

It is better to store irrigation equipment in a dry place at a positive temperature, preferably away from rodents and direct sunlight.

When using a hose, you must carefully monitor the change in water pressure so that it does not exceed the permissible limits. Try not to put heavy or sharp objects on the hose in order to avoid mechanical damage, keep it clean, do not leave it under a tree after use.

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The video describes a device for winding and storing a garden hose.