Hose Repair

                It is hose season. All of the planting, seeding, mulching, and weeding is done and I spend my days hauling hoses around, watering planters and hitching them up to the garden irrigation systems.  The hoses are growing old; I put them in twenty years ago now, so they have issues. On clear mornings, I will start the water running through the veggie garden and head inside for a second cup of tea. Ten minutes later, I come out to a geyser, water shooting seven feet in the air from the center of a bed. Every other creature in the yard is thrilled. The bees fly over to drink the water from the leaves; the rabbit and chickens are excited by the event; the cat hides from the spray.  I peer into the bed, soaking my glasses so that I cannot see the problem. This is always a wet repair.

Hose Repair steps:

1.       Find the leak. Get very wet in the process.

2.       Find the trimmers, which cut a soaker hose quite well.

3.       If possible, recruit an assistant to trun ff the water once the leak is located.

4.       Cut the hose while the water is running. I’ve tried to shut the water off, but I can never find the leak, even if I marked it with a twig. Water flows through the garden bed, but no longer in the air.

5.       Shut off the water.

6.       Find the repair bucket. This happens often enough that I keep repair supplies on hand, along with spare irrigation parts.

7.       Find two hose clamps and the plastic tube.

8.        Slide the hose clamps on the hose first.

9.       Splice the hose with a plastic tube. Move the clamps right up on the tube.

10.   Crank down on the hose clamps as tightly as possible.

11.   Turn on the water for testing.

12.   Retighten the clamps.

13.   Rearrange the mulch over the hose.

14.   Go inside, put the kettle on, and dry your face and hair. Maybe change shirts.

Every summer, I swear I will replace the sweat hoses for the next season and, every spring, I lay them down as I plant out the veg starts. Maybe next year...