Both are good choices to water your garden and which is best can come down to the size and type of area you are looking to water. Sprinklers are better for larger areas, while soaker hoses are great for targeting the foot of plants in flower beds and vegetable gardens.
Soaker Hose Disadvantages
A soaker hose may degrade over a shorter period of time (4 years). The unregulated water release of a soaker hose is not as efficient (roughly 4lph per metre). Run in lengths up to 20-30 metres.
Start running your soaker hose about 30 minutes twice a week.
Definitely drip irrigation over the soaker hose. Its more efficient and effective.
They wet entire areas efficiently which can be beneficial for lawns but can be a disadvantage for places like the vegetable garden. Watering the entire soil surface promotes weed growth in between the plants. Sprinklers typically spray water high into the air which allows for evaporation.
Drip Irrigation is a great option for disease prone plants like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers because the water goes directly to the roots. Watering only the roots of the plants and nowhere else means two things. First, you'll have less weeds because they aren't receiving irrigation.
The answer is yes. This type of hose will always deliver maximum efficiency when it comes to watering your garden. This is mostly due to how the water from a soaker hose is distributed. When you water with a sprinkler or by hand, you likely use more water than necessary.
Both are good choices to water your garden and which is best can come down to the size and type of area you are looking to water. Sprinklers are better for larger areas, while soaker hoses are great for targeting the foot of plants in flower beds and vegetable gardens.
Water the soil, not the leaves.
If you're watering by hand with a hose nozzle or watering wand, direct the water toward the base of the plant. Soaker hoses, which are laid on the soil surface to slowly seep water, are more efficient than sprinklers, although a sprinkler can cover a wide area.
Always test the soaker hose system before you finalize the yard's appearance. Don't outright bury the hose in the soil. Cover it with mulch so the water can still seep through with ease.
Watering tomato plants
Using soaker hoses gives water right to the roots and keeps moisture off your tomatoes' leaves, helping to avoid fungal problems and viruses.
You won't increase the chances of diseases, which can happen if the leaves get wet. The biggest thing you have to remember is to turn off the water. But leaving the soaker on for eight hours would be enough for most plants.
As a guide, water sandy soil for 10 to 15 minutes and clay soil for 20-30 minutes with your sprinkler on a low setting so that there is no root damage due to high pressure. A good habit to get into is before your planned watering session, to use a towel or soil probe to check the moisture level in the root zone.
Similar to a soaker hose is drip tape, a more lightweight product that works for row crops and raised beds. Easy and inexpensive – Simply attach to a garden spigot. Useful for small gardens – good alternative when drip is not a possibility.
Climate and terrain: Drip irrigation may be more suitable for areas with high temperatures or sloping terrain, as it reduces water loss and ensures targeted watering. Sprinkler systems are better for flat terrain and can cool the air in hot weather.
With a hose, water goes exactly where you want it to go, as opposed to sprinklers that just spray water all over the place with much of the spray lost to wind or evaporation before it can percolate down into the soil.
Drip irrigation is the most water-efficient way to irrigate many different plantings. It is an ideal way to water in clay soils because the water is applied slowly, allowing the soil to absorb the water and avoid runoff. Drip devices use a fraction of the water that overhead spray devices use.
Water more, less frequently.
Most plants will grow deeper, stronger roots when you give them more water, but less often. Unless it's especially hot, you may only need to water every two or three days this way.
Drip irrigation has emerged as one of the most efficient methods for irrigating tomatoes.
Since soaker hoses are just tubes with holes, water distribution is uneven due to pressure loss, often resulting in overwatering at the start and underwatering at the end, which can harm plant health and waste water.
While round soaker hoses are bulkier, heavier, and harder to roll up than flat hoses, they are also easier to gently curve around your landscape, and they tend to last longer than flat soaker hoses.
If they are not planted in a straight line, snake the hose in and out around each plant. For established plants, hoses should lay about 2 inches from plant stems. For new plants or annuals, closer spacing is suggested, since their roots are shallower.
The soaker hose will only deliver the water that's available: It weeps at an average of 0.5 gallon–1 gallon of water per foot per hour. For homes with high-pressure, high-flow systems (as high as 125 PSI in some cases), you might need to install a pressure regulator (sold separately).
Unlike soaker hoses, drip lines are much more resistant to UV damage and last for many seasons. The best choice for permanent installations, drip irrigation systems last about 10 to 15 years on average, although they can last even longer with proper care.
Soaker hoses enable you to get water to your plants where they need it most…at the root. They save time (no moving around sprinklers or hand watering) and they save money by reducing water loss via evaporation.