Garden hose storage isn’t the most talked about topic when you are amongst friends. But let me tell you, having the proper equipment and knowledge to properly store your garden hose really increases the life of the hose, lessens the chance of injury and simply makes your gardening experience a whole lot better.
Why Garden Hose Storage Is So Important
To ensure that a garden hose lasts as long as it should, proper garden hose storage is an absolute must. Let’s face it, if you are a seasoned gardener, you most likely have a quality garden hose that you really paid a good dollar for such as the Gilmour 10-58100 8-ply Flexogen Hose
.
When you do not have proper storage, you will find that the water hose will not maintain its shape. When you have a hose that is collapsed from poor storage, you effectively reduce the amount of water that can flow through the hose, which reduces your water pressure.
It is for these reasons that you must have your garden hose stored in a even circular pattern.
Not only does proper garden hose storage save wear and tear on your garden hose, it in most cases will reduce the wear in your garden hose nozzle. Spray nozzles are another item that you have made an investment in. Nozzles such as the INNAV8 Water Hose Nozzle Sprayer do not come cheap and are built to last provided you take the proper precautions.
Often times I will see an expensive high pressure hose nozzle that is ruined because it has been dropped and dragged on the ground. Copper hose nozzles or other nozzles made of soft metal will easily deform and acquire deep scratches on them which will actually cut your hands.
Garden Hose Storage Options
There are many different types and forms of garden hose storage devices available on the internet. Some of these will attach to the side of your house such as the Liberty GARDEN 704. Some garden hose reels will have a crank, while some garden hose reels actually have a cover and are automatically driven via footpedal.
I prefer the floor mount automatically driven garden hose reels myself or the crank hose reels(if your hose reel location is not in direct sunlight). The storage units that are covered are perhaps the best units you can get, such as the Suncast PW100 Powerwind Hose Reel
because it does not expose the garden hose to direct sunlight.
The crank wheel that I suggested is another great option, but you must be careful where you mount this. Sometimes mounting these in direct sunlight will actually damage your garden hose, if you do not cover the hose with a towel or something to stop the sun from doing damage to the hose material.
Hose Reels Make For Easy Watering
It’s important to know that either automatic or hand cranked hose reels really do help make watering the garden a whole lot easier. You no longer have to worry about dragging your garden hose on the concrete which will damage the hose. You no longer have to worry about holding the hose in one arm while trying to wrap it up in a circular pattern. Also you do not have to worry about dragging a 200 foot garden hose all the way out to the garden.
If you do have to move your hose around a lot, I recommend getting a hose reel cart. Hose reel carts or garden hose reel trollies really do help when you have to get your hose into a location that is far away. It’s simply a cart that has an attached hose reel.
One thing I like about garden hose reel carts is that you have the best of a couple of worlds. You do not have to drag the hose, you do not have to carry the hose for long distances. And in terms of garden hose storage, you can store the hose in a cool shaded area which will reduce the amount of wear that your garden hose sustains.
There are many different garden hose storage tips available to choose from. On the home page of this site you will find many product reviews that will lead you in the right direction into purchasing a garden hose reel. Once you have one of these garden hose storage devices, you will wonder how you made it this long without one!
