Episode:#11 11/11/06
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

When you are watering the garden, it makes so much sense to do it at ground level. For a start you are getting water right into the root zone, where the plants need it most, plus there is less chance of water being lost to evaporation or wind, because you are not waving the hose around up high.

One of the best ways to get the water in there is with a water smart dripping hose. They are made from recycled rubber, a great use of old tyres. It weeps water right along the length of the hose at a slow rate, so the water gets a chance to really soak into the soil.

The really clever thing about the system is that you can regulate the amount of water that enters the hose to compensate for different water supply pressures and the length of the hose.

There are three different flow discs to choose from depending on your situation but to give you an indication, a long dripping hose will require more water than a shorter one and of course a high pressure water supply will supply more water than a low one. So a hose that is about 15 metres long will use the 3 litre per minute disc, where as a 30 metre hose would use the 6 litres per minute disc.

The idea is to create an even distribution of water along the hose, so if you don?t see that happening, change the flow disc. You just pop the flow disc in the tail part of the click on hose fitting and use it to replace the existing rubber washer.

You can run a single line from the tap or cut and join the hose using standard poly pipe fittings and lay it out in any configuration you want. It is also a good idea to use a length of standing hose or poly pipe at the tap end before you join the dripping hose, so water doesn?t weep out where it is not needed. You can also run it on an automatic timer, so you don?t have to think about it.

Just a tip, leave it in the sun first to warm up because it makes it easier to manipulate. You can bury it just below the surface or lay it on the soil surface and cover it with mulch and it is great for established garden beds. If you need to lay it around a corner it is best to use an elbow fitting, to prevent any kinking.

You can deliver just the right amount of water to your plants for optimum efficiency and good growth and performance.

Holman Industries
http://www.holmanindustries.com.au/

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Water Smart Dripping Hose

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• Delivers even water distribution the entire length of hose