Easy Gardening: Watering With Ollas
An old-fashioned watering method has become 'cool' again. Ollas are clay pots that slowly release water to plants, making them a great, easy gardening idea.
Ollas (oy-yahs)Â are unglazed, clay containers, periodically filled with water that are buried next to plants in the ground. Â When filled with water, the water slowly seeps into the surrounding soil, irrigating plants slowly. Â The roots of plants grow toward the clay pot due to the readily available source of water.
So why should you use ollas instead of a watering can or hose? Â There are a number of reasons why you might want to use an olla for irrigating plants – roots grow deeper, you don’t have to water as often and no water is lost to evaporation or runoff.
This old-fashioned watering method has been used throughout history, especially in areas where water is scarce.  Ollas are a great way to water containers and are equally at home in the vegetable or flower garden.
How to use ollas: Bury the olla in the soil so that the top 2 inches remain exposed. Â Add plants within 18″ of the olla and fill with water and cover with the removable lid. Â Depending on your climate and the time of year, you will need to add water every few days. Â Wait until the olla is empty and then fill again.
Watering deeply benefits all plants by encouraging deep root growth where the soil is cooler and stays moister longer. Â Ollas are a great way to water deeply and the soil at the surface stays dry, helping to keep weeds away. Â In addition, water is not lost to evaporation or runoff.
As gardeners learn of the benefits of using ollas for irrigating their plants – Â ollas are now being sold at a few nurseries and big box stores. Â You can also order them online (use the term “olla where to purchase” for a list of vendors).
If you are more the ‘DIY type’, you can make your own olla using two terra-cotta pots and a tube of silicone. Â Click here for directions.
I am always on the lookout for easy gardening ideas and ollas certainly fill that definition. Â How about you? Â Where would you use an olla in your garden?
Interested in other ways to deep water plants? Â Check out how to make your own drip-irrigation using a milk jug, here.