Goodbye, Traditional Garden Hose Nozzles: The Harbor Freight Alternative With Better Control

Everyone knows how important it is to water your flowers and plants on a regular basis, but not too many people are talking about what it takes to actually do that. If you have a traditional garden hose nozzle, you've probably experienced tired or even sore hands from having to squeeze the pressure control handle the entire time you're watering — not to mention getting just the right amount of pressure for each of the various plants, which of course all have different needs. If you're looking for an alternative with better control, you might want to consider the Niagara Multipattern Watering Wand at Harbor Freight.

A watering wand attachment for your garden hose is one of the best tools for watering your plants, and this one in particular stands out to us for its ease of control and versatility. For starters, there's no more constant squeezing of the handle. You simply adjust the water pressure with a thumb control lever. There are eight different spray options to choose from, so you can find just the right application for each type of flower and plant in your garden. No more aggressive watering your newly planted delicates or sloshing the fresh layer of mulch across the flowerbed. 

The wand itself is 15 inches long, which helps you to reach those hanging baskets and, as one reviewer noted, keeps you from getting wet from the water spray. For less than $12, we think it's definitely worth a try.

One mistake to avoid when watering your garden is choosing the wrong spray pattern. With the Niagara Multipattern Watering Wand's eight different options, it's helpful to know what each one is intended for. The shower setting is by far the most popular spray pattern among the customer reviews and, in general, is going to be your most versatile choice. Customers love the balance of volume and pressure it offers, especially when it comes to watering the most plants at one time. It has a wide spray that is gentle enough for most flowers, even at close range.

The full spray pattern is a step up from the shower setting. You want to use this on sturdier plants or if you're trying to reach them from farther away. The stream pattern is very similar. In fact, one reviewer notes that they don't notice a difference between the two. Opt for the flat pattern to cover a wide space with a more focused stream on things like border perennials. Likewise, the vertical setting will emit the same pattern, just in a vertical stream instead of horizontal. The mist setting is exactly as it sounds — a very light, gentle spray that's great for humidity-craving plants, like spider plants and ferns.

Using the cone pattern is one of the most genius tips for watering your plants in a circular garden. Instead of requiring you to manually spray around the circle, the cone setting provides a circular spray that allows you to hold the nozzle still while covering all the plants. Use the center pattern when watering extra-dry soil, especially when you're first creating a new garden space.