Five Uses for a Worn-Out Garden Hose

Buying a new garden hose is a satisfying task – you get a fresh new ½ inch garden hose or a heated garden hose, whatever is the best garden hose for your needs. It makes your gardening and home maintenance jobs easier when you no longer have to struggle with an old garden hose that leaks or kinks up or simply makes your life more difficult. But once you’ve got your new hose installed – hopefully coiled inside a new garden hose reel that will protect it from the elements – you’re left with the old hose, collecting dust or thrown out with the recycling. Why add to the waste stream in the landfills when you can make good use of that old garden hose in so many ways?

Cushion a Bucket Handle

Got a bucket with a wire handle to haul water? Make the task easier on your hands by cutting a section of old garden hose, slitting it lengthwise and slipping it over the handle. You’ll get a cushioned grip that’s kinder to your hands and makes it easier to carry the full bucket.

Protect Your Trees

If you use wire supports to help stabilize young trees, protect the bark by sliding a length of old garden hose over the wire. The rubber water hose will protect the bark and prevent the wire from cutting into the tree and damaging it.

Catch Earwigs and Beetles

If your garden is troubled by pests like earwigs, try this tip from master gardener Sue McDavid, via This Old House: cut six-inch segments of ¾ inch garden hose and place them around your garden. The pests will crawl into them to enjoy the shady cool, and you can collect them later to shake out the earwigs and drown them in soapy water.

Protect Little Fingers

Chain link swing supports can give little fingers a painful pinch. Cut lengths of garden hose, and slide them over the chains on your kids’ swing set. They’ll provide cushioned, protective casings to keep your little ones’ fingers safe from pinching.

Protect Sharp Blades

Slit a length of garden hose and slide it over the sharp edge of an axe, machete or saw blade. It will protect the blade from nicks and protect your fingers from accidental slices when you’re not actually using the blade.

Bonus Idea:

Turn your old garden hose into a makeshift soaker hose. Crimp the open end closed. Poke holes along its length with an ice pick or drill. Connect it up to your spigot and lay it down in the stretch of garden you want to soak.