Five Things Your Garden Hose Would Tell You If It Could Speak

If you’re like most homeowners, you probably own at least one garden hose. Chances are, in fact, that you own one “good” garden hose, and the extra one that you can’t attach to the spigot but will work when coupled to another hose, and the one that split last summer but you’ve mended with duct tape and use in the rare event that you have to get your hose all the way around the house to the driveway. If your garden hose could talk, it would probably tell you a thing or five about how to properly care for your best gardening tool.

Buy a Quality Hose from the Start

The aisles of the big box stores are lined with cheap bargain hoses, mostly made of vinyl with little or no reinforcement. They can cost you from $8 to $12, and will last you just about the amount of time you’d expect from those low prices. Even with excellent care, a garden hose made from cheap vinyl will age and crack quickly. Worse, it will make your gardening life miserable by kinking at the worst possible times and refusing to connect properly to the spigot. A good quality garden hose, often reinforced with nylon or natural fibers, will last you for years. They’re more flexible, wear better and are made with garden hose fittings that won’t bend and warp out of shape, so you’ll be able to connect it to your spigot as easily in 10 years as you did when it was brand new.

Don’t Leave Your Garden Hose Lying on the Lawn

Aside from the fact that a loose garden hose is a tripping hazard, the constant contact with the ground encourages rot and can shorten the life of your hose. Invest in a garden hose reel to store your hose when it’s not in use. As a bonus, you never have to worry about running over your hose with the lawnmower when it’s rolled up on a reel.

Don’t Replace, Repair

Accidents happen, even to the best quality garden hoses. If your hose suffers damage, there are ways to repair it using garden hose fittings, couplings and other specialty items and tools. You don’t have to lose your investment just because you accidentally backed over the end of your hose.

Empty Your Hose Before Storing It

One of the advantages of rolling up a hose on a garden hose reel is that it naturally empties all remaining water from the length of the hose. Standing water can breed bacteria and leech chemicals from the lining of the garden hose, spraying unsavory things like lead over your vegetables and your soil. The few extra minutes it takes to properly drain your hose is well worth the time.

Take Advantage of Specialty Garden Hoses

If you have a special need, there’s probably a garden hose designed to fit it. A drinking safe garden hose is the best choice for young families, for example, where young kids often drink from the hose. A coil garden hose is the ideal choice for a patio or enclosed space, while a heated garden hose makes it easy for you if you need to use the hose regularly throughout the colder months.

Whatever your choices are, make sure that you care for your garden hose properly and it will serve you well for years.