All About Clay Pot Irrigation + DIY Olla! And FAQs!

Introducing Clay Pot Irrigation, a wonderful solution for efficient and water-conscious gardening.

What is Clay Pot Irrigation?
Clay pot irrigation is a time-tested technique (over 2000 years old!) that harnesses the power of simple, porous clay pots to deliver water directly to the plant roots. This ancient method ensures efficient water distribution, minimizing wastage and giving plant roots exactly how much water they need.

How does it work?
Fill a clay pot with water, bury it in the soil near your plants, and let the principles of gravity and osmosis take over. The porous clay walls of the pot gradually release water, using soil moisture tension as a guide, ensuring a slow and steady supply directly where it's needed most - at the roots.

Benefits of Clay Pot Irrigation:
1. Water conservation: The controlled release of water from clay pots means less water is required, reducing consumption and saving both money and resources.
2. Plant health and growth: By delivering water directly to the roots, clay pot irrigation promotes healthier plants with stronger root systems. This allows for better nutrient absorption and overall plant vitality.
3. Weed prevention: Unlike traditional watering methods, clay pot irrigation significantly reduces water exposure on the soil's surface. This minimizes weed growth!
4. Time-saving: Set up your clay pot irrigation system and let it do all the work for you. of course you will need to refill the pots when they are empty...or you can set up your drip irrigation to refill your Olla whenever it runs.
Here is the link to the original (very popular) video from Tanya Anderson of @Lovelygreens (Thank you, Tanya, for introducing me to the wonderful world of Ollas!)

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
02:30 How to make a DIY Olla
06:40 How often do Ollas need refilling
08:10 How deep should Ollas be buried
08:56 Can you add fertilizer to the water in the Olla
09:30 Will Ollas over-water my plants
10:57 What plants benefit most from Ollas
12:05 How close to the plant should you place your Olla
12:45 How close to the Olla can you plant seeds
13:18 Can I use any unglazed pot as an Olla
14:28 Should you bring your Olla inside in winter
15:28 My AWESOME online find!

[kellywalton]

I too am in 9b, Sacramento and no matter how hard I try, I cannot get in front of the watering in our scorching heat. I just learned about Olla’s and am now obsessed about learning everything I can about the Olla system and making or buying Olla’s for my gardens.

[hankb]

I like your idea of plugging the drain hole and then burying the pot and just covering the wide easier to refill. Thanks.

[stephaniecrothers]

Thank you for the video. Very clear and great examples of how watering depends on the plant.

[boysrus]

Just bought my first spikes so of course gotta run to the YT University system to find out how to use them. Thank you for the video.

[LoveMusic-pdiz]

FYI to stick to pots together you can also use aquarium sealant.

[MotosAllotmentGarden]

Made some like yours about four years ago and they work great, 😊

[alfonsobenitez]

I used bottle wine cork and it works good.

[michelleinthemeadow]

Great tips. Thank you for sharing all of the FAQs. With this extreme heat, it's time to really think about other methods. Very interesting on the clay pot thickness - I'll stick with more smaller pots.

[beesandseeds]

I’ve never heard of this is fascinating. Thank you for sharing.

[geralynhunt]

I cut a plastic cup 1 inch high, put marbles in the bottom to hold it down and plug the hole. I love the Ollas. May have to fill them daily, but no more splashing water and my plants are happier.

[deserthorses]

Very informative video! New subbie here! I'm in Southern CA, near Palm Springs, so I'm going to be making ollas this weekend as it has ALREADY been 100 degrees here!

[hieronymusmeilink]

Excellent information, much more detailed than other videos on this subject 😊

[LoveMusic-pdiz]

So glad to find this and learn about using plumber's putty to plug the hole. I don't have corks and other moldable materials are so expensive!

[lawrencejohnson]

Very interesting! Thank you for sharing!!👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[susancowan]

Thank you for the great video demonstrating how to make and use different types of Ollas. I garden in a very humid zone 6A and I am redesigning my garden this year (5th year) as I need to get around the low flooding areas of our 1.75-acre property, plus I am hoping to expand my garden area this year. I will still have to pot all of my trees as we are still looking for property to purchase and establish our homestead, plus our rent went up by $275 this year which is ridiculous. I am subscribing to look through your channel to see what else I might be able to glean from your experience. May God always Bless you with good health, safety, and prosperity in all you do.

[JMcKey]

This is a really lovely video. Thank you.

[Pankaj-Verma-]

Video was really informative, thanks for sharing.

[sharondawilliams]

I enjoyed your video. You have the best warm smile. I’ve been doing so much research about Ollas and this tutorial showed me the simplest no hassle way to make mine. Thank you for sharing.

[danielanedelcu]

La ringrazio per il video! Le racconto come irrigo ache io con i vasi: interro il vaso fino al livello del suolo e lo riempio con rami secchi senza copriro con coperchi. In questo modo anche i piccoli animali possono bere senza annegare e poi, quando piove i vasi si riempiono di acqua piovana. Se non piove si riempiono mentre irrigo con la canna. Se ho bisogno di un terreno molto umido ricopro la terra con dei pezzi di tessuto di cotone che faccio entrare anche nei vasi, poi copro il tessuto con la pacciamatura.

[maryjomorrison]

Can I use an olla in my house plant mature (about 10 years old) pothos? If not, which self-watering method should I consider using, or none at all? Currently, I take the pothos, put it in my tub and water it that way. I would like to just fill it where it sits without having to lift it and carry it to my tub and then water it and wait a day or two for the water to drain away. I need a better system especially due to the fact that I am right-handed and have a disability with 4 disks out in my neck and back and find it difficult to lift even the lightest of things. I have to watch the weight, or I can be in pain for days. Thank you for your very informative vid and FAQ. I love it when I come across someone like you that pays attention to detail and considers every angle of a topic or lesson. You go into great detail which is very useful for novice/beginners like me. Thank you!