Ollas

Consistent watering is needed for a healthy garden. Setting up an irrigation system can be time-consuming and expensive, but it is worth it. I hope to set up a self-sustaining drip irrigation system this summer; it is one of my pet projects.

If you have a small garden and don’t want to invest in an irrigation system, there are other ways to provide consistent watering to your plants. One solution I found for tomatoes involves using a 5-gallon bucket as a self-watering system for tomatoes. (Source)

It looks interesting, and people said they got good yields using this method. However, when I found this information, my garden was set up. I did not think this method would work well with my “Square Foot Garden” layout. I was also not thrilled about using a plastic bucket because of the potential for leaching out chemicals. (I know I use a plastic bucket to water the plants but the water does not sit in the sun for a long time. )

Then I read about something called an olla. 

Ollas (pronounced “oy-yahs”) are unglazed clay/terra-cotta pots with a bottle or tapered shape buried in the ground with the top/neck exposed above the soil surface and filled with water for sub-surface irrigation of plants.  This irrigation technology is an ancient method, thought to have originated in Northern Africa with evidence of use in China for over 4000 years and still practiced today in several countries, notably India, Iran, and Brazil. (Source)

Ollas are available for purchase on Amazon, but I was looking for a less expensive solution. (Plus, I would have to dig a deep hole to accommodate the ollas I saw).

Then I found instructions on how to make an olla using two terra cotta pots and silicone gel. (Source) 

It did not look too difficult or expensive, so I decided to try it. There were many different tutorials I found. I decided to use terra cotta pots with silicone gel to seal them. 

To make one olla

1. I  used two six-inch terra cotta pots. 
2. I sealed the hole on the bottom of one of the pots using silicone gel and a large rock and let it dry.
3. I  then sealed the two pots together using the same silicone gel. I wore gloves because it made cleanup easier. Using a gloved finger, I worked the silicone gel into the crack, forming a good seal.
4. I let that dry for around 24 hours.
5. I filled the homemade olla with water and watched for leaks. (Mine did not have any).

In the garden, I did not dig a deep hole to put the olla in the ground. So my olla was not in the ground as deep as I wanted, which would make it less efficient. But the way I saw it, it was better than doing nothing.

I did not rely on the ollas for all the watering needs of my tomato plants. I still watered my tomato plants if they looked like they needed it. I only had two ollas and I had six tomato plants. Only a few plants had contact with the ollas because I added them after my plants were already in the ground. 

Overall, I was pleased with the results. The ollas provided consistent watering of my tomato plants. 

I have not used my ollas recently; and will set up a drip irrigation system this summer. However, I still have a few ollas, and I might place them in my Vegobed raised beds. I have two beds that are not filled with dirt yet. I would not have to dig a deep hole, I could fill in dirt around them.

Do you use a self-watering system in your garden?