Lime scale

If last year you had problems with lime scale blocking up your greenhouse watering system, now is a good time to sort them. Hard water may eventually block up greenhouse sprinklers and seep hoses.  Even if you have a water-softener for the house, it may not be economic to soften the water used in the garden.  Buying new sprinklers and seep-hoses every other year is expensive and wasteful when they can easily be cleared.

Disconnect blocked seep-hoses and coil them neatly into the bottom of a large plastic bucket. The white plastic buckets with lids that garden products are often sold in are ideal.  Put any plastic sprinkler components into the middle; it’s best not to add any metal parts as they might corrode.  Following the manufacturer’s instructions, add de-scaler (lime scale remover) to just enough water to cover the hose in the bucket.  Always wear hand and eye protection when doing this, and never handle powder products in windy conditions or you may get an eyeful.  Snap on the lid tightly and put it out of reach of children and pets.  Somewhere warmer is ideal as the chemical reaction between the de-scaler and the lime scale runs faster.  When you need to re-install the watering system for the new season, pour the water away carefully where it won’t cause pollution and rinse all the parts with clean water.