Simple tools make gardening easier
Spade, shovel, fork and hoe; these are all important tools to the home gardener. We’d be hard pressed to get our garden beds in shape without them. A good garden tool makes all the difference in the amount of work we have to do and a well made tool takes much of the effort from the job.
My challenge is watering. Our new garden is coming together, but it’s about 100 feet from the back door. That means I have hose problems. Anyone who spends a lot of time in the garden can appreciate the challenges of regular watering. Unless you are lucky enough to have your own in ground watering system, lugging around a hose really is the pits.
Last fall I had the opportunity to try an expandable garden hose and I have been pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to move around. Here’s what I like about it:
- This expandable hose is lightweight
- It never kinks or becomes twisted while using it
- It is easier on the hands than a traditional rubber hose
- My expandable hose stores easily when not in use
- I like the brass connections and think it makes the hose sturdier than other plastic models
- It comes with a 8 pattern adjustable nozzle.
I have been using this hose daily since the beginning of the year and it has remained sturdy and watertight.
Things to consider when using an expandable hose
The hose takes water pressure to make it expand to its full extension. That means that you have to wait for it to fill and reach it’s full 50 feet length.
Once you start using it, the hose immediately starts to shrink back. Not to the 17 feet size with no water inside, but it does become smaller. If you really need it to reach 50 feet all the time you should add another hose on to it.
The manufacturer gives this IMPORTANT NOTE – “Please do not leave the hose charged after you switch off the valve on the brass connector, which would damage the latex and may cause a burst. Please keep the hose empty when not in use.” Oops! I can tell you that I have not followed these instructions. In fact, just last night I left the water on and the hose was completely full for 24 hours before I noticed it. There have not been any blowouts or other problems with it. However, now that I know, I will start emptying the hose after each use.
I think we probably have 10 hoses, in varying lengths, at our house right now. We’ve picked them up over the course of several years and repaired them as needed. This is perhaps my only hesitation with an expandable garden hose
, it will not be repairable if it springs a leak or if the brass connectors become loose. Right now it’s working great and the expandable hose with it’s watering attachment are the first choice I reach for when hand watering the garden beds.
Enter to win your own Ohuhu 50 Feet Expandable Garden Hose with Brass Connectors and Sprayer
(50ft)
It’s a giveaway from our friends at Ohuhu. $30 value
This Ohuhu Expandable Garden Hose Giveaway is open to any resident who is 18 years of age or older who lives in one of the 50 US States. This giveaway starts on Friday February 19th at 7:00 am (CST) and ends on Wednesday , February 24, 2016 at 11:59 pm (CST). The winner will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to respond. If we do not hear back from said winner in the designated time period of 24 hours we will choose another winner and they will have 24 hours to respond from the time the notification email is sent. Please check your SPAM email folders. Good luck to everyone!
Let’s get out in the garden!
—a Rafflecopter giveaway
Watering the garden is an issue for us, too. Living in Texas, things get dry pretty quickly.
My biggest gardening challenge this year is combating even more shade. I’ve always had issues because of the pine trees, but I built 3 raised beds in a semi-sunny location. Unfortunately for me, our neighbors popped the top on their one story house and the extra tall roof (2 1/2 story house with attic space) cuts a shadow across my raised beds.
50′ to my garden from the closest faucet.
Getting rid of mice right now!
thanks for the info you provide!
I’m starting a large veggie plot on unbroken ground.
I need to get the dirt in my 110 gallon size pots turned over (I use watering troughs for cattle/horses, that I drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage and then a small layer of rocks before I put in the soil mixture). I also put some landscaping fabric under the pots so weeds wouldn’t grow up into the pots. Where I live the soil is really bad, so that is one reason using the pots for planting vegetables. It has also helped keep the rabbits and even the squirrels out of the vegetables. These are not the flatter round short sided troughs, but rather the oval, taller type watering troughs. So, yes it is a challenge to turn the soil over before planting, but worth it in the long run.
I’d have to say one of my biggest challenges is water, too. However, a hose like this will certainly help!
We are redoing our backyard and so our challenge is trying to get around the mess to get our garden and flowers planted like we always do.
I always forget to fill up the hose…. OK OK into lazy to put it away. So this hose would be great for us lay gardners. 😉
I think i can expand my garden hose now. Thanks for the post.
I have a garden so I know watering is a big problem. Thanks your article, It is useful for me.
Great post! I read your blog fairly often and I always learn something.I shared this on Facebook and my followers really enjoyed it.Keep up the amazing work! ?.