Garden Hoses: What To Know Before You Buy
Hose for gardening don't last forever. When you're in the market for a new one, these tips will help you make an informed purchase.
Your garden hose is probably working overtime this summer as you water plants, irrigate a vegetable garden or wash the car. According to hose manufacturer Teknor Apex, a good garden hose will last five to 10 years if properly maintained. A bad garden hose, as most of us have already found out, will waste water, function poorly and cause bouts of frustration.
So to keep the kinks out of your relationship with your PVC garden hose, let’s take a look at what to consider before you buy a new one.
A garden products study completed by The Ecology Center looked at 90 different PVC garden water hose and discovered disturbing levels of each of those chemicals. Some of the toxin levels exceeded safe drinking water standards by 20 times or more.
Summer in America means kids laughing and leaping through the hose’s spray. Peaceful mornings in the garden, watching the tomatoes redden while we shower the squash and bean plants. Luckily, a bad hose doesn’t have to poison these pleasures; there are enough other reasons to lose sleep. Buy a new hose, made of natural rubber or polyurethane, and store it in the shade. As chemical hazards go, a toxic garden hose with fitting is an easy fix.
