Three Features of a Quality Garden Hose

Spring has sprung and it’s time to get your yard in shape.  Whether that means planting rows of tomatoes, beans and peas or getting the fertilizer out and whipping your grass into shape, you’ll need a high quality garden hose to help you with your tasks.  But ask any experienced gardener and they’ll tell you that a bad garden hose can make life on the lawn miserable, while a quality garden hose can make it bliss.  Here are four features to look for when buying your next garden hose.

The Right Material

Just like in most things, if you buy a cheap garden hose, you’ll likely be stuck with a hose that kinks up, bends and cuts off the water, or has leaks popping up all over it.  What’s worse, some hoses use toxic substances that make it dangerous to drink water from it, fill up your kid’s pool or water your vegetable garden.  When buying a garden hose, you’ll be able to choose from vinyl, rubber or one that uses both materials.  You’ll get more wear out of a rubber hose, but keep in mind that they are heavier, so if you have to haul it all over the yard, that may not be your best option.

The Right Fittings

Have you ever had a hose that sprung a leak at the fitting?  It’s irritating because when that happens, the person using the hose usually ends up drenched by the time they’re done watering the lawn.  The right garden hose fittings are important, and in order for yours to last longer and be more durable, look for a garden hose that uses solid brass fittings.

The Right Reel

No one likes to see a garden hose sprawled out all over the lawn, but unless you have the right garden hose reel, storing your hose can be more hassle than it’s worth.  Look for one of quality that allows you to wrap the hose up easily.  If you don’t want to have to store your hose, opt instead for a coil garden hose.  When it’s not in use, it handily coils up and stores away neatly.

Don’t let a cheap garden hose spoil your gardening fun.  Enjoy your time outdoors by making sure that you get the right hose for the job you’re doing.  Whether that’s a coil garden hose, a drinking safe garden hose, or just a high end hose that won’t kink or break, you’ll reduce the hassle and concentrate instead on the pleasure of your lawn.

Garden Hose Reels and Other Storage Ideas

Spring is springing up all over. If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to check over your trusty garden hose and make sure it’s fit for another season of use. If it’s not, springtime is the second-best time of year to find a great bargain on a high quality garden hose – even specialty hoses like a coil garden hose, a drinking safe garden hose or a heated garden hose. The only better time to replace your worn-out garden hose is at the end of the growing season – but that means you have to put in another season of fighting with a hose that’s too short, kinks easily and tangles up with just about everything. There’s an enormous variety of garden hoses on the market these days, so it should be easy to find exactly the right length and diameter one you need for your garden.

Whether you buy a new garden hose or want to get a little more life from your current one, you definitely should be storing your hose properly. Whether you’re using a 1-inch water hose for heavy duty applications, or a standard 1/2 inch garden hose or 3/4 inch garden hose , storing it the right way will prevent a lot of the problems that can shorten the life of one of your handiest, trustiest gardening tools. Here are some tips on how to properly care for and store your new – or old – garden hose.

Garden Hose Reels

A garden hose reel is the best solution for storing your hose when it’s not in use for a number of reasons.

-          Coiling your garden hose onto the reel helps you empty its entire length, which prevents interior rotting.

-          A wall-mounted garden hose reel keeps your garden hose up off the ground so you don’t accidentally run it over with your riding mower.

-          A portable garden hose reel makes it easier to move your hose around your property without dragging the entire length of the hose behind you.

-          Rolling up your garden hose on a hose reel gets it up off the ground, out of contact with dirt, mold and insects that might crawl into it for a cool place to rest.

There are a number of styles of garden hose reels, including stainless garden hose reels and brass garden hose reels. A word of caution: avoid cheap plastic or aluminum garden hose reels that can bend, buckle or break – and may puncture your garden hose.

The better you treat your garden hose, the more likely it is to last for many years, giving you your full money’s worth.

It’s Spring – Get Out Your Garden Hose

Despite unexpected Midwest blizzards and a recalcitrant Punxsutawney Phil giving out the wrong prediction – blame it on old age – spring actually has arrived. It’s time to bring out your garden hose and get your house and yard in shape for the upcoming season. Here are six things you should do to get yourself, your property and your garden hose ready for the warmer months to come.

Inspect Your Garden Hose

If you’re a diligent, responsible gardener who takes good care of all your tools, your garden hose probably spent the winter in a warm, dry cellar or storage shed. Even then, there’s a chance that your garden hose didn’t come through the winter well. And if you’re like many of us, your hose may just have spent the winter under a blanket of snow. Either way, it’s a good time to give it a good inspection and decide if it’s worth using again this year. Look for cracks and breaks in the plastic or vinyl and check the garden hose fittings for wear.

While you’re at it, consider how well your trusty hose served you last year. Did it reach everywhere you wanted it to go? Did you spend half your gardening time tugging on your garden hose to get it around corners or make it release kinks and bends? If so, it may be time to invest in a new hose that meets your needs. A heavyweight 3/4 inch garden hose won’t kink and curl, and is far less likely to be damaged if you happen to run over it with your lawnmower.

Buy a New Garden Hose

Likewise, consider how you use your garden hose to decide whether you need one of the new specialty hoses on the market. If you water edible garden vegetables or fill kids’ swimming pools with it, for example, you may want to invest in a drinking safe garden hose just to be on the safe side. A coil garden hose makes gardening in small spaces, like patio gardens and container garden beds, much easier by making it easier to maneuver around and store your hose when it’s not in use.

Invest in a Garden Hose Reel

Protect your garden hose by investing in a garden hose real that you can mount on the side of your house or roll with you wherever you need it. You can buy reels in many different configurations and to fit hoses of all sizes from a 1/2 inch garden hose to a one inch water hose.

Wash Your Siding and Windows

Get rid of the grime left behind by the winter with a good hose down for your whole house. There are a lot of attachments available that will turn your garden hose into a great cleaning tool  to spray with soapy water and rinse clean.

Clean Out the Gutters

Rake out your gutters and give them a good wash-out with your hose.

Wash Down the Walkways and Paths

Sand and salt can leave stains and residue on brick and concrete steps and pathways. Wash them down with a high-pressure stream of water from your garden hose to make them look bright and new.

By the time you’re done sprucing up your property with the help of your trusty garden hose, you’ll have left the winter behind and be looking forward to a wonderful gardening season.

Five Garden Hose Facts to Remember This Spring

Is there any tool in your backyard that gets less attention and regard than your garden hose? Even the most avid gardener and householder is prone to take the lowly hose for granted. The recent spate of television ads for expanding garden hoses and the coil garden hose notwithstanding, most people simply expect that their garden hose will be there when they need it, and will perform as expected. They accept the kinks and leaks as inevitable and gamely soldier on, irrigating and sprinkling their gardens with hoses that don’t quite live up to the job they should be doing. The truth is that you have a right to expect good service from your garden hose – that it will not break, kink or leak, and that it will be light enough for you to move it from one place to the other without breaking tender seedlings when you drag it over them. Whether you’re keeping your current garden hose or looking for a replacement, these facts will help you have a more enjoyable, easier gardening season.

Length is Important.

It’s a commonly held assumption that longer is better because it gives you more reach.  In fact, a garden hose that’s too long is nearly as awkward and ineffective as one that doesn’t reach where you want it to go. A longer hose can be heavy and difficult to maneuver, and can reduce water pressure at the business end. Choose a garden hose that’s just long enough to reach the areas where you’ll use it most. If you occasionally need more reach – say, to get to the driveway once a week to wash your car – buy a second short hose that you can use to extend its length. It won’t cost much more and your daily gardening chores will be much more comfortable.

Diameter Makes a Difference.

The difference between a 1/2 inch garden hose and a 3/4 inch garden hose is twice as much water delivered to your target in the same amount of time. If you have low water pressure, opt for a wider diameter hose to increase water flow.

Proper Storage Increases Garden Hose Life

It practically goes without saying that if you treat your garden hose right, it will treat you right. There are many different types of garden hose reels on the market that make it easy to drain your hose after use, and store it out of contact with the ground, both of which will decrease wear and tear on the material of which your hose is made.

It’s Worth It to Pay for Quality

The aisles of your local home improvement store are chock full of cheap garden hoses in many different lengths – but indulging your budget can seriously cramp your style. A cheap hose may make it through one or two seasons before springing a leak or worse. Invest in a high quality garden hose that will last you for years – and be much easier and more comfortable to use.

There’s a Garden Hose for Everything

If you have a special watering or irrigation need, do a little research to find the right garden hose to meet it. There are specialty garden hoses for nearly any use you can imagine. If your hose will be transporting potable water, choose a drinking safe garden hose. If you’re working in a small space, choose a coil garden hose that stays out of the way. You can find a heated garden hose for use in cold climates and weather, and flat soaker hoses for irrigating vegetable beds.

The right garden hose can make a surprising difference in your daily gardening chores. Shop around and find the best hose for your needs and see how much more fun your gardening is this summer.

Is Your Garden Hose Safe to Use?

As most of the country starts pulling out of the winter freeze and preparing for spring, any gardener’s thoughts are lightly turning to thoughts of seedlings, raised beds and equipment. If you’re not thinking about replacing your garden hose, you should at least be considering it. Among other things, recent research and studies have suggested that your garden hose could be hazardous to your health. Here’s what you really need to know to decide if your current hose is safe to use and meets all of your needs.

Do You Or Your Kids Drink From The Water Hose?

The inside of your garden hose may be coated with toxic chemicals that are used as preservatives or to maintain flexibility in the rubber. Those chemicals, including lead, can leach into water left standing in the garden hose for as little as 5 minutes – and in amounts large enough to cause problems. If you use your garden hose to fill toddler pools or if you or the kids are prone to taking a drink from the hose, you should consider replacing your hose with a drinking-safe garden hose. Not sure if your garden hose is drinking safe? In most cases, drinking-safe hoses will be stamped with the information you need to know.

Do You Water Edible Plants with Your Garden Hose?

Most scientists agree that there’s no danger to watering your edible plants – herbs, vegetables and the like – with a standard garden hose, but some experts are uncertain about the effects. If you’re not using a drinking-safe garden hose, always rinse produce from your garden well before eating it. Even then, they point out that plants take up minerals and nutrients from the soil. If you’re watering your plants with lead-contaminated water, the lead will remain in the soil and could be taken up by the plants. A drinking safe garden hose will eliminate that concern.

All Sizes Available

As more consumers become aware of the possible hazards associated with lead and other chemicals in PVC hoses, manufacturers are responding by providing drinking safe hoses in many sizes. You can usually find 1/2 inch garden hose, 3/4 inch garden hose, 50-foot garden hoses and other popular sizes in drinking-safe options.

There’s no need to fight the crowds or face confusion in the aisles of your local big box home improvement stores. You’ll find great deals for garden hoses of all types and sizes online at manufacturers’ and distributors’ websites. Don’t take chances with your family’s health. Replace your old garden hose with a drinking-safe garden hose today.

What to Look for in a Quality Garden Hose

Buying a new garden hose doesn’t sound terribly complicated until you get to the garden hose aisle and see the enormous selection of specialty garden hoses available for sale. Many people simply grab the cheapest garden hose that suits their needs and flee, never realizing that they could have made their lives easier – and saved themselves money in the long run – by buying a high quality garden hose in the first place. Here’s what you should look for when you’re replacing your worn-out garden hose with a new one.

Materials

Cheap vinyl garden hoses will get you exactly what you pay for – cheap materials and a garden hose that will kink up, bend and spring leaks. Garden hoses may be made from rubber, vinyl or a combination of both, and may be reinforced with other fibers. Rubber hoses are the most flexible and the least likely to kink, crack or corrode, but they can be heavy. Reinforced vinyl hoses are lighter in weight, and depending on the materials used for reinforcement, can be as sturdy and durable as a good quality rubber hose. If you’re looking for a garden hose that will deliver potable water for humans or animals – or, some say, if you’ll be watering plants that produce food – look for a drinking safe garden hose made from materials that won’t leach chemicals into the water. Vinyl or rubber reinforced with nylon or rayon provides strength and lighter weights.

Quality Fittings

Garden hose fittings – the metal or plastic ends that attach the hose to a nozzle or a faucet – are another place where quality makes a difference. Many manufacturers of cheap hoses use soft metals that bend and warp with use or abuse. The result is poor attachment and leaks at the faucet or nozzle. Look for a garden hose with solid brass garden hose fittings that won’t bend or warp out of shape.

The Right Diameter

The diameter of your garden hose determines how much water is delivered and at what pressure it arrives. Most gardeners find that a 1/2 inch garden hose or 3/4 inch garden hose are right for their uses. For higher demand applications, a 1 inch water hose will get the job done.

Easy Storage

Storing your garden hose properly is important if you want it to last and deliver high quality performance throughout its life. A coil garden hose essentially provides its own storage, but most other garden hoses will require a garden hose reel or jar to keep them neatly tucked away when they’re not in use.

Choosing the right garden hose will make your job much easier and save you lots of time and frustration over the years – and you can expect years of use when you choose a high-quality garden hose for your needs.

Will Your Garden Hose Make Headlines?

It’s not often you find a garden hose in the headlines of a major city’s newspaper, but it happens. The Toronto Star reported on January 31, 2012 that a small tear in a garden hose led to a criminal trial. Apparently, the garden hose in question, belonging to neighbor A, was left lying in the driveway between the houses. When neighbor B returned home from work, she attempted to move said garden hose, which ran the length of the driveway and under the garden fence into the yard next door. The hose caught on a patio chair, causing a 6 mm tear. Neighbor A called the police, who arrested neighbor B and took her off to the station, charged with property damage. Now, setting aside the obvious that a torn garden hose is hardly a police matter, the whole issue could have been avoided had neighbor A known a few simple facts about hoses.

The Best Garden Hose You Can Buy

A water hose is one of your most important gardening and home maintenance tools, yet few people treat them with the respect they deserve. Many homeowners search for the cheapest plastic hose they can find. The results? Well, the hose could catch on a patio chair when a neighbor pulls on it, but that’s only one of the problems with using a cheap garden hose. Cheap hoses kink more easily, meaning you spend more time pacing back along the length of your hose to unkink it and restore the water flow. Whether you’re washing your car or watering the garden, it’s easier to do and less frustrating when you use a high quality 1/2 inch garden hose or 3/4 inch garden hose than when you’re using a cheap plastic hose from the discount store.

A Coil Garden Hose Stores Itself

Had neighbor A invested in a good quality coil garden hose, it wouldn’t have been lying across the driveway when her neighbor returned home. Instead, it would have been neatly coiled in a small area on the patio. And since they come in several colors, it might even have added nicely to the décor on the patio instead of catching and tearing on the leg of a patio chair.

A Garden Hose Reel Would Have Solved the Problem

Finally, had neighbor A invested in a garden hose reel to store her garden hose when it wasn’t in use, neighbor B wouldn’t have felt compelled to move it out of the way to safety. The hose would have been neatly rolled and stored out of harm’s way.

Is your garden hose a criminal case in the making? This is the time to check out your gardening equipment, including your hose, and decide whether you need to replace your worn garden hose with a brand new drinking safe garden hose, coil garden hose or high quality 1/2 inch garden hose.