Hello, I have been looking on the web for possible ideas for my garden this upcoming spring and I came across these particular forms of drip irrigation. My question is due primarily to the difficulty in obtaining these particular components where I am currently residing and partially mula. I was curious to know whether it is possible to build your own soaker hose or drip line with rubber tubing/hosing and a fine needle. I have seen demonstratiosn of the soaker hose and the drip line and can’t imagine why this shouldn’t be possible. But, before I begin poking holes into rubber tubing, I figure I ask if anybody out there has already experimented with this method (tubing and needle). Or, maybe there are other methods that include more common trinkets that work just as well for drip irrigation. And if it is important, this will be a straight bed garden with regular and irregular spacing depending on the plant.

Thanks for the help.

Some background info 1st. I’ve bought most of the supplies for an upcoming organic garden late this spring. A soaker hose seemed like a good idea since I read that they insure less water is wasted (up to 70% less) and they simplify watering since you only have to turn on the hose for a while and everything gets watered (with hose/s set in place around plants).

Well, now to my dilemma. I indeed bought a "Garden Shop" 50ft soaker hose. Front label says it saves up to 70% water and is made from 65% recycled rubber (tires I’d imagine) Only when I got home and read the underside of the label (which can’t be clearly read while in store display) did I notice it says, quote un quote:

"This hose contains chemicals, including lead, known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Do not drink water from this hose. Wash hands after use."

Sounds scary to me. Ok, I looked around on this (web) and a couple people say most plants don’t take up lead well, etc… but I’d rather side on caution instead of contaminating my soil and hoping for the best.

Via web search (google), I haven’t been able to find a good non-toxic "soaker" hose. Perhaps they aren’t made or maybe they’re just buried too far in the google search engine for me to find them? Where can I get a lead-free and non chemical leaching garden soaker hose?

Found out that common regular hoses are lead contaminated also and that there are special "drink-safe" rubber hoses available. So I may consider trying to make my own non-toxin leaching soaker hose by poking holes in one of these "drink-safe" hoses. You can read some about this at -> http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/organic/msg061240517127.html

Ideally though I’d rather buy a non-toxin leaching soaker hose premade.

I have a small creek bed that Im work’g on to run dowhill also deepen & widen’d. The rain water runs off of my neighbor’s property & onto mine, & floods our road to where my neighbors cant get out. So I have to do something.
My 3 ideas all include a retain’g pond, a re~circulation system w/ a pump, pvc, a spout & river rock. Only 2 of them would use a drip system.
My neighbor bought the expensive black hoses w/ the holes in them for her drip system & they’re alreay dry~rot’g from the heat here (100 ~ 130). Granted it doesnt rain here in Arizona, but yet they r dry~rotting.
So which would b better to use~ Garden Hoses ~the real heavy stuff or the 1 Black Hose that’s really tiny w/ a bubbler on the end (dont forget the dirt here isnt Ur every day stuff. It gets heavy & hardens to cement type substance. I already broke a shovel here), or the other Black Hose that’s thick & full of holes?