There are a few things you should know before buying a garden hose to ensure that it will fulfill all your needs and last for as long as you need it to. The most important consideration is the material, as one that’s made out of something flimsy could get busted and need to be replaced. Further, no matter what it’s made out of, you also need to care for it correctly. This handy garden essential needs to be left out of freezing temperatures and properly hung to avoid any cracks or punctures. However, even if you fail to properly care for your hose, it doesn’t have to go to waste. Instead of throwing it out, there are plenty of ways to repurpose it so you can still get more use out of it in the garden.
That old garden hose can be reused to stabilize your plants, edge your garden, or even to make some interesting outdoor art. You can actually get multiple uses for different projects out of a single hose by cutting it up into sections. However you choose to reuse it, it is clear that you definitely shouldn’t be throwing these items away. To give you some recycling ideas, we’ve listed 12 of the best gardening uses for a broken or old hose below.
1. Plant trellis
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Your garden hose can continue making sure that your plants grow healthy and strong even after it’s no longer good at holding water. Just transform it into a garden trellis that will support your plants, allowing them to grow tall and sturdy. You can make a wooden frame or use an old screen window frame with the screen removed. Cut your garden hose up so that the pieces fit inside your frame, then run wire through each piece of hose and wrap it around the sides of your frame. Use this method to create several rungs so that your plants can climb up it.
2. Large basket
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Don’t bother buying a storage basket that can withstand harsh weather. Instead, save money and make one out of your old garden hose. This project requires both a hose and zip-ties, which you can get at Dollar Tree. Create a spiral for the base of your basket, using zip ties to connect it together every few inches so that it keeps its shape. Start winding your hose upwards until you reach the top. You could also save some length at the top of your basket to create a handle. Use it to store all your most essential gardening tools, bags of dirt, or a hose that works.
3. Decorative wreath
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An old garden hose can also be fashioned into some beautiful outdoor decor. Wrap it into a circular shape, making it as small or as large as you’d like. Intertwine your hose within itself to help it keep its shape, and use the end of your hose to tie a bow at the top. Poke faux floral pieces or other items through your hose wreath to decorate it and secure them with a hot glue gun or superglue. Hang this on an outdoor garden trellis to spruce up the space.
4. Outdoor mat
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Have you been shopping for a durable outdoor rug or mat? Instead of buying one, DIY a piece out of your old garden hose and your leftover zip ties. Take the nozzle end of your hose and make it the center of your mat, then wrap your hose around the nozzle and connect it together with zip ties. Continue wrapping your hose around itself and using zip ties to secure each new row until you run out of hose or your rug reaches your desired size.
5. Outdoor chair
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This DIY allows you to save two outdated items from ending up in the landfill. If you have an old outdoor chair with broken slats, you can make it usable again by weaving a hose through it. Just weave your hose around and through the frame of your chair until it’s strong enough for you to sit on, then secure it with zip ties or glue. The weaving doesn’t have to be as intricate as it is in the photo above, just thick enough so that one can safely sit on it and be fully supported.
6. Plant support
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Do you have some baby trees that are leaning to one side and need support to grow tall in your garden? You can use pieces of an old garden hose for stability. Just cut off a small piece of your garden hose, run a rope through it, and wrap it around the plant and a post or a thick tree to help it lean in a certain direction. This is a better option than simply tying up your tree with a rope because the rope could cut into the stem and damage it.
7. Tool cover
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Old pieces of hose can be turned into fantastic safety features in your shed or toolbox, as they can be used to cover the blades of sharp garden tools. Just cut a piece of hose to fit the length of your blade, then slice it longways down the middle and place the blade inside the slit to prevent yourself from getting cut. This can be used for your axe, saws, garden shears, and just about anything else with sharp edges.
8. Watering can extension
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Do you wish that your watering can could reach just a little bit further? Well, it can with a piece of an old garden hose. First, cut your hose to the proper length, then pull the end of your cut hose piece over the end of your watering can. The extra length will allow your watering can to reach those pesky plants in the back of your garden without having to step over other greenery.
9. Bucket handle
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If your heavy bucket is missing a handle cover, the metal material could be really uncomfortable, making it hard for you to carry it. Thankfully, an old garden hose can help with that. Just chop off a small piece of your hose to the size of the handle, then slice the piece down the middle longways. Place the metal bucket handle through the slit and let the hose cushion your hand the next time you need to carry it.
10. Garden edging
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Don’t want to drop a ton of cash on garden edging? You can make your own with some garden hose. All you need is something to use as pegs — some sturdy sticks from the yard could work for this. Then, weave your hose in and out of the pegs. Make several rows that rotate between an underweave and an overweave. Use some zip ties to secure the hose rows in place where necessary.
11. Drip irrigation system
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If your hose already has a hole in it, puncture it in more places to turn it into a drip irrigation system. To complete this project, run the hose next to the base of your plants, punch holes at each plant, and connect it to your water supply. The water will slowly get pushed through the hose and trickle out onto each plant, making it easy to water your garden. You also need to include an end cap at the end so the water doesn’t all run out.
12. Garden art
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Old garden hoses can be used in a variety of ways to create cool garden art. This example uses a hose and old plates to make a beautiful floral display. Use your garden hose to create the shape of a stem and screw it into a wall or piece of wood. You can also bend the stems in a couple places to create the look of leaves. Next, use different kinds of colorful plates and bowls glued to one another as your flower heads on top of the hose stems, which can be glued in place with a heavy-duty adhesive.
