So, after I got carried away with my rain-fed, solar-powered garden irrigation idea it became clear: the soaker hoses just ain’t gonna cut it. Too much wasted water… like 65 gallons gone in 20 minutes and the hops at the end of the line were still thirsty. Plenty of water for the first few plants though.

The timer and float switch will both stay at the hardware store. I’ll still use the solar powered pump and will continue to enjoy not filling up the watering cans 10 times per watering session. I’ll use a sprinkle attachment at the end of a regular hose though. 

The true realizations are: I like walking around the garden and giving the plants the individual watering attention that they need. It’s the type of inefficiency that I relish.