Tips to Get the Most from Your Garden Hose

Your garden hose may be the most overworked and underappreciated piece of gardening equipment that you own. Many gardeners buy the least expensive garden hose they can find and put it through all sorts of abuse – pulling on it, twisting it, kinking it, running over it with the car or the lawnmower – and then when it springs a leak or fails to perform up to the expected standards, they toss it in a corner or in the trash, then they go out and buy the cheapest garden hose they can find. Really, can you imagine treating anything but your garden hose that way?

If you’re thinking there must be a better way, you’re right. The right garden hose can make all of your outdoor tasks easier. The wrong one can make them more difficult. These tips can help you get the most benefit and advantage out of the garden hose you choose.

Start with a High Quality Garden Hose

If you’ve never used a really good garden hose, you won’t believe the difference it makes in your gardening and outdoor maintenance tasks. Do you fight to get your hose attached to the faucet because the threads won’t line up right? Real brass garden hose fittings don’t bend out of shape, making it easier to attach and detach the garden hose from the faucet. In addition, the better garden hoses have hexagonal or octagonal garden hose fittings, making them easier to grip and tighten when you screw them onto the faucet. That cuts down on leaks at the faucet and allows you to make a good connection without stripping the threads.

In addition, choosing a garden hose made of high quality materials gives you more wear from your hose. A cheap vinyl hose will kink, bend and eventually break. A well-made reinforced rubber hose will be far less likely to kink and knot, allowing you to continue your watering without having to stop and untangle your hose repeatedly.

Choose the Right Garden Hose for Your Needs

There are a number of specialty garden hoses available on the market that can make your life even easier. You can buy a drinking safe garden hose, for example, if you’re concerned about lead or BPA in your drinking water or in the water you use to water your vegetables. A coil garden hose is the ideal choice if you do your gardening chores in tight quarters, such as on a patio or in a greenhouse.

Accessories

Don’t forget to store your garden hose properly when it’s not in use. The best way to do that is to invest in a good garden hose reel. It will keep you hose out of contact with the ground and help drain it every time you put it away, reducing wear and tear on your garden hose.

Why throw away your money on a cheap garden hose when you can buy a good quality 1/2 inch garden hose or one inch water hose, treat it properly and get good service from it for years to come.