The last two years southern Wisconsin has experienced increasingly hot and dry summers, with much of our rainfall occurring in a handful of large storms over the entire growing season. Two years of very low water and drying high temperatures causes widespread tree stress that can be measured on a spectrum all over the Dane County area. While the 2025 growing season has yet to shake out, there are important lessons to take from two seasons of extremely dry and consequently harsh growing conditions. Most importantly: we need to water our trees. Watering success means watering should be AS EASY AS POSSIBLE so our trees can get the moisture they need to survive and thrive. But what do you do if your hose spigot is located in an awkward place for watering and you can’t reach everything? If you can’t get the water to your trees, that’s a problem you need to fix or you could lose them to stress. The good news is you can absolutely fix this issue without spending too much money or calling a plumber to install a new conveniently-placed spigot.
First You’ll Need a “Splitter”:
A “Splitter” is simply an attachment to your house spigot that redirects the single spigot into two separate spigots equipped with their own super-convenient on/off switches. Splitters make it possible to direct the water in two directions, or anywhere you need it to go. You can even run both spigots and hoses at the same time, with a bit of reduced water pressure. A simple google search will show all sorts of options ranging in price from $10-$50, and you don’t need anything fancy. In most cases, a splitter and an extra hose is all you really need to make this issue easier, but let’s discuss more.
How You Pull it Off:
The hose is important. Nobody wants to deal with a long, heavy hose that constantly kinks. Hoses have come a long way and many are now lightweight, durable, and (somewhat) anti-kinking. When shopping for a hose, prioritize lightweight material and durability. Most lightweight hoses on the market are a good choice that will last multiple growing seasons with the exception of some of the cheaper expandable types because of their tendency to be overly fragile and leak. Read reviews and get what looks good to you.
Additionally, you’ll need to consider what length suits your needs. The most common options are the 50’ or 100’ lengths. If you have a big yard, consider getting at least a 100’ hose to reach everything. If your hose has to travel quite a distance away you might consider reusing your old, heavier hose by serving as a static line that gets the hose to the other side of your house or garage. Your lightweight hose can be attached to the end of the older one which will be the “working end” or the part of the hose you’ll actively move around to water. Using the old hose is a good solution if your hose has to pass underneath a porch or deck to get it where you need it.
Next, establish a new, more convenient place to mount a hose hanger or store a spool for your hose to hang on when it’s not in use. Generally, the transition point between the heavier, old hose to the newer lightweight hose is a good place to have a hose hanger of some kind. The two main options are a wall-mounted type or a free-standing spool if you don’t have a wall closeby. Whether you’re using an old heavy hose or an upgraded newer one, the idea is the same: your goal is to get the hose to a hanger where it can be rolled up out of the way with enough length to easily reach the desired watering location. The remaining part of the lightweight hose should be able to easily reach everything you need it to, this is the goal.
Once you have one hose set up on the first splitter, you can attach another to use on the opposite side of your property. You can then attach a hose sprayer to each end for hand-watering, or you can rotate between a hand sprayer, sprinkler attachment or soaker hose as needed. Having 2 of each type per hose is extra convenient, especially if one is for the front yard and the other is for the backyard; the easier the better.
Having your hose be a manageable weight, length and proximity to your plants will change the way you feel about the watering process, and will definitely make watering more comfortable, convenient and enjoyable. The best thing about this method is that you only have to put it all in place each spring, and then it’s ready to go for the whole growing season.
Happy Watering!