I have used a regular soaker hose connected to a rain barrel with a 2ft drop. It works tolerably well, but as the pressure drops the amount of water coming out drops. With such a low head, the last couple of feet of water was left standing in the rain barrel. From a quick calculation of .43 psi/vertical foot, that means that at about 2 psi my system started to fail. I ended up poking holes in the soaker hose to increase flow rate and get the last bit of water our.
A better choice would be a pre-drilled irrigation line. These have holes that get larger as you get farther from the source, so they have the same flow rate the entire way. I think the emitter holes are spaced at 18 inches. The openings are larger than the pore spaces on my soaker hose, so the low pressure should be able to overcome the water's surface tension. Turn it on overnight and you should have a well watered garden by morning.
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