Weather: Dog Days of Summer Part 2

No rain here last night....love the cool weather, though...

I had to water my whole garden yesterday, even after all the rain we got the night before.
That wind yesterday dried everything out...my Brugs were actually drooping...
but then--they are in pots.
G.

Easy for plants to dry out, easy to forget they need water when it is so comfortable for us= I better get out there and water

I find that once something dries out, it's hard to get it re-saturated with the soil composition we have around here. Dry soil seems to always want to repel water rather than absorb it.

One of these days I will give up my membership in the Cheap A$$ Garden Hose Club %$$$#$%^^%## !!!!!!
Kinks!
Ends fall off!
No wonder I hate watering.
I wish I had bought Frank's Nursery hoses, I bet they'd still be good.

Sally, I pony up the cash for Neverkink hoses but even they leave something to be desired after some time. I think my mistake was leaving them outside over the winter. Maybe next time I'll try one of those heavy duty Goodyear hoses.

Sally, I got one of these: http://www.waterrightinc.com/

Incredibly lightweight, doesn't kink, very good quality.

They're expensive, so I only have one. I wish I could replace all of my hoses with this one. There's a HUGE difference in quality between this one and the other hoses, even the good quality ones.

I bought my other hoses from Costco (for their exchange policy), but it's still a pain in the neck to unwind a heavy 50 footer, get rid of all the water, gather it all up, and take it to Costco for a replacement.

Jeff--

My OLD Franks Nursery hoses are outside year-long on reels.
They still work great--even though the outside rubber on them is cracking a bit.

I have been wanting to get a new hose--but the prices are beyond reasonable.
I was thinking of the "Never Kink" ones--(at HD) but you say they are not good.
Why? What is it you don't like about them???

I don't like the price!!! $40 something...Yeah? AND--as many of you may not know--
HD has NO employee discounts....Never did--never will....

Will fix and mend my Frank's ones as long as i can.
G.

thanks for the link ssgardener, I might at least try a factory second for starters. I could seriously get Mark a really good hose and brass spray end for a gift, and it would be something he'd appreciate everytime he uses it.

Holy Crap, those hoses are expensive SSG!!!! Geez, they better be lined with gold or diamonds for that price. On a side note, I would secretly love to have one though :)

G: The only thing I don't like about my neverkink is that when I'm watering with my wand the part of the hose that goes into the nozzle flops down and slows the flow. I have to hold it straight to get full flow. More of an inconvenience than anything. I don't think my newer one in the back yard does that though.

Jeff---

You can buy this hose-accessory for $5 at HD.
Keeps the nozzle end of a hose from kinking.
Either at the outlet--or where you hold it when watering.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Melnor-Kink-Free-Hose-Saver-557-063/203062309

Oh nice!! I never thought of that. I'll definitely pick one up soon :) Thanks G!

I know, so expensive!

But I added up the cost of all the hoses that got holes in them and needed to be replaced (at least 3), and the fact that it's soooo lightweight. The heavy-duty Costco one is probably 10 times the weight.

We sell a lot of the "Pocket Hose" for the same reason--it is extremely
light weight--just $20. Older folks like them....

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-Flexible-25-ft-Hose-with-nozzle-flxh-25-4-00268-11/204818892

g.

Gita, I seriously considered the Pocket Hose as well, but it has such poor reviews online that I ended up splurging on the one with good reviews.

It seems I missed out on Franks' hoses!

SS--

The first "edition" of the Pocket hose got very bad reviews. It did not hold up.

Now they have a "New and Improved" one. Stronger...hardier....
better connections/couplings....etc. We sell a slew of them....

The first ones had inferior plastic connectors--and that was one of the problems.
Now they are made of sturdier plastic. Still JUST $20.

Not sure I would use one???? Anything super-out-of-the-ordinary always
seems like a gimmick to me.


HMMMMMM..I wonder if any Franks Nursery hoses could still be floating around
on e-Bay or such??? Anyone good at looking these kind of things up?
G.

I can put in a good plug for Goodyear hoses. Hoses normally don't last long for me...running over them with the car and leaving them out all winter probably doesn't help.

Never Kink hoses are a joke IMHO!! They kink every bit as much as other hoses and the ends break; i.e. they start leaking from the end and replacing the washer doesn't stop it. They need to be replaced at least as often as cheaper hoses.

I haven't had my Goodyears for long, so the jury's still out on whether or not they last longer than the others, but I really like them. Because they are made of rubber, they are easier to maneuver, and when they do get a kink it is easy to whip it out. They don't seem as heavy as the others, and they're a lot easier to wind up on a hose reel. I also like the black color; it blends into the grass better than the vivid green ones (I leave my hose out on the front lawn a lot, so it matters to me!).

I don't think they're much more expensive than Never Kinks; they might even be the same price.

Muddy--

Where are the Goodyear hoses sold?
I see Pro hoses at Costco and BJ's. Around $28. Wonder if they are any good...

We have seriously heavy duty rubber hoses at the HD. they are what we use
in watering plants--they are really hard on my wrists and hands--as they are so
stiff, they have really bad torque which overpowers my hands.

There is one, by the shrubs, that is a 3'4" rubber hose. Mamma Mia!!!
I hope they get rid of it--it is a monster to manipulate.
G.

G: Those pocket hoses are terrible!! I know two people who had them and they don't last for nothing. I'm not sure I'd even be willing to try the second generation. Plus, I look at them like they are a girl's hose so I'm not sure I'd be caught dead with one in my garden :) It's a male pride thing...

SSG, what diameter polyurethane hose do you have? I saw on their website they have a 'factory second' for sale that is 7/16" diameter. It's 50' for $36. I was wondering though, since most hoses are 5/8", does the 7/16" shoot the water out since it's a smaller diameter?

I have an issue with my outdoor water having way too much pressure. I only need to turn it like 1/10" and water just gushes out. I think that may be one of the reasons that the cheap hoses got holes in them. I finally got a pressure regular valve thingy which has helped. Ugh, I sure do spend a lot of money on watering gadgets. :(

I can't remember what size I got, though.

Seq, I like the idea of the factory second also.
Yeah I don't think 20$ makes it worth trying the pocket hose; not with the way I tug and throw my hoses, and leave them out in all weather.

Yeah now if they only had a factory second in a 75' or 100', then we'd be talking. 50' doesn't really do me any favors.

There aren't enough hoses at my local HD or near enough $$ in my budget or oomph in these old bones to accomplish what one good soaking rain could. First time ever I'm seeing cracks in several parts of my yard. This is soooo hard on trees for third year. Will need a pre rain rain to soften surface enough for precious moisture to soak in to any depth.

With the cooler weather my tomatoes aren't ripening anyway so several days in a row of rain would be great. The coolness has certainly helped on the heat stress aspect this summer.

If I'm remembering correctly, August is tradionally drier than June/July. Ouch.

SSG good for you on the water pressure regulatr. One HD I merchandized at lost so much water pressure when ever a toilet in the store was flushed that it made it difficult to water product.

I really like the idea of a light weight hose. I'm lucky that I don't have to water very much with hoses because of the irrigation system, but there are places that do require getting the hoses out. I HATE how heavy and cumbersome it gets, so now I just leave them unrolled. I still have to maneuver them anyway, and leaving them out in the hot sun all day probably doesn't do them any favors. The price on those hoses that SSG mentioned is high, but maybe I'll invest in one. It may be a cost benefit over time anyway, after tallying up how many cheaper hoses have been bought and replaced - not to mention what plants have died because the watering has been such a chore that it didn't get done as often as it should have. Ease of convenience and durability is kind of hard to pass up.

We got a surprise storm yesterday and it dropped 0.77" on us. It was nice. We've been getting so much rain and it's great.

Oh man Seq, we got a surprise rain today as well but only got about .1 inch. Not enough to even penetrate the ground.

Yeah that much is just a joke :(

It was overcast here today, but it never did rain. My in-laws are in town and we had a big picnic for the extended family and friends. Actually was great weather for a picnic in August - low humidity and temps were pleasant. A few are camping and the temps have dipped to even something more comfortable for sleeping outside tonight.

Finally a good inch of rain here spread over the weekend and genle enough to soak in.
Send more please as I think this area is behind: River birches in several yards have already dropped enough leaves to require a good raking big trees are stressed again third year.

I want to dance in the rain not for it!

Good to know there's an "improved" pocket hose. I'll probably try it when my little self-coiling hose on the deck gives out (not "if," seems to be a matter of time with them, but I love them for this application).

I have the black Goodyear hoses both front & back now, and they're holding up well. Doesn't faze the front one to be run over by the car -- good thing, as black blends with the driveway LOL. They do seem more flexible without being more kink-prone.

Rain last night meant no need to run around watering when we got home from NC! :-)

glad you got some good rain, Coleup! Here we got rumblings and thunder and a little rain, but I don't think as much as you did.

The cracks still haven't closed in my back yard but I figure they help whatever moisture to get down there.

My plants sure seem to like rain water better than what comes out of my 6 yr old black rubber hose!

One year HD hired someone just to water on a daily basis. Most days he spent equal time watering and replacing hoses that were then run over and needed to be replaced! I used to joke that it didn't speak well for a 'home improvement store' to have leaky hoses and piles of broken watering wands!

Currently I try to get my leaks to be or drain to areas I want wetter.

Before my black rubber hose I would drain down all the hoses I left out in place so they wouldn't burst as the sun expanded the trapped water in them. I'm a big fan of brass divider fittings where I can run several smaller/shorter hoses from one connection instead of dragging around a longer one.

Gita, about the Goodyear hoses: HD sells them - $29.97 for a 50 foot hose.

I set up hoses and timers to water while I was away this past weekend. It was the first time I've used timers, and I wasn't sure I trusted them. They seemed to work, though. It looks like we got a little rain here while I was gone, too, so I was one of those people with automatic sprinklers on in the rain : - )

Muddy-
Thanks--i will look next time I work...however--I need 100' hoses.
I have 2 water outlets outside. One in front of the house and one under
my patio in the back.
The back one's hose has to reach around both sides of the house...

I suppose i will use my Franks hoses until they fall apart. About 17 years and going.

G.

LOL Muddy, I always giggle when I drive past someone's house with the sprinklers going in the rain. ;) heeheeheee

The rain, even the thunder rumblings and sprinklings, you all have been getting... they've simply not come this far South. I'll be out watering tomorrow when I'm done mowing the lawn. I've been trying so hard to remember where I got my hoses from, but darned if I can remember anything about them. All I know is they don't get left out over winter; they all get drained and brought inside, rolled up and stored in one of my BIG rubber maid bins. And they don't get run over in the driveway. ;) I've had 'em all for about 8 years and none of 'em have any signs of wear anywhere.. no cracks or anything like that. They're 2-ply hoses.. I guess that helps something or other.

Do you water the lawn Speedie, or just the flower beds? I am not a lawn waterer and all watering attention goes to the gardens. The lawn just goes dormant in drought and then grows back as soon as we start getting rain again. Plus if you don't water it, you don't have to mow it :)

My 100' hose is made up of two 50' hoses, because the shorter ones were on sale. :-) Also, don't replace a hose if it's just got a puncture... use a hose mender set (2 pieces of hardware), cut out the punctured part, and rejoin.

Jeff, I'm with you, I am not a lawn-waterer. Sadly I did not get to the watering until this afternoon when I got home from work. Eeek, so many of the babies were slightly wilty and droopy. Well, they're all well soaked now, just in time for the rains to come tomorrow! ;) I did, however, mow my lawn yesterday in between orthodontist appointments, LOL!

Jill, .. Uh-Oh, how do you know about this "mend a punctured hose" trick, pray tell? < =/

My old hoses tended to swell and burst. I'm going to try Coleup's suggestion of emptying the hoses when I'm leaving them out in the sun.

I do water the lawn, but it's not just for the lawn, it's also so my trees don't get stressed when there's a drought. When we had a really dry summer several years ago, my neighbors didn't water at all and their trees have lots of dead branches at the tops.

Also, sometimes it's faster to water the front yard with a sprinkler rather than water all of the shrubs and trees separately.

could use some rain, but Oh the cool nights are great!

Another Super Moon this weekend.

No complaints about this summer from me. It has been very much like I grew up expecting summer to be temp wise so I have actually enjoyed this summer instead of trying to hide from it.

I find 'watering' by what ever method to be extreemly challenging during this extended period of little or well below average rainful . Warm days and cool nights though glorious seem to be the perfect storm for mildew and fungus bloom whether I or Mother Nature turn on the spigot. Thank goodness it hasn't been hotter, so I have had to water less than in recent droughty summers but every very careful application of water to the soil and not the leaves increases the likelihood of fungal and other disease growth: it's their kind of weather!.

Leaf spot, mosaic and other virus, powdery mildew, etc can be very dangerous to baby caterpillars.....