If you struggle to keep your garden alive because you forget to water your plants, this hack may be the answer to your prayers.
Pend Oreille Innovation Center (@poic.us), or POIC, shared on TikTok an ancient self-watering system, olla, that can be replicated at home with just a few flowerpots and some Gorilla Glue.
@poic.us Ollas are a traditional method of watering plants that have been used for centuries. These unglazed terracotta pots are buried in the soil with their necks exposed above the ground. The ollas are then filled with water, which slowly seeps through the porous clay and into the surrounding soil, providing a steady supply of moisture to the roots of nearby plants. This traditional irrigation method releases water slowly and directly into the soil, minimizing evaporation and runoff compared to standard irrigation techniques. They’ll also save you time and effort in your garden, as they help reduce the frequency of watering and the risk of overwatering! Check out this great tutorial from our Greenhouse Team on how to make ollas simply and inexpensively at home. Over the course of the next couple months, we will implement a variety of irrigation and gardening techniques like this that YOU can use at home to make your garden more energy and cost efficient! Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you can stay up to date with everything we are doing at the POIC Datacenter Greenhouse for sustainability nurtured by INSP. If you have questions, you can contact us by heading to the link in our bio and donate at weareinsp.org/donate-now to help bring food security to rural communities! #greenhousegrowing #greenhousegoals #greenhousegrown #greenhousegardening #POIC #weareinsp #healthysoil #gardeninspiration #newportwa #northerngardening #agricultureeducation #localfood #localproduce #washington #grownindirt #growninsoil #gid #gis #seedlinggreenhouse #healthysoil #easternwashington #foodsecurityisfreedom #foodsecurityforall #homesteadlife #homesteadliving #greenhousetips #greenhousefarming #howtogarden #organicgardening #organicgardeningmethods ♬ original sound – Pend Oreille Innovation Center
The scoop
The “olla” irrigation system, which translates to “pot” in Spanish, essentially uses a pot made out of a porous material, such as terracotta, to hold water in its base and gradually allow water to seep into the surrounding soil. The water will seep out from all directions of the pot, creating a ring of irrigation for the surrounding plants.
The olla’s watering reach depends on the size of the pot. However, gardeners like to follow the 1-quart, 1-foot diameter rule, which means that a 1-quart pot can provide irrigation to plants in its 1-foot diameter.
With the olla at the center of the irrigation circle, plants within the half-diameter space, or its radius, will enjoy the trickle watering from the olla pot.
Per a soil conversion chart from Lukas Nursery, a 4-inch pot roughly translates to 0.5 quarts of soil, which measures to about a half-foot diameter (or six inches) water reach. To make the most of the olla system, plant plants within three inches (or the radius) of the pot.
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Most olla watering pots resemble vases, featuring a wider base and a narrow neck, and come with a tiny lid, allowing the pot to hold water while reducing quick evaporation from the top.
You can easily make your own at home with some flowerpots, Gorilla Glue, and a plant saucer. Adjust the pot sizes accordingly to cover your garden space.
Per POIC’s TikTok tutorial, take two six-inch, unglazed terracotta pots and face the ends outwards to create a main reservoir. Before you glue the pots’ lips together with gorilla glue, stuff the hole at the bottom of the pot to seal the reservoir. They used a wine cork, wetting it with some water before adding gorilla glue and stuffing the hole. Water activates the Gorilla Glue.
Moving on to the pots, slightly wet the rim of the pots with water before lining them with gorilla glue, and bring the pots together. Stand the reservoir upright, soak the top, and add some glue, then place a slightly smaller unglazed pot (4-inch) upright to create a water fill space.
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How it’s helping
This self-watering system dates back over 4,000 years, found in use in parts of North Africa and China, according to Family Handyman, where the technique then spread to other parts of the world.
This method is tried and true, and keeps your plants happy even if you forget to water them. But this irrigation technique is particularly helpful in super dry climates, where the soil has hardened and cannot absorb water from the top, as well as in climates where water is scarce.
This olla watering system can save up to 70% of your garden water, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, making more efficient use of available water either through precipitation or daily watering.
Growing your own food and gardening doesn’t have to be so time-consuming or expensive, especially with an olla irrigation system. Successful grows encourage gardeners to keep at this hobby.
Studies have found that gardeners tend to have a healthier diet and improved mental health compared to non-gardeners.
Keeping a garden also provides safe environments for pollinators, who support the local ecosystem and protect our food supply.
What everyone’s saying
Commenters were intrigued by this self-watering hack.
“Great idea! Thank you,” one commenter said.
“Olla pots… so pot pots,” another user joked.
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