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How to lay a soaker hose

Updated: 23 October 2026

The coil is in the bed and the first opening of the tap throws a jet instead of a weep. Laying a soaker hose is mostly pressure, a closed end and something to hold the tube still. Which of the five to buy stays on the [soaker hose comparison](/hub/garden-watering/soaker-hose). Whether the tap may be opened at all, on mains water, stays on the [hosepipe ban](/hub/garden-watering/soaker-hose/sub/soaker-hose-hosepipe-ban) page. The listings and the review faults are the source. This is not a timed trial of your soil. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The coil is in the bed and the first opening of the tap throws a jet instead of a weep. Laying a soaker hose is mostly pressure, a closed end and something to hold the tube still.

Our top picks

MAMIZO MAMIZO 30 m soaker set

Best overall

MAMIZO MAMIZO 30 m soaker set
9.2/10about £30.62
View offer
B2C B2C 15 m porous pipe

Best value

B2C B2C 15 m porous pipe
9.2/10about £14.29
View offer
Gardena Gardena Soaker Hose 15 m

Alternative

Gardena Gardena Soaker Hose 15 m
8.8/10about £34.95
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before the tap is open
  2. 2.Pressure until it weeps
  3. 3.Mulch, bark, or soil
  4. 4.A dry end, a slope, or a split hose

Before the tap is open

Unroll the hose before you force a kink. VReder buyers say it lifts until it is held down, and MAMIZO texts call the end bung hard to push in. None of the five boxes includes pegs. Tent pegs are what Gardena reviewers use before the tap is open. Close the far end. MAMIZO says to plug it after a cut. If you cut Alederways, a 15 mm clamp at each barb comes from one review, not the parts list. Gardena arrives with fittings and a control valve. Then open the tap a little.

Pressure until it weeps

Working figures sit around 0.5–1 bar: Gardena’s valve at 0.5–1 bar, VReder at 0.6 bar optimum, B2C’s flow at 0.7 bar, Alederways at 0.8 bar optimum. Water Irrigation tells you to use a pressure reducer in that band, on flat ground, with an end plug. Their start of about 10 minutes, three times a week, is their guide, not a measured need of these ASINs. A jet is a fault, not a stronger soaker. Alederways texts include cracks and random jets. VReder texts say some holes squirt unless they point down. Gardena’s maximum attribute says 4 bar, and Alederways prints both 2 bar and 2.5 bar. MAMIZO’s maximum is 2 bar.
MAMIZO MAMIZO 30 m soaker set

Testsieger

MAMIZO MAMIZO 30 m soaker set
9.2/10about £30.62
View offer

Mulch, bark, or soil

Cover is not one rule. The RHS suggests at least 5 cm of mulch, with the hose across the roots or runs about 30–45 cm apart. VReder says above ground or under mulch. Alederways says under mulch or bark. B2C says above ground, under bark, or buried to 20 cm. That depth is for the B2C listing only. Gardena’s UK FAQ says above ground only, with bark or groundcover, because pores clog and roots enter. The amazon.co.uk capture for Gardena and for MAMIZO does not print a bury line. Do not copy B2C’s 20 cm onto a Gardena hose. Before you cover a rubber soaker beside salad, read the material caution on the buying guide. These listings do not prove a food-grade wall.

A dry end, a slope, or a split hose

If the last metres stay dry, shorten the run or loop it with a tee, which is what MAMIZO buyers do on a single run of about 10 m or more. A longer coil does not cure that. MAMIZO also says not to run the pipe from a very low place to a high place. One buyer failed uphill and another said a run did work, so the texts are not a slope method. When the ground rises, a pressure-compensating drip line is the other method, on the soaker versus drip line page. Stop when the wall has split or a fitting leaks into a socket or a mains joint. A split on first use, in the Gardena sample, is a return. Call a plumber or an irrigation fitter for a permanent joint on the drinking-water supply, a buried lawn system, a pumped layout, or a leak near electrics.

Common questions

Do I open the tap fully?
No. Open it until the hose weeps. Working figures sit around 0.5–0.8 bar, and Gardena’s valve is marked for 0.5–1 bar. Full mains pressure turns a porous wall into a jet. If it still jets, look for a split or a hole facing up.
Does the far end have to be capped?
Yes. An open end empties at one point. MAMIZO tells you to plug the end after a cut. Alederways and VReder include end caps. Gardena’s bullets say the connection fittings come with the hose. Fit the stop before you judge the wall.
How do I stop it coiling?
Peg it. Pegs are not in any of the five boxes, so you buy stakes or use tent pegs, as reviewers already do. Lay a loose curve rather than a kink. VReder texts say the hose lifts off the soil until it is held down.
What do I do if it jets?
Turn the tap down first. Then look for a crack, a hole pointed up, or a barb that has blown off. One Alederways buyer fitted 15 mm clamps that were not in the box. A split wall wants a return or a cut-out, not more pressure.
What do I do if the last few metres stay dry?
Shorten the run or loop it so water feeds from more than one direction. MAMIZO buyers use a tee when a single length of about 10 m or more fades. Check the end cap, and check you are not running uphill.
How long do I leave it on?
Water Irrigation suggests about 10 minutes, three times a week, then a longer run if the soil is still dry. That is their guide, not a result from these listings. Feel the soil under the mulch. One Gardena buyer ran a hose for almost four hours and still went back to a sprinkler.
Can I leave the fittings out all winter?
You can, and you might regret it. A Gardena review describes brittleness after a winter stored rolled in a shed. Drain the tube and avoid a hard crease. A note that some porous hose can stay outside is not a warranty for these five.

Related pages

Best soaker hose UK

Soaker hose

Soaker hose buying guide: length, pressure and parts

Soaker hose hosepipe ban: when mains use is allowed

Soaker hose vs drip irrigation: flat bed or a slope

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest for soaker hoses, hosepipe restrictions and garden watering. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines in the display file. The digest date is 21 October 2026. Re-check each ASIN before you buy.

  1. Water Industry Act 1991, sections 76 and 76A (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  2. Sentencing Act 2020, section 122 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  3. Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  4. Thames Water — hosepipe ban FAQs (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  5. Affinity Water — legal notice, July 2026 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  6. South East Water — Sussex hosepipe restriction FAQs (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  7. RHS — garden watering methods (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  8. Gardena UK — soaker hose 15 m (retrieved 21.10.2026)