Repair or Repurpose Leaky Hoses

Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on WHAV.

Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on WHAV.

Don’t throw away that leaky garden hose. Repair or find another use for this garden accessory before adding it to the landfill.

Leaks or cracks can be fixed by wrapping vinyl tape around the clean dry outside surface. Leaky couplings can usually be replaced with parts found at your local hardware store. If a crack is too large to tape, it too can be repaired by splicing and adding connectors to that area of the hose.

Or put that leaky hose to work for other tasks in the landscape. Use it as a topper for chicken wire and hardware cloth fencing and wildlife barriers.  Cut the hose the length of the fence top to be covered.  Slice lengthwise through one side of the hose section.  Slide the hose over the top of the fencing to cover wire ends that can scratch you and rip your clothing

Or cut it into equal strips and weave it into a foot mat.

A bit more information: Cut hoses into 4 inch sections and use as earwig traps. The earwigs crawl inside the cool dark damp hoses. Collect them in the morning and dump in a can of soapy water.

For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com.