Will soaker hose work in the following scenario?

I used a rain barrel attached to small drip irrigation system for tomatoes last year. When the barrel was full there was decent pressure to put water through all the small heads. When the water level dropped, the heads lost pressure and did not work well.

How about a dc powered pump hooked to a garden hose on the truck?

How far are you away from your water source? Would it be very difficult to run a line of pipe to the garden and install a spigot?

I just ordered a drip irrigation system for my 12 tomato plants. I grew tired of trying to keep them watered last year, and the sprinkler I used sprayed the plants and caused the tomatoes to rot. It wasted water too. I will put a timer on the system and water them twice a day over the course of hours. (I did that last year, but with the sprinkler.) I bought the drip system for a pressurized system. You can also buy a drip system for a non-pressurized gravity feed system.

I have tried the regular soaker hoses, but do not like them. They do not water evenly-especially on sloping ground. They water more on the downhill side. Good drip systems with the individual drip emitters have pressure compensators that allow them to water evenly at the same rate.

I've tried the round ones that are a bit stiff and my well pressure just isn't high enough to push a decent amount of water through the pores. They weep, but only on the high end of a pressure cycle. Once the pressure drops a little they practically stop weeping. Left on overnight the ground might soak just two inches in a dry July.
I use several inches of mulch, too so it isn't evaporating.
I've tried the flat ones that are bit pricey and only 20 feet long, but they developed holes so there would be a puddle in one spot and nothing elsewhere. With all the layers I don't see how you could patch one.
(The round ones willl devolope streamers, too, but a little good electrical tape can patch it)

Drip seems the way to go . With low pressure anyway.
I bought a starter kit ( hose and emitters ) last Fall - still in the box


I have just a little bit too much garden to do it by hand so I have to come up with something that works.



I have a rain barrel that is filled from a long barn gutter. With a 50 foot hose (5/8 ID, iirc) there was only enough pressure to empty the barrel when it was more than half full. The water wouldn't even flow through the hose with just the weight of half a barrel. Hose was on flat ground. Rain barrel is for blueberries only. It just isn't big enough for anything more.