With the UK facing hosepipe bans during warmer months to ensure water isn’t being wasted in homes during heatwaves, a gardener has shared a centuries-old method to keep plants hydrated
07:39 ET, 15 May 2025Updated 08:42 ET, 15 May 2025
Sit back, relax, and let this ancient watering technique take on the hard work (Image: Kathrin Ziegler via Getty Images)
With the arrival of warmer weather, so comes the familiar wilting gardens and the potential for state-sanctioned water restrictions. Furthermore, maintaining plants in the heat can be quite labor-intensive, especially if you have a large garden with plants that need frequent watering.
Fortunately, a viral video on TikTok shows one gardener’s age-old technique technique to keep plants hydrated without the daily effort, reports the Express UK. Avid gardener Syd Roope, who has over 5k followers on the social media platform, explained how to make and use ‘ollas’ — unglazed terracotta pots filled with water and buried in the soil.
The roots of this ancient horticultural practice are debated, but the term comes from the Spanish word for clay pot and is thought to have been used worldwide for over 2000 years.
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Syd talked her followers through making an olla in a separate video – explaining “We get a terracotta pot, you get the lid that normally goes on the bottom, you’re just gonna pull it over like a little hat”, then she attached the lid onto the top with food-grade silicone and allowed it to dry overnight.
Making an olla(Image: Screengrab – Syd Roope Tiktok, @sydneyxmastree)
Syd explained: “I bury it under the surface and fill it with water using this little hole [on top].” She continued that the pots then “leach out water when the soil gets really dry”.
This method shields the water from the sun, minimizing evaporation and enabling it to seep into the soil around the roots, where it’s most needed.
Ollas have been used worldwide for over 2000 years (Image: Screengrab – Syd Roope Tiktok, @sydneyxmastree)
As water gradually seeps through the clay pot, it ensures a slow, steady release of moisture into the soil. Once the soil is fully saturated, this same process prevents overwatering.
Over time, the nearby plant roots will grow around the olla, drawing water as required. This method proves especially beneficial for plants with fibrous root systems like tomatoes or zucchinis, as well as perennials.
Using ollas is beneficial in many ways – they are time saving, good for the plants and can result in up to 70% water savings for your garden.