Hints and Tips for Preserving Your Garden Hose

You work hard to make your garden grow, and your trusty garden hose is one of your most important and essential tools. A lot of gardeners end up replacing their garden hoses every year, but you don’t have to do that. If you start out with a good garden hose and know how to take care of it, you can keep it working properly and extend its life for many seasons. These tips will help you buy the right garden hose for your needs and make it the last hose you’ll buy for years.

Buy the Right Length Garden Hose

A hose that’s either too long or too short won’t serve your needs properly. If your hose isn’t quite long enough to reach where you want, you’ll put extra stress and strain on it by pulling and tugging and stretching it to reach. A hose that’s a lot longer than you need is prone to tangles and kinks, which can wear and damage your garden hose. Buy a hose that’s the shortest length that will still reach everywhere you need.

Buy the Right Diameter Hose

You can reduce the amount of time you spend watering by making sure your garden hose has the capacity you need. A ¾ inch garden hose, for example, delivers twice as much water in the same time frame as a ½ inch garden hose. If you’re filling pools or need to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, opt for the larger hose. For really powerful applications, choose a 1-inch water hose.

Turn On the Water Before Uncoiling Your Hose

Before you start uncoiling your garden hose, turn on the water. It will prevent the hose from kinking up as you pull it to your flower bed, sprinkler or garden. The water running through it will prevent the hose from folding over on itself, cutting off the water supply and putting strain on the wall of the hose.

Use a Garden Hose Reel

A garden hose reel keeps your hose off the ground where it can get damaged or rot. It also prevents your hose from kinking up and crimping, both of which can cause cracks and damage to your hose. A self-retracting garden hose reel will make your life easier and reduce the temptation to leave the hose on the ground just this once.

Don’t Leave Your Hose in the Sun

Letting your garden hose bake in the sun when it’s not in use is an invitation to wear and tear. The UV rays will dry out the material and cause cracks which reduce the life and usefulness of your garden hose.

If you start out with the right garden hose for your needs and treat it like the valuable tool it is, it will reward you by delivering water without kinking up, developing leaks and tripping you when you walk across your lawn.