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The Dirt On Hoses, Sprinklers and Watering Accessories What You Need to Know About the Garden Hose and Its Kin From "The Dirt On..." episode DTDO-102

Ahmed Hassan demonstrates the proper technique for coiling a hose.

It's perfectly fine to shell out big bucks for those fancy automated sprinkler systems, but if you're low on cash because you just bought your house or spent it all on your landscape, why not use something you already have?

That old workhorse, the garden hose, isn't just for washing the car. In fact, with all the different nozzles and sprinklers out there, you can water your whole garden with the hose — lawn included. It's cheaper and if you're using the right tools, you won't be standing out there all day either.

Here's the dirt on garden hoses, specialized attachments, sprinklers, watering accessories — and how to tame an unruly hose.

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The Rubber Edge

One of the reasons hoses get ignored for the heavy duty watering jobs is because some will need replacing quite often as they get holes in them. If you've experienced this, you've got the wrong hose. Plastic hoses break easily. They also tend to get little holes in them if they're kinked and the sun is beating down on them. They won't hold up if you're using them as a primary watering source. Rubber hoses are more flexible. They can bend without breaking. They can also stand up to heat from the sun without wearing down.

Figure A

The Power of On and Off — Right In Your Hand

When it comes time to put the hose into action, the first thing you need to hook up is an on/off nozzle (figure A). This attaches right to the end of the hose and it will stop the flow of water when you're ready to shut it off. It will protect the end of the hose, which can get damaged if you tend to drag the hose along the ground, as well as prevent any damage that might result from kinking it to stop the water. You can screw other nozzles right on to this and water all your garden plants by just swapping them out.

A Nozzle for Every Occasion

Here are some examples of nozzles that are useful for some specific applications.

• Gentle-shower nozzle. This attachment is perfect for landscape plants or your veggie garden. It delivers a gentle stream of water that won't damage your plants (figure B). It also provides a good amount of water at once so you won't have to stand out there for too long.

• Jet or pressure-tip nozzle. This is a heavy-duty nozzle. It's perfect for garden clean-up because it really shoots that water out (figure C). You can use this accessory to blast aphids off roses and skip the chemicals.

  Figure B

  Figure C

  
  

• Fan spray Nozzle. This attachment (figure D) gives you a wide, consistent spray (figure E). If you have the patience, you can water your lawn with this. Its shape is similar to hose-end sprinklers.

  Figure D

  Figure E

  
  
  
  

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  RELATED PROJECTS: Gardening Gadgets Sprinkler Maintenance and Drip Irrigation Sprinkler Head Types Backyard Makeover: Budget Sprinkler System Repairing a Broken Sprinkler Head

  
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	The Dirt On Water Gardens
  	The Dirt On Hoses, Sprinklers and Watering Accessories
  	The Dirt On Drought Tolerant Plants