Olla irragation

[Anny]

Does any one on here use the Olla pots (clay unglazed pots) to help water their plants. I first read about them on the http://urbanhomestead.org/ website. They look very interesting. I just wonder if anyone has used them, do you like them.

I was thinking of using them for my tomatoes.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

They are so cool!

I've never used them personally but I did work in Sonora, Mexico on a community organizing project and some of the local community gardens used them there.

Essentially they are very god for dry climates, since the plant uses almost all of the water provided. No evaporation and no run off. I know that you have to bury them pretty close to your plants to be efficient and dig them up every year because the plants will grow a root ball around them. I suppose you could add fertilizers to the water also and fertilize that way. Pretty cool.

East Central Ministries in Albuquerque is a local non profit that uses and sells them.

Thanks for reminding me of them, I think I might order some!

I was just checking out their website, they have tons of useful info on there too.

 

[patandchickens]

I've never used them, but I've done the "bury a soda bottle up to its neck, with gravel at the bottom and some holes poked in the bottom, and water into there" next to tomatoes one year, and it worked pretty well. I'd think the olla pots would be even better

Pat

 

[Tomatoes&Things]

They are both a good idea, I have buried a coffee can with holes poked in it.

 

[calee]

There's a little information on them in Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier, but he calles it clay pot irrigation. When I looked for more info online, I found the urbanhomestead site.

I REALLY like the idea of them. It's the smart part about the pots wicking moisture into the soil based on the soil's dryness, so that they don't overwater. Soaker hoses and plastic bottles are good for keeping the moisture under the soil surface, but they don't do that!

Maybe I can use them to justify a potter's wheel?

 

[Anny]

funny thing is as soon as I learned about them I thought the same thing. I was like "how can I make these....hmm I'll need a pottery wheel! "

Has anyone found any other places that sell them other the just the urban home stead? I was looking some a place closer as to not pay so much shipping, but I might just buy from them since I think they are such wonderful people.