What is an Indoor Watering Hose?

Whether in a home or greenhouse, an indoor watering hose is an easy way to water a lot of plants without carrying cans of water back and forth from a faucet. Some types of indoor watering hoses attach to a tap and come equipped with an adjustable nozzle. Other indoor watering hoses are attached to a reservoir and are part of a drip irrigation system, used either for watering directly to roots or for vacation watering.

In a house, an indoor watering hose might be a useful timesaver for people who keep a large number of plants, plants in large containers that require a lot of water and can’t be easily moved, or plants that won’t fit under a faucet. Most indoor watering hoses for houseplants attach directly to the faucet and are stored in coils or on a reel under the sink.

With diameters around 1/4 inch (.6 cm), an indoor watering hose is thinner than a garden hose, and it can be anywhere from 40 to 80 feet (12 to 24 meters) long. These hoses usually have a wand at the end where the water can be turned on or off with a button or lever, and often the wand has an adjustable nozzle which allows the user to mist, spray, or deliver water in a stream. The wand also allows the user to reach hanging plants in high places.

Another type of indoor watering hose can be part of an indoor or greenhouse drip system. These drip systems sometimes work by gravity, with water in a reservoir placed on a shelf above the plants, while other types pump water with an electric or battery-powered machine. One end of the hose is attached to the reservoir and the other end is usually attached to a separator with smaller hoses. The smaller hoses have slits or drip emitters and are placed on or just under the soil surface so water can be delivered directly to roots.

An indoor watering hose on a drip irrigation system not only makes indoor and greenhouse plant watering easier and more efficient, it can be a useful device for vacation watering or for people who often forget to water their plants. A simple drip system might just have a very slow release of water so it can be left for several weeks, while more complicated and expensive types work with a timer and turn water on and off throughout the day.