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A hose in the garden makes it easier to water larger beds, numerous borders and, of course, the lawn. However, using a classic garden hose for watering is unsuitable, especially when it comes to larger areas or particularly dry times. As a gardener, in addition to the hand-operated garden hose or permanently installed systems, you have two different types of hose to choose from that are ideal for watering: drip hose and pearl hose.
irrigation hose
If you are looking for a suitable hose that you can use for automatic irrigation, you have the choice between drip and pearl hoses. The names already indicate what kind of system the individual hoses use and are therefore suitable for different areas of application in the garden or on your property. The two hoses have one thing in common: They make work much easier and can even water large areas without having to lift a finger. The two hose types in detail:
drip hose
With the drip hose, you rely on a system that uses water drop by drop to the plants or the lawn. The hose releases the drops at irregular intervals through the material, which means that the lawn or beds are generously moisturized. They are not connected to each other, but come out of the hose individually, which gives the drip hose its name. The advantages of this hose type are obvious:
- gentle washing
- watering resembles a light rain shower
- no damage to plants
- Young plants benefit particularly well from this type
- the installation is a bit more complex than with the pearl hose
Due to the advantages of the drip hose, laying it in the immediate vicinity of beds that offer space for young plants is worthwhile. Numerous sensitive plants can also be supplied with drip hoses without damaging them. The drops just aren't heavy enough to cause damage.
A disadvantage of the drip tubes is the rapid calcification, when the water is hard and releases the mineral to the hose. After a while, this can lead to the hose breaking, making it necessary to purchase a new one.
pearl tube
The pearl hose works a little differently. Here the water "beads" out of the hose and in this way supplies the plants with moisture. For this purpose, as with drip hoses, the moisture is sweated through the material, only the "pearls" are so light that they do not fall down, but collect on the outside of the hose and can therefore be released into the environment without any problems. This makes them particularly popular with people who need to water large areas, as hardly any water is wasted. The advantages are:
- the soil does not dry out due to the even distribution of the water
- Water gets into the deeper layers of the earth
- the soil quality improves permanently
- more water goes directly to the plants
- Watering less necessary, which saves additional costs
It is precisely these advantages that make the use of a pearl hose so popular, as you can also lay it easily and more easily than the drip hose. The variant can even be easily placed on the floor and fixed in place, eliminating the need for heavy tools. If you have a large lawn and do not want to water it yourself, you should think about using a pearl hose.
However, this also has its disadvantages:
- can clog due to fine, crumbly soil
- the color of the rubber used can be mistaken for the earth
- this makes it sometimes difficult to locate the irrigation hose
Nevertheless, pearl hoses have proven themselves, as they supply the soil or the plants with water over a long period of time without you having to worry about it. This also makes this variant popular, since theoretically you only have to turn on the tap and turn it off again after a certain time.
application
As you have already noticed, these hoses are automatic systems, but you still need to have control over them. This means that during the entire period of use you should always pay attention to whether the water pressure has changed and whether too much moisture is being released to the plants. If you are looking for one of these hoses, depending on the manufacturer or supplier, the terms may merge. That means you should be very specific about whether the hose is dripping or beading. A major disadvantage of this system is the lack of routine:
- water as usual in the morning or in the evening
- this creates a rhythm
- if watering is always different, there is no rhythm
- this sometimes makes the soil too wet or too dry
If this is the case, high costs arise in the long run due to the irregular addition of water. In addition, watering too quickly in a row can flood the soil, which has a negative effect on the growth of the plants. It is best to put one for use Time schedule to be on the safe side here and not to waste numerous liters of water.
You ask yourself which of the two variants is more economical? The Pearl Tube. Since this can be laid in the ground, all water beads are released to them and do not lose mass when they come into contact with air and sun.
tip: There are other types of hose that you can use for irrigation and are just as effective as the ones already presented. These include the sprinkler, which sprinkles water in large quantities into the air, and the spray hose, which releases water from numerous openings and can thus easily cover large areas.
Lay the irrigation hose
The function of the hoses is somewhat different, but laying them turns out to be quite easy compared to a permanently installed irrigation system. There are clear differences in the way the hoses are installed and, depending on the quality of the hose, different measures are taken to connect them to the water tap.
Best of all: the hoses can be installed easily by yourself and you don't need any help. Another reason for the great popularity of the variants. Below are installation instructions for each hose.
tip: Due to their function, you even save costs with an irrigation hose, since they use significantly less energy than sprinklers. The water is simply sweated out of the material, which requires no electricity or physical strength.
Laying the drip hose: instructions
If you have decided to use drip lines, you are left with two types of watering:
- right on the ground
- elevated
The higher variant is recommended if you want or need to water plants from above with the watering hose. With the soil variant, the soil around the plant is primarily watered, whereby the roots receive the cool water first. Such a system works well for crops that cannot be watered from above. For example, you can use stones, wood, latticework or similar to increase. The following guide goes into this further:
- Lay mainly in long tracks
- this allows you to reach many plants at once
- alternatively run the hose in a U-shape around the plants
- the distance between the lanes is at least 30 cm
- it is enough to lay the irrigation hose on the ground
- tighten the hose in the case of elevations
- then fix it on the elevations so that it does not hang down too slackly
It helps if you write down the individual strips on a piece of paper before laying them and check whether this distribution works effectively or not.
tip: If you want to connect several drip or bead hoses to one water tap, you should use a coupling. These have two or more hose connections and thus allow several hoses to be connected, which allows the use of a single tap without any problems
Laying the bead hose: instructions
Since a Perl hose sweats out water at every point compared to a drip hose, it can even be laid in the ground. While this isn't necessary, it can improve water absorption in a lawned area or close-packed vegetation. Regardless of whether you want to lay the hose above or below ground, the actual process is the same:
- laid in long or short tracks as a U
- the water tap is the starting point
- the tracks are a little narrower than with the drip hose
- Distance should be 20 to 25 cm
- Hoses do not have to be placed directly to the plant
- the earth is consistently moistened due to the water beads
- this moisture spreads
- therefore pay attention to a tighter line
- fix the hose with a hook
Of course, if you want to lay the hose directly in the ground, you must first dig a trench for it. This shouldn't be too deep, preferably just below the surface, because that's the best way to achieve the best effect. Simply place the hose in the trench and then cover it with soil. Now it is permanently available to the plants without you ever seeing it or posing a tripping hazard. You can use it in the same way as above ground, which makes it just as easy to use.
