Garden Watering

Ok, here is what I am going to try this year.  Ollas.  Yes that is right.  I am going to go back in time and use an old method of watering plants.  Here is a link to  a website describing them.

I am intrigued by this idea of burying clay containers to provide water for plants.  It makes so much sense.  These days with all of our technology, we sometimes forget that the olds ways can work just as well or better than some new fangled gadgets.  I like how this is very low tech and easy to maintain as well.  Put them in the ground come spring and take them out in the fall.  Fill with water inbetween.  What could be simpler?

Purchasing ready made ollas is an option, but if you are like me and on a budget, spending up to $30 per olla isn't feesible.  At least not for the amount of them I will need. So I will make mine out of clay pots instead.  Here are some very easy instructions to make your own out of two clay pots, a 2 x 2 tile and glue.  This looks like a fun, inexpensive and easy project that won't take a lot of time to do.  I know I should have saved this fr

The great thing about making your own ollas, is that you can make them as large or as small as you want since clay pots come in dozens of sizes from teeny tiny to extremely large.   You can put them directly in the ground or in containers.  Just be careful not to put them next to a plant with an aggressive root system as it could break the olla.    I will start off with making them for my veggie garden and some hanging baskets and a wheelbarrow I plant with annuals each year.  I am even going to make a couple small ones for my window boxes!  I am thinking these ollas will save me time, water and money.

I will be keeping a note book through out the gardening season on how often I have to fill each olla. I will take photos of the vegetables and flowers and post their progress here on the blog once summer gets here.  I am thinking this is going to be an incredibly easy way to water my garden and save water in the process. Just fill each olla up and go.   I will also give a comparions of my water usage from last year and from this year.  If my experiement turns out as well as I predict it will, then this will open up a way to have a cottage garden while conserving water.

If you try this, just be sure to put a rock over the hole on the top pot to keep out mosquitos, bugs, dirt and rodents.  And remember these will probably have to be dug up and stored before winter, but that is not a big deal.  As you are cleaning out your garden each fall, just dig the ollas up and stack them in a shed or garage. 

If you want to try it as well, please feel free to keep me posted on your progress as well.