G'day Everyone, I hope you are all growing well! Thirsty Earth's Olla Watering System as reviewed in the video is here: thethirstyearth.com/ #not sponsored. EDIT - You can now buy the Thirsty Earth watering system with a discount in Australia and New Zealand by going to yoururbanoasis.co.nz/collections/your-cotta-pot-watering-irrigation-system and using the code "SSM10" at checkout. Thanks for your support and have fun "getting into it!" Cheers :)
I'm trying an experiment ATM down the paddock by the creek were the soil is always wet. Dunno how it will go? It maybe to wet? I'd love to plant more seeds and plants but I'm not sure if the cows and kangaroos rabbits so will just eat it all. Oh btw I'm not to far from you near Nanango area.
Glue two cheap unpainted/unglazed flower pots (big box store/hobby lobby, etc.) together with construction adhesive and cap off one of the holes, this will be the bottom. Use the saucer as a cap for the other hole which will be on top. Cheap alternative to the custom made versions. I have a ton in my raised beds and they work great.
I'll try it with old, thin-walled hollow bricks. There are also tubular tiles for roof construction. The underside is closed with mortar, the top can be filled up. Such a brick costs about 20-30 cents. Let's see how it goes.
Hi Mark, over the last 5 years I have converted all my raised vege beds ( around 35 sq m) to home made Ollas as we are off grid , I believe in the mountains just to the west of your place. I slowly accumulated clay pots from a well known large hardware chain ( B) when on special at $1 each. Sealed the hole in one pot, attached the other using sealastic on the 2 rims to form a kind of diamond shape, painted the top/base of one (not plugged) to prevent evaporation and have 4-5 per sq m. They each hold just under 4L .Placed a stone or bit of tile over the fill hole to discourage critters. Filling them every 5-7 days is the water access equivalent to 2.5 cm rain fall. If it rains can go 2-3 weeks without filing. I have literally over a hundred in and never surface water unless to soak in amendments. I now plant in circles or spirals around each olla, looks cute. 5 years experience and I can safely say large vege beds can be done off grid and the plants absolutely thrive. Occaisionally one will have the sealastic fail, 5 minutes to pull out , wipe clean and reseal for another 4-5 years use. Research shows around 95% of the water in ollas is available to the roots compared to around 10% for surface watering. For anyone wanting to make their own very economically there is a great video on YT in the channel "Under the Choko Tree".
I've got a few I've made myself from unsealed terracotta pots. Two pots together, sealed with water tank silicone, and a rubber grommet for the top and bottom holes. I seal the bottom hole and leave the top one unsealed so I can just pop out the rubber grommet to refill. They've worked pretty well; key is to have them covered with mulch so they don't heat up and evaporate faster. Very cheap, couple of dollars worth of terracotta (honestly the grommets were more expensive but you can get a multipack) and a couple of days of patience to let the silicone dry.
I've done the same thing myself with unglazed pots. I used concrete to seal the holes. Filling them was a pain, but after seeing the video, I'm going to use drip irrigation tubing or something similar and hook them all up to a bucket. It will make using them much easier. I like to do diy, so it will be right up my alley.
I've done the same and set it up with an auto timer and tubing to the hose, for automatic top up. The trick is to not seal the tubing to the olla, or you'll end up blowing some up like I did!
When I was growing up Dad used a 5 gallon bucket with holes punched in the bottom and sides to water our tomato plants. He would fill the bucket with cow manure (yes we had cattle) And water and feed the tomato plants at the same time. We always had so many tomatos we gave them to anyone in our church that wanted them.
I've done something similar with 4" plastic pots. I can spray heavy into the pot, and it will seep in slowly. Really helps combat poor soil that wants to go hydrophobic
My mum is chilean so she speaks spanish, "el potto" made her crack up as "potto" can be slang for someone's bottom 😅 love your humour and all your advice ❤ we've grown so much with your help and amazing tips! Love to you and your family for your sincereity and generosity. Keep making such great videos!
Olla is an Egyptian water pot. These are low-fired unglazed clay pots that keeps water cool by sweating (since it's unglazed). The heat is let out, and you can have cool water in desert heat!
The Egyptian pronunciation is two syllables (go figure) starting with ol where the O is pronounced like in "Oh!" and la as you would normally pronounce it. Very similar to how Mark pronounced oyia at the end of the video but replace y sounds with L. No idea what it's called in China, but I would wager they don't call it olla.
I think something usefull and easygoing was found in several countries. In Germany they say its from Mexico. Therefore Oyas would be correct. Who cares as long as a good idea is spreading. ❤
Its not Egyptian. It’s a latin word and all the Spanish conquered people used them including Native Americans. Mark it’s pronounced oy-ya or even o-ya like tor-ti-lla. Ya ending.
I made my own with clay pots and I have found them most useful with tomatoes. They absolutely thrive on that steady source of water and there is not problem with wetting the leaves and getting any diseases or mildew.
G'day Mark. I'm glad you "lettuce" have a look at the system in your bed as having seen a glimpse of it in the previous video. I'm aware of the practice of using ceramic pots, but have not seen a connected system like this. Fascinating. Thanks and all the best. Daz.
I'm very happy that the "ancient method" is spreading. This is also what home plant growers have also tried to figure out in modern methods for summer trips. The terracotta just seems so much better than a plastic bottle for this. The difficult part of this has been that you kinda have to DIY your way around the regular terracotta pots for them to work like this, it's not convenient (the shape is not very practical) or very easy. In the future we're gonna need all the ways to preserve water and be efficient in gardening.
Honestly I give your videos a thumbs up at the beginning because I know it’s going to be entertaining and educational even though I’m in Missouri, right in the middle of the USA I always find them useful!
This also works very well for growing out fruit trees in pots in the nursery. I found that my trees grew faster and larger and were worth more than smaller trees at market. Profit increase about 15%.
Very interesting and coming from a retail perspective that's gold to increase profit and have a bigger healthier product for the customer to purchase. Nice one! Cheers :)
The terracotta plant spikes that can be purchased on Amazon or other sites, that you put a wine or soft drink bottle into as the water reservoir, work a treat in a smaller garden. They are quite cheap, and much cheaper than that Thirsty Earth system. They may not be so practical for a garden as big as your garden Mark, but good for a smaller garden or gardens with lots of pots. They kept my Western Australian garden alive over a boiling hot summer.
I was given long plastic cone shaped watering spikes that screw onto a soft drink bottle, I use them for individual bushes and new plants, got my natives through our southern California summer, so I can recommend those as well.
I’ve just ordered the terracotta ones on Amazon I think I’ll use them on my tomatoes in grow bags because I didn’t have much luck last summer in grow bags, lost too much water too quickly
I live in the desert. I used ollas in my first two 4x12 foot gardens (1.3x4 meters). They gave me confidence that I was watering my plants the right amount, and that let me focus on the other hazards that plague new gardeners. I had a blast and had a fun time with them. I've never been able to grow before, and this helped eliminate the hardest part for beginners like me. It's also twice as efficient as drip watering, which is good in drought areas. On a different note, Spanish pronunciation is pretty straightforward, but a little odd for us who speak English. Here's some big highlights. The "ll" is said like a "y", the "h" is always silent, "v" is said like a "b", "j" is said like an "h". "C" is said like "s" if it's followed by an "e" or "i", and "qu" said like "k" if it's followed by an "e" or "i". Unless there's an accent (') on a syllable, put the emphasis on the second to last syllable. Lastly, and most importantly, the vowels are always pronounced the following way. "A" is said like "ah" (like in "lawn"), "e" is said like "ey" (like in "hey"), "i" is said like "ee" (like in "leak"), "o" is said like "oh" (like in "spoke"), and "u" is said like "ooh" (like in "book"). Once you know these rules, you can pronounce most words in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, and Japanese (as written with English alphabet), with a few alterations to the rules.
Would love if you did a series on pest control. I've seen your previous videos on some of the stuff you do, but it would be really nice to see a multi-video series where you follow a few plants from seedling to harvest. Love your videos and keep up the good work !
Being in the uk this ain’t a problem at the moment but realistically this is a good tip for the future for alot of countries and folk. Cheers Mark. Your one of a good number of elite teachers which share their knowledge and kindness (in your case with a bit of cheekiness! Love it). Appreciated
I went to the website and for my 3'x8' raised beds the kit recommended was $109.95 US plus shipping. I have 6 beds so almost $700 for a watering system is a bit pricey for my tastes. I think I'm just going to stick with a nice relaxing evening of enjoying my garden and hand watering.
I prefer hand watering too, but I also use my ollas during the height of summer, so I'm also standing there with a hose filling up cheap, terra cotta pots (fixed to their bases). My beds are 4x8 with 3 10" pots per bed (12 pots at $10 a pot, 7 years ago). If it's not zone 8+ then you'll be digging them up every fall & putting them to bed so they don't break.
You could turn your own on a potters wheel. Make the top the same as a lid with hose nip. Buy a big roll of small hose. 325 gallon ibc tote for irrigation. Just a thought.
@@SodaCrackers-ej5le Good point! I'm zone 6A and we can/do get 2-4 feet of snow. I never thought about freezing, cracking and having to dig them up. I think the extra work does not outweigh the not having to water. Thanks!
After years of experimenting with irrigation techniques here in hot and arid, 9b Sacramento, California, I have resolved to using a method that does not waste water and does a deep watering condition to keep all my planters productive. I use 1/4 inch drip line with emitters every 6 inches buried about 4 inches in good compost and top soil mix then heavily mulched. I use the finger test to check for moisture regularly and run my drip lines 2 times a day in hot weather for 10 minutes each time about 8 hours apart, so 4am and noon. I have had no deaths and good success growing almost anything. Thanks for your fun videos, I love them all.
Live in the coastal area of Monterey County. While our temps aren't as hot as Sacto, we've got water issues here. So I'm doing to try this method & see if I can use less water than we do with our regular drip system.
I just bought some olla pots for my flower beds out front. We're in a severe drought here in Central Texas, so I was really lucky to see your recent video about this. The pots should be here soon. If they work well out front, I'll put them in the back butterfly gardens.
Houston area here. The 110° F heat here killed most organic veggies the raccoon skipped in May, so not many ollas needed now. Wondering how hot will the water get, the one in my hose comes out boiling at 7:00 pm.
Ollas are great for water-scarce areas. I'll give a simple pronunciation tip to follow: double L in Spanish is pronounced like a J or a Y. So in future say it like Oya and it will sound great ;) long-time subscriber, love the content!
I love using my homemade ones (made with clay pots and blu tac) to see how well my hand watering is going. If my olla is constantly empty than I’m not watering enough, if it’s always full than I’m watering too much and if it’s about half full than I’m watering the perfect amount.
That watering method is really, really old! Here in spain people use old clay pots for that purpose. They seal the bottom hole, bury the pot and fill it with water, and then place a lid on top of it. It works really great
So there are no holes at all? The water goes through the clay wall of the pot? What if the pot is glazed, would that affect the water seeping through it?
I purchased the Thirsty Earth system for my greenhouse beds. I have it connected to my outside faucet and it atomically fills the buckets. So far it has worked great. I enjoyed listening to you talk about your experience with them.
I've used this method of watering in a section of my garden. The water comes from a rainwater collection tank that feeds to 6 olla per raised bed that are linked together trough weaping hose. I connected 3 raised beds together to the tank. The olla's are just 2 clay lots glued together with one end covered up. Works great!
I’ve been very interested in setting up an olla (pronounced oya) watering system here in hot ole Texas. It’s widely used in the southwest. Right now we have our little raised bed garden containers on micro drip/sprinklers set on the lawn irrigation system. But with literally months of temps in triple digits in Fahrenheit, my vegetation is showing signs of heat stress.
Try shade cloth over hoops to create a micro climate. I started this way until my grape vines covered the trellis. This trellis covers the driveway and I garden under it.
@@gregsanderson2470 My raised bed garden consists of 6 very large round farm tubs, the kind that cattle grain snacks and molasses treats come in. Ave 25 in size and plenty big enough for everything from ginger, herbs, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, even good for rearing my banana pups. I have even used them for sweet potatoes. My husband drilled holes in them, and at an unused sunny side of my backyard, he built a raised deck with benches to hold the tubs and added drip system. Being off the ground I can avoid rabbits, however the occasional squirrels may invade it. Very handy space when you live in the suburbs.
Lovely demonstration! I use terracotta vases in my fabric raised beds. I agree their reach is not very far. I lifted the vase and found the networks of roots in the shape of the pot. It was wild but they need to be right on top of it. Probably depends on the size of the olla but then you start to lose growing space. I agree this is fantastic for smaller pots that dry out quickly Thank you for sharing!! 💕🌱
Thanks Mark. I've experimented with a similar system in a large pot with a tomatoe. Instead I used flexible tubing with the most tiniest holes punctured every say 40mm apart. I arranged it in a spiral configuration down the pot. Hooked up to a reservoir. Oh, I had another next to it that I hand watered. The tube watering tomatoe grow more quickly and more vibrant with better yeald. I'm disappointed with myself because I didn't record anything. I did give both an organic liquid fertilizer and gypsum. I cut the dosage of the tube feed by half as I thought it would block the holes. Which it did at the bottom ones. All in all a success I say. Maybe try a similar on in your beds. The thing you have to play with is the height of the reservoir. Higher more pressure, more water. ✌
I’ve had two largish Ollas for a couple of years - probably not enough for the are I grow vegetables in - and they work really well. However, I got cheesed off burying in our heavy clay soil each year so now one keeps my worm farm cool in summer. However, seeing this video I might invest in some more and start using them for their proper purpose again.
I’ve watched every episode ( some more than once ) of both your channels Mark and you never disappoint ! Excellent as always, best wishes to you and your family, from Britain 👍👍🇦🇺🇬🇧
My terra cotta watering spikes I use in my potted plants work so well that I started using them in my tiny garden too. They are great. I love this system that ties them all together with one big water source!
Our 2 new peonies were stressed due to the unusual heat we were having. I made 2 ollas from terracotta pots, (like the clip you inserted at 2:41, I siliconed a rock over the hole in the bottom, and placed the pot tray over the top) placing them behind the shrubs close to the base. It has made a tremendous difference in their health! I think a set-up like you received would be excellent for gardeners who vacation often or who just have a busy family schedule. 💕
This might work well for tomatoes because they benefit from constant but not to much water. You could also just put a put right next to each tomato plant
This year has been my first year with an Olla and my tomatoes love it. Every year before, I'd gotten blossom end rot because I just couldn't get the watering schedule correct. This year, with the Olla, it's taken all of the guesswork out and I haven't gotten any blossom end rot (except for a tiny amount on a couple of my San Marzano tomatoes, but I think that's because we've gotten a TON of rain over the last couple of months).
Thank you for that video. It was interesting. I use a plastic bottle for my large hanging baskets. They are large wires with moss or 16" fiber pots. I put the cap on and slice about 4 or 5 cuts down the side of the bottle to allow the water to seep out, and cut off the bottom of the bottle. I put it upside down in the middle of the basket, and the bottom faces up. Plant the basket and you have a self watering pot. Just top it up with water. 😊
Mark- so glad you are trying this. I have used ollas for 3 years now and the plants that benefit have done so much better than others that I hand water in this hot summer!
That’s a very cool system, but like Mark mentioned it would be pretty expensive to set up a large garden. I use buried drip tape in my garden and it works in a similar way although much faster. Very low pressure and the emitters put a tiny bit of water out and since it’s buried you don’t lose any as it’s delivered directly to the roots. I plant directly on top of it so it ensures all plants get adequate water.
This sounds interesting to alot of people who find terracotta pots expensive. Maybe Mark could try this and let us know the results. Please tell us more about the materials you use, the plants from your experience and anything else that could help people financially do well in gardening. Thanks for sharing 👍
@@woodlandsartgal you would think so but no it doesn’t. It’s been designed to be buried and works great. Typically clogs are more of an issue if you are on well water and have a little sand in your water, easy fix is to run a filter after your pressure regulator and no issues.
I made some from two terra cotta pots and used silicone to stick them together. I was shocked how watertight they got. I ended up refilling mine every other day or so, but I love the idea of attaching it to its own reservoir (bucket). It's been great for areas that are too far away for my regular automatic drip irrigation.
Awesome video Mark! I have been using ollas to water my container mandarin trees, hydrangeas, and wacky tobaccy! Thank you for blessing us with your knowledge and sharing this technique! Ollas were commonly used in so many civilizations and it’s neat that modern gardeners are reverting to how our ancestors grew food. Small tip cost saving tip, if they are any where near you, a Mexican supermarket will have lots of unglazed terracotta pots/cups for cheap! I bought three 1 liter ollas for $10-$15 a few months back. They are commonly used in mexican culture, and at mexican parties, for parties.
Terrific video mate, thank you. I think you are right about the constant access to water on demand being at the 'root' of the good growth you saw. But the other half of the equation is oxygen: using this technique theoretically means your soil is rarely over-saturated with water (only after rainfall), meaning the roots have optimal access to water but also oxygen at almost all times. A winning combination for sure!
Hi Mark, I have seen other videos on these. But yours was the best because you showed the results of your experiment. Really generous of you to put your money out there to show us a product and how it works to save us the expense. I'm going to give it a go.Thanks!!👍
With how hot is been in the climate this year this is a very good topic to bring up. I live in Northern Minnesota we have not had the 110 etc degree temperatures but, we also have not had very much rain, so I have been watering quite frequently. I have been researching ways to water more efficiently. And I am surrounded with more than 400 lakes in a 25-mile radius!
Nice idea and set up. We use olla type watering in northern New Mexico ( USA) it’s pronounced, oy-ah. Thank you for showing how well it works! Really enjoy watching your cast.
I looked at these last year but thought for the size of my garden wouldn’t be cost effective but they are a great idea for the people you mentioned mate
I bought this system for my containers on my deck. It’s fantastic! Especially when you go away for a week and don’t have anyone to take care of the watering!
I got some tiny ones for my houseplants a number of years ago since I was going on vacation and didn't have anyone to come water my plants for me. So there's definitely that angle of the convenience and usefulness of time-release water.
Howdy. This summer I used terracotta stakes to water the garden while we were gone for 5 days on vacation during a heatwave in California. The stakes I used are hollow and you use a narrow mouthed bottle (like a wine bottle) to keep the stake full of water. My garden definitely needed watering when we returned, but they were not dead. I found that when I used them after I returned, I just needed to do some top watering. My whole garden is containers. Our house was a vacation home by a lake so the previous owner(s) renovated to have more cement for parking vehicles including boats than to preserve access to dirt. Container gardening requires watering more often, so I found I watered for less time using the stakes than without, and I had a lot of growth on my tomato plants in particular and the pots with my California poppies and snapdragons. Also, I noticed that where I used this stake during the hotter months of summer, my everbearing strawberries were lusher than those in wicking containers. I cannot use it as a main irrigation system for long term use, but did the work of keeping the plants alive till I got home. Happy gardening.
I was thinking about different options for that terra cota water system. What if it was pipe ? Pipes made out of the same stuff would work. Really fragile but if thick enough could be solid enough. 3 to 4 pipes to water a bed . Any system like this would be worth it , as long as it fits individual needs. You can see the difference big time. Very nice plants ! Beautiful.
Oi-ya with the full Strayan slant An olla is a water jug designed to use evaporation to cool the water in the container. The olla principles are also used for electricity-free refrigeration devices in India. I've had plans to buy clay planter pots to set up a seep system in my outdoor beds. Burying the pots into the bed and cover with another clay base as lid has always been the plan.
Thank you for the nice review and lead on the Thristy Earth system! My lettuce seems to struggle in my raised bed despite 2x day watering. I think I need a lot more organic matter in the top, but I also think Ollas can help buffer things for them based on your results.
I have learned so much from your video's and can't thank you enough for posting them, I know we live in very different climates considering your in Australia and I'm in Virginia but your technics are priceless. I just ordered the Olla and can't wait for planting season this spring, I'm always looking for the best way to do my planting and I like using containers because I have limited mobility. Keep making the video's and I really need to learn more about how to raise chickens.
Can you make more videos with info on how to water raised beds deeply? I find that because the beds are raised that even when I water for a long time, the water doesn't soak in more than a few inches and I have to water wayyy more than for my stuff that's planted in the ground with watering trenches around them
From my experience in urban gardening on balconies and flat roofs, I found that the most efficient and economical way to lush and rich gardening is by drip irrigation + fertilization, with the excess water, if any, draining through pipes connected by a chain to the bottom of the pots or large planters. The frequency of watering is adjusted according to the temperatures in the seasons the difference. I live in a Mediterranean climate
I'm using them right now. They're a major improvement for my balcony, but I still need to water my plants on top every day right now! Before, I could see moist soil in the morning and wilting leaves in the evening. Now, my plants are far more robust and I need to only water here and there a little on top. It made things a lot easier, but adjusting hydration isn't that easy. One small pot and a micro ola and it's constantly moist. One medium pot and a thirsty plant and even two mini ones aren't enough!
I have mainly been using olla as a water supplement, it doesn't spread enough to really cover all the bed but for less hardy plants and flowers it helps get them through the heat of the day in the Brisbane summer. Often use the terracotta cones connected to plastic bottles as they are easy to move.
Interesting comment. I live in UK and don't yet have the severe water stress that you do. No doubt the climate crisis will soon change that! I am learning more about permaculture and wonder what the fungal/microrhizal network might be like in Australia.
I had a self-watering system in my garden bed many years ago. I bought special cones that attached to the tops of 2-liter soda bottles. I'd fill the bottle with water, screw on the cone and then poke it in the soil by the roots. These were supposed to do something similar and release water gradually directly to the roots of the plants, but instead, the water all leaked out within a half hour or so. I still used them, because I knew my brussels sprouts plants were getting enough water through them since I had one at the base of each of one, but I would have preferred a more gradual release of the water. I can see where this system has a big advantage in the watering rate! Thanks for another interesting video!
I use these also, and some do drain quickly, you can rub caulking into a few holes to plug them up and slow it down. Because these deliver water to the roots, I feel they are still good watering devices where it's hot and dray.
Great Video Mark! I agree the usages for this product would be my grow bags or larger containers for watering. I've been using plastic or milk jugs with pin holes at the bottom, filled with water to water. Thanks for the new product review, nothing I'd purchase however, much too pricey.
I’ve punched tiny holes in the bottom & sides of sturdy plastic water or soda bottles & burying them next to seedlings when I plant them - cheaper alternative - can do with a circle of bottles around newly planted trees- some people bury the bottles upside down with a hole in the cap & a few tiny holes on the bottom half of the buried bottles & cut the bottoms of the bottles which is exposed above ground & filled with water from a hose😊
I've used 5 gallon buckets with very small holes drilled in the bottom and about 3 or 4 rows all the way around from the bottom up the sides. I did that in Texas heat many times in various garden beds. But, like you, I like to hand water. That way I can see each plant and what they need.
I've used the terracotta pot homemade version in one of my beds that's up on 'stilts' instead of being a full bed (got my first Birdie's Bed from Epic Gardening and I LOVE it!). I did three eight inch pots down the center of a 2 foot by 4 foot bed. The 'planter style' raised bed dries out crazy fast and the ollas need to be filled daily, but it's let me have some very nice lettuces this year, despite the heat. I'm about to put in my fall crop.
Try watering spikes!! They are a miniature version of this but much more convenient. I am using so much less water and my plants are constantly hydrated, no drought shocks. I don’t have to go outside everyday! They are smaller for a smaller job.
I really wish I had learned about this method back at the beginning of spring when I was building my first little garden 😅 I just built a little pipe that runs from one bed to another and created a little water reservoir underneath with rocks and landscaping cloth then filled it with soil. It works great, except for the past month or so when we've had WAY too much heat here in Texas. I think I may have to try this out in my next raised bed I do! Thanks so much for all your helpful videos! 😁
Congratulations on your first garden and for "getting into it!" Like me and all gardeners, we're always adapting and experimenting and finding solutions to problems. It's part of the fun and satisfaction of self-sufficiency 👍🙂
Thank for this. I looked into various Olla systems a couple years ago and found them cost prohibitive. Even the single gourd shaped vessels that put one per plant were beautiful but expensive. And once they're in the ground you lose the aestheitc appeal of them. I continue my quest for the perfect irrigation systems for both gardening and for widely spaced trees.
I love the olla on drip idea but some drip irrigation on a solar timer, and a rain collection bucket, works wonders too. Or just gravity tape irrigation finely tuned for constant slow watering
I have Olla pots buried in my 32” 3.5’ by 5’ Vego garden beds (2 medium sized pots in each bed) and let me tell you , they work GREAT! They are buried in the soil and not part of a “system” with tubing and a bucket, so I have to fill them myself but they are passively watering my cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoes. I fill them every few days and other than that, my beds are watered by the rain. I definitely recommend them.
I have been testing a product called Tree Diaper this year for my potted hardy figs and then my tomato raised bed. They sit on top the soil and have crystals that absorb and release the water over time, just spray a hose at them to recharge them. They do good to soak water up rather than excess rain running off, which has been nice. They are costly but so far my figs have done better this hot summer. Tomatoes have not wilted like prior years in the afternoon heat.
Take a PVC pipe and add a 90 deg turn. Drill small holes on the horizontal section, then place at the bottom of your beds. You can then add water directly to the depths, causing the plants to grow stronger. Plus, you are not wetting the surface which will just evaporate anyway.
Very interesting experiment and helpful. Here in the desert of southern New Mexico USA I have been thinking of trying the Olla in my pots. Angela in Growing in the Garden UA-cam in Arizona utilizes the Olla. Here we don’t pronounce the two l’s at all. Mesilla is pronounced me-si-a. Interesting the pronunciation in different localities.
I have been using an upside down soda pop bottle with a small hole in the cap and full of water to water my plants here in hot Southern California. It's olla good!
What a wonderful idea!! We have watered through buried pvc pipes with small holes all around the lower section...but it all drains out into the deeper soil very fast. I love this idea!
You can also dig An Aquifer hole. It is One inch per foot plus 1 diameter and depth. So 30 foot Aquifer would be 31 inch diameter and 31 inches deep. Fill it with Rocks (bigger ones on the bottom if you can). Than dump GRAY water(like water from your dishes and bath. ) into the Aquifer hole. It also puts rain water faster and at a Higher % than normal pass through. It will helps you keep well pressure and recycles water faster.
Hey Mark! I'd love to see you plant some Carob trees. They are apparently almost drought proof which is useful coming into El Nino. Also beautiful and sweet and make a delicious sweet drink powdered in milk, sprinkled or baked into sweet goodies!
I am located in zone 9b and our summers reach triple digits several days in a row. I use shade clots and try to be very diligent with watering but my plants will suffer from heat stress regardless how much I try to not let that happen. I also run my drip via my phone to give the plants an extra drink but they still get stressed. This system seems really promising.
Hi, about those broken pots... you can try to glue them using this combination of Super Glue and Bicarbonate (baking soda)... if the cracks are fine you can first 'sprinkle' some baking soda on it and then apply the Super Glue or vice versa... there are tons of videos about it. All the best...
I've had a lot of success with the blumat watering system in pots, it uses the same concept but the devices are only the size of carrots and don't take up heaps of room in the growing pot.
I'm wondering if this would decrease the the damage from slugs. Since the ground surface isn't as wet as when you water by hand, they might not come out or go for the watered plants as readily.
Hay Mr Selfie an easy aussie Ollah is an upside down bottle full of water shoved in the soil,it gradually leaks out but very slowly depending how dry the soil is and how hard you shoved the bottle into the ground.Anyway it works better and can be any size and design or just an old plastic bottle.Really good for pots,my sister uses them and they are up market ones with nice swirly designs.
Always like seeing innovative, low maintenance irrigation techniques since I live in a desert. I did some experiments with a simple clay pot from the local hardware store, but I had to fill them each manually and trying to deploy them in my ground beds was way too much of a pain in the butt. Might have to pick up one of these for my raises beds though.
ive been using ollas for years and i love them but they are really expensive. I think this system you found is the best cost per olla ive seen and with it coming with irrigation piping is a plus. i however also plan on having alot of birdies raised beds. i only have 2 atm one big and one medium size on.
G'day Everyone, I hope you are all growing well! Thirsty Earth's Olla Watering System as reviewed in the video is here: thethirstyearth.com/ #not sponsored. EDIT - You can now buy the Thirsty Earth watering system with a discount in Australia and New Zealand by going to yoururbanoasis.co.nz/collections/your-cotta-pot-watering-irrigation-system and using the code "SSM10" at checkout. Thanks for your support and have fun "getting into it!" Cheers :)
I'm trying an experiment ATM down the paddock by the creek were the soil is always wet. Dunno how it will go? It maybe to wet? I'd love to plant more seeds and plants but I'm not sure if the cows and kangaroos rabbits so will just eat it all.
Oh btw I'm not to far from you near Nanango area.
Glue two cheap unpainted/unglazed flower pots (big box store/hobby lobby, etc.) together with construction adhesive and cap off one of the holes, this will be the bottom. Use the saucer as a cap for the other hole which will be on top. Cheap alternative to the custom made versions. I have a ton in my raised beds and they work great.
the way to say olla is oy-ya :) and it means pot actually. hola is hello.
In Spanish, H is silent, J sounds like an H, and two Ls sound like a Y.
I'll try it with old, thin-walled hollow bricks. There are also tubular tiles for roof construction. The underside is closed with mortar, the top can be filled up. Such a brick costs about 20-30 cents. Let's see how it goes.
Hi Mark, over the last 5 years I have converted all my raised vege beds ( around 35 sq m) to home made Ollas as we are off grid , I believe in the mountains just to the west of your place. I slowly accumulated clay pots from a well known large hardware chain ( B) when on special at $1 each. Sealed the hole in one pot, attached the other using sealastic on the 2 rims to form a kind of diamond shape, painted the top/base of one (not plugged) to prevent evaporation and have 4-5 per sq m. They each hold just under 4L .Placed a stone or bit of tile over the fill hole to discourage critters.
Filling them every 5-7 days is the water access equivalent to 2.5 cm rain fall. If it rains can go 2-3 weeks without filing. I have literally over a hundred in and never surface water unless to soak in amendments. I now plant in circles or spirals around each olla, looks cute. 5 years experience and I can safely say large vege beds can be done off grid and the plants absolutely thrive. Occaisionally one will have the sealastic fail, 5 minutes to pull out , wipe clean and reseal for another 4-5 years use.
Research shows around 95% of the water in ollas is available to the roots compared to around 10% for surface watering. For anyone wanting to make their own very economically there is a great video on YT in the channel "Under the Choko Tree".
Thank you.. watering is such a key component of growing. Appreciate yr knowledge.. Coll
What size pots did you buy? And what kind of paint did you use? Thanks for your comment. It sounds like you've set up a great system.
Thankyou 💚
So lucky people like you use the comment section. Thank you 🙏🏼
Making and installing clay pot irrigation (Under the choko tree)
ua-cam.com/video/4AGbqrTek44/v-deo.html
I've got a few I've made myself from unsealed terracotta pots. Two pots together, sealed with water tank silicone, and a rubber grommet for the top and bottom holes. I seal the bottom hole and leave the top one unsealed so I can just pop out the rubber grommet to refill. They've worked pretty well; key is to have them covered with mulch so they don't heat up and evaporate faster. Very cheap, couple of dollars worth of terracotta (honestly the grommets were more expensive but you can get a multipack) and a couple of days of patience to let the silicone dry.
I've done the same thing myself with unglazed pots. I used concrete to seal the holes. Filling them was a pain, but after seeing the video, I'm going to use drip irrigation tubing or something similar and hook them all up to a bucket. It will make using them much easier. I like to do diy, so it will be right up my alley.
Any chance you could make a shortt clip to show exactly what you did? I love the low cost solution you made!
@lothre,yeah, I would like to see a video about it too.
I've done the same and set it up with an auto timer and tubing to the hose, for automatic top up. The trick is to not seal the tubing to the olla, or you'll end up blowing some up like I did!
@@sapphyre8646 Thanks for the advice.
When I was growing up Dad used a 5 gallon bucket with holes punched in the bottom and sides to water our tomato plants. He would fill the bucket with cow manure (yes we had cattle) And water and feed the tomato plants at the same time. We always had so many tomatos we gave them to anyone in our church that wanted them.
Good idea!
I've done something similar with 4" plastic pots. I can spray heavy into the pot, and it will seep in slowly. Really helps combat poor soil that wants to go hydrophobic
My mum is chilean so she speaks spanish, "el potto" made her crack up as "potto" can be slang for someone's bottom 😅 love your humour and all your advice ❤ we've grown so much with your help and amazing tips! Love to you and your family for your sincereity and generosity. Keep making such great videos!
Olla is an Egyptian water pot. These are low-fired unglazed clay pots that keeps water cool by sweating (since it's unglazed). The heat is let out, and you can have cool water in desert heat!
The Egyptian pronunciation is two syllables (go figure) starting with ol where the O is pronounced like in "Oh!" and la as you would normally pronounce it. Very similar to how Mark pronounced oyia at the end of the video but replace y sounds with L. No idea what it's called in China, but I would wager they don't call it olla.
Hmm that word is used in Spanish for a similar container, with the ll pronounced as a y.
@@mssixty3426 Spain has a lot of Arab influence. Look up Andalusia and read about its origin.
I think something usefull and easygoing was found in several countries. In Germany they say its from Mexico. Therefore Oyas would be correct. Who cares as long as a good idea is spreading. ❤
Its not Egyptian. It’s a latin word and all the Spanish conquered people used them including Native Americans.
Mark it’s pronounced oy-ya or even o-ya like tor-ti-lla. Ya ending.
me in utah - watching an aussie - learning about a company in utah to water my garden. love the internet lol
I made my own with clay pots and I have found them most useful with tomatoes. They absolutely thrive on that steady source of water and there is not problem with wetting the leaves and getting any diseases or mildew.
G'day Mark.
I'm glad you "lettuce" have a look at the system in your bed as having seen a glimpse of it in the previous video. I'm aware of the practice of using ceramic pots, but have not seen a connected system like this. Fascinating.
Thanks and all the best.
Daz.
LOL... Lettuce not get too carried away with the dad jokes Daz! Cheers mate :)
@@Selfsufficientme Hah, hah, watching your videos does that. 😂
I'm very happy that the "ancient method" is spreading. This is also what home plant growers have also tried to figure out in modern methods for summer trips. The terracotta just seems so much better than a plastic bottle for this. The difficult part of this has been that you kinda have to DIY your way around the regular terracotta pots for them to work like this, it's not convenient (the shape is not very practical) or very easy. In the future we're gonna need all the ways to preserve water and be efficient in gardening.
Honestly I give your videos a thumbs up at the beginning because I know it’s going to be entertaining and educational even though I’m in Missouri, right in the middle of the USA I always find them useful!
Thumbs up at the start is worth two in my opinion - thank you! All the best :)
This also works very well for growing out fruit trees in pots in the nursery. I found that my trees grew faster and larger and were worth more than smaller trees at market. Profit increase about 15%.
How long did it take you to recoup the cost of the system?
Very interesting and coming from a retail perspective that's gold to increase profit and have a bigger healthier product for the customer to purchase. Nice one! Cheers :)
For what pot sizes? Which type of olla?
I'm also interested in more info on this setup, it sounds awesome!
The terracotta plant spikes that can be purchased on Amazon or other sites, that you put a wine or soft drink bottle into as the water reservoir, work a treat in a smaller garden. They are quite cheap, and much cheaper than that Thirsty Earth system. They may not be so practical for a garden as big as your garden Mark, but good for a smaller garden or gardens with lots of pots. They kept my Western Australian garden alive over a boiling hot summer.
Oooooh, I may check these out!
Me too, Adelaide summers can be stinkers
I was given long plastic cone shaped watering spikes that screw onto a soft drink bottle, I use them for individual bushes and new plants, got my natives through our southern California summer, so I can recommend those as well.
I’ve just ordered the terracotta ones on Amazon I think I’ll use them on my tomatoes in grow bags because I didn’t have much luck last summer in grow bags, lost too much water too quickly
Thanks for the "tip" on the spikes! Appreciate you sharing! Cheers :)
I live in the desert. I used ollas in my first two 4x12 foot gardens (1.3x4 meters). They gave me confidence that I was watering my plants the right amount, and that let me focus on the other hazards that plague new gardeners. I had a blast and had a fun time with them. I've never been able to grow before, and this helped eliminate the hardest part for beginners like me. It's also twice as efficient as drip watering, which is good in drought areas.
On a different note, Spanish pronunciation is pretty straightforward, but a little odd for us who speak English. Here's some big highlights. The "ll" is said like a "y", the "h" is always silent, "v" is said like a "b", "j" is said like an "h". "C" is said like "s" if it's followed by an "e" or "i", and "qu" said like "k" if it's followed by an "e" or "i". Unless there's an accent (') on a syllable, put the emphasis on the second to last syllable. Lastly, and most importantly, the vowels are always pronounced the following way. "A" is said like "ah" (like in "lawn"), "e" is said like "ey" (like in "hey"), "i" is said like "ee" (like in "leak"), "o" is said like "oh" (like in "spoke"), and "u" is said like "ooh" (like in "book"). Once you know these rules, you can pronounce most words in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, and Japanese (as written with English alphabet), with a few alterations to the rules.
Would love if you did a series on pest control. I've seen your previous videos on some of the stuff you do, but it would be really nice to see a multi-video series where you follow a few plants from seedling to harvest. Love your videos and keep up the good work !
Being in the uk this ain’t a problem at the moment but realistically this is a good tip for the future for alot of countries and folk. Cheers Mark. Your one of a good number of elite teachers which share their knowledge and kindness (in your case with a bit of cheekiness! Love it). Appreciated
Thank you! I'm not sure about "elite" but I appreciate you saying so and I do try my best... Cheers :)
We Aussies don't do 'elite' 😅
The most lovable gardener on UA-cam!
A good ground-cover and mulch also helps hold moisture in the soil while protecting the topsoil from being displaced.
I went to the website and for my 3'x8' raised beds the kit recommended was $109.95 US plus shipping. I have 6 beds so almost $700 for a watering system is a bit pricey for my tastes. I think I'm just going to stick with a nice relaxing evening of enjoying my garden and hand watering.
I prefer hand watering too, but I also use my ollas during the height of summer, so I'm also standing there with a hose filling up cheap, terra cotta pots (fixed to their bases).
My beds are 4x8 with 3 10" pots per bed (12 pots at $10 a pot, 7 years ago).
If it's not zone 8+ then you'll be digging them up every fall & putting them to bed so they don't break.
You could turn your own on a potters wheel. Make the top the same as a lid with hose nip. Buy a big roll of small hose. 325 gallon ibc tote for irrigation. Just a thought.
@@SodaCrackers-ej5le Good point! I'm zone 6A and we can/do get 2-4 feet of snow. I never thought about freezing, cracking and having to dig them up. I think the extra work does not outweigh the not having to water. Thanks!
After years of experimenting with irrigation techniques here in hot and arid, 9b Sacramento, California, I have resolved to using a method that does not waste water and does a deep watering condition to keep all my planters productive. I use 1/4 inch drip line with emitters every 6 inches buried about 4 inches in good compost and top soil mix then heavily mulched. I use the finger test to check for moisture regularly and run my drip lines 2 times a day in hot weather for 10 minutes each time about 8 hours apart, so 4am and noon. I have had no deaths and good success growing almost anything. Thanks for your fun videos, I love them all.
Live in the coastal area of Monterey County. While our temps aren't as hot as Sacto, we've got water issues here. So I'm doing to try this method & see if I can use less water than we do with our regular drip system.
I have about 3 purchased from a company. Then made some for my self from with pots from Bunnings. BEST THINGS EVER.
Hi...... Mark nice to see you Love watching your video homestead bye 👋👋👋👋 BYE 👋👍👍👍👍👌👌👌
whenever i read „Save water“ ..
i think „shower with a friend“ !
the plants look awesome!
I just bought some olla pots for my flower beds out front. We're in a severe drought here in Central Texas, so I was really lucky to see your recent video about this. The pots should be here soon. If they work well out front, I'll put them in the back butterfly gardens.
Houston area here.
The 110° F heat here killed most organic veggies the raccoon skipped in May, so not many ollas needed now.
Wondering how hot will the water get, the one in my hose comes out boiling at 7:00 pm.
always a joy to learn about self sufficient gardening from australian russel crowe
Ollas are great for water-scarce areas. I'll give a simple pronunciation tip to follow: double L in Spanish is pronounced like a J or a Y. So in future say it like Oya and it will sound great ;) long-time subscriber, love the content!
I love using my homemade ones (made with clay pots and blu tac) to see how well my hand watering is going. If my olla is constantly empty than I’m not watering enough, if it’s always full than I’m watering too much and if it’s about half full than I’m watering the perfect amount.
That watering method is really, really old!
Here in spain people use old clay pots for that purpose. They seal the bottom hole, bury the pot and fill it with water, and then place a lid on top of it.
It works really great
Does it have to be fresh water or can you use a compost tea to have the extra stuff seep out too?
So there are no holes at all? The water goes through the clay wall of the pot? What if the pot is glazed, would that affect the water seeping through it?
@@AhrayahLaban People use fresh water usually
@@mbern4530Yeah it has to be an unglazed pot so the water 'sweats' through the pot if that makes sense
@@lectric Good to know, thanks!
I purchased the Thirsty Earth system for my greenhouse beds. I have it connected to my outside faucet and it atomically fills the buckets. So far it has worked great. I enjoyed listening to you talk about your experience with them.
Good to hear you're happy with the system! Cheers :)
I've used this method of watering in a section of my garden. The water comes from a rainwater collection tank that feeds to 6 olla per raised bed that are linked together trough weaping hose. I connected 3 raised beds together to the tank. The olla's are just 2 clay lots glued together with one end covered up. Works great!
I’ve been very interested in setting up an olla (pronounced oya) watering system here in hot ole Texas. It’s widely used in the southwest. Right now we have our little raised bed garden containers on micro drip/sprinklers set on the lawn irrigation system. But with literally months of temps in triple digits in Fahrenheit, my vegetation is showing signs of heat stress.
Try shade cloth over hoops to create a micro climate. I started this way until my grape vines covered the trellis. This trellis covers the driveway and I garden under it.
@@gregsanderson2470 I think I have just enough, 70% coverage it says, but I’m thinking they overcalucate.
@@sunnycharacter By using containers I move plants in or out of the shade. I can manage what the plants need. This only works for a very small garden.
@@gregsanderson2470 My raised bed garden consists of 6 very large round farm tubs, the kind that cattle grain snacks and molasses treats come in. Ave 25 in size and plenty big enough for everything from ginger, herbs, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, even good for rearing my banana pups. I have even used them for sweet potatoes. My husband drilled holes in them, and at an unused sunny side of my backyard, he built a raised deck with benches to hold the tubs and added drip system. Being off the ground I can avoid rabbits, however the occasional squirrels may invade it. Very handy space when you live in the suburbs.
@@sunnycharacter Oh very nice. Due to an illness have had to scale back . Your set up sounds great! Will the hoop and netting work for you?
Lovely demonstration! I use terracotta vases in my fabric raised beds. I agree their reach is not very far. I lifted the vase and found the networks of roots in the shape of the pot. It was wild but they need to be right on top of it. Probably depends on the size of the olla but then you start to lose growing space. I agree this is fantastic for smaller pots that dry out quickly
Thank you for sharing!! 💕🌱
I’d love to know about your fabric raised beds!
@@gattamom Search for "grow bags"
Thanks Mark. I've experimented with a similar system in a large pot with a tomatoe. Instead I used flexible tubing with the most tiniest holes punctured every say 40mm apart. I arranged it in a spiral configuration down the pot. Hooked up to a reservoir. Oh, I had another next to it that I hand watered. The tube watering tomatoe grow more quickly and more vibrant with better yeald. I'm disappointed with myself because I didn't record anything. I did give both an organic liquid fertilizer and gypsum. I cut the dosage of the tube feed by half as I thought it would block the holes. Which it did at the bottom ones. All in all a success I say. Maybe try a similar on in your beds. The thing you have to play with is the height of the reservoir. Higher more pressure, more water. ✌
I love the experimentation! Thanks for the tip on the reservoir height. Cheers :)
.44 psi per foot.
Wow Mark your garden is looking great.
Thank you 🙏 Mark, always appreciate your honest opinion sharing your experiences and knowledge with us. 🙂
I’ve had two largish Ollas for a couple of years - probably not enough for the are I grow vegetables in - and they work really well. However, I got cheesed off burying in our heavy clay soil each year so now one keeps my worm farm cool in summer. However, seeing this video I might invest in some more and start using them for their proper purpose again.
I’ve watched every episode ( some more than once ) of both your channels Mark and you never disappoint ! Excellent as always, best wishes to you and your family, from Britain 👍👍🇦🇺🇬🇧
Thanks for all your support! All the best to you and yours also mate. Cheers :)
My terra cotta watering spikes I use in my potted plants work so well that I started using them in my tiny garden too. They are great. I love this system that ties them all together with one big water source!
Our 2 new peonies were stressed due to the unusual heat we were having. I made 2 ollas from terracotta pots, (like the clip you inserted at 2:41, I siliconed a rock over the hole in the bottom, and placed the pot tray over the top) placing them behind the shrubs close to the base. It has made a tremendous difference in their health! I think a set-up like you received would be excellent for gardeners who vacation often or who just have a busy family schedule. 💕
This might work well for tomatoes because they benefit from constant but not to much water. You could also just put a put right next to each tomato plant
I have a couple terra cotta water spikes around my tomato plant this year and they really flourished!
This year has been my first year with an Olla and my tomatoes love it. Every year before, I'd gotten blossom end rot because I just couldn't get the watering schedule correct. This year, with the Olla, it's taken all of the guesswork out and I haven't gotten any blossom end rot (except for a tiny amount on a couple of my San Marzano tomatoes, but I think that's because we've gotten a TON of rain over the last couple of months).
Thank you for that video. It was interesting. I use a plastic bottle for my large hanging baskets. They are large wires with moss or 16" fiber pots. I put the cap on and slice about 4 or 5 cuts down the side of the bottle to allow the water to seep out, and cut off the bottom of the bottle. I put it upside down in the middle of the basket, and the bottom faces up. Plant the basket and you have a self watering pot. Just top it up with water. 😊
Mark- so glad you are trying this. I have used ollas for 3 years now and the plants that benefit have done so much better than others that I hand water in this hot summer!
This would be good for people who's work takes too much time up, but want to grow. Set up before work and go 😊
Thank you for doing the experiment and sharing the results with us.
That’s a very cool system, but like Mark mentioned it would be pretty expensive to set up a large garden. I use buried drip tape in my garden and it works in a similar way although much faster. Very low pressure and the emitters put a tiny bit of water out and since it’s buried you don’t lose any as it’s delivered directly to the roots. I plant directly on top of it so it ensures all plants get adequate water.
This sounds interesting to alot of people who find terracotta pots expensive. Maybe Mark could try this and let us know the results. Please tell us more about the materials you use, the plants from your experience and anything else that could help people financially do well in gardening. Thanks for sharing 👍
Doesn’t it get clogged?
That's a good idea! Cheers mate :)
@@woodlandsartgal you would think so but no it doesn’t. It’s been designed to be buried and works great. Typically clogs are more of an issue if you are on well water and have a little sand in your water, easy fix is to run a filter after your pressure regulator and no issues.
I made some from two terra cotta pots and used silicone to stick them together. I was shocked how watertight they got. I ended up refilling mine every other day or so, but I love the idea of attaching it to its own reservoir (bucket). It's been great for areas that are too far away for my regular automatic drip irrigation.
Awesome video Mark! I have been using ollas to water my container mandarin trees, hydrangeas, and wacky tobaccy! Thank you for blessing us with your knowledge and sharing this technique! Ollas were commonly used in so many civilizations and it’s neat that modern gardeners are reverting to how our ancestors grew food.
Small tip cost saving tip, if they are any where near you, a Mexican supermarket will have lots of unglazed terracotta pots/cups for cheap! I bought three 1 liter ollas for $10-$15 a few months back. They are commonly used in mexican culture, and at mexican parties, for parties.
Great to hear all those uses and even wacky tobaccy (sounds like a Star Wars character) lol... Yes, I'll keep an eye out for cheap pots! Cheers :)
Terrific video mate, thank you. I think you are right about the constant access to water on demand being at the 'root' of the good growth you saw. But the other half of the equation is oxygen: using this technique theoretically means your soil is rarely over-saturated with water (only after rainfall), meaning the roots have optimal access to water but also oxygen at almost all times. A winning combination for sure!
Hi Mark, I have seen other videos on these. But yours was the best because you showed the results of your experiment. Really generous of you to put your money out there to show us a product and how it works to save us the expense. I'm going to give it a go.Thanks!!👍
Great information. Thank you. Don’t worry about the pronunciation. The important thing was in the information.
With how hot is been in the climate this year this is a very good topic to bring up. I live in Northern Minnesota we have not had the 110 etc degree temperatures but, we also have not had very much rain, so I have been watering quite frequently. I have been researching ways to water more efficiently. And I am surrounded with more than 400 lakes in a 25-mile radius!
I've used a similar set up with a clay pot to root cuttings.
Nice idea and set up. We use olla type watering in northern New Mexico ( USA) it’s pronounced, oy-ah. Thank you for showing how well it works! Really enjoy watching your cast.
I looked at these last year but thought for the size of my garden wouldn’t be cost effective but they are a great idea for the people you mentioned mate
I bought this system for my containers on my deck. It’s fantastic! Especially when you go away for a week and don’t have anyone to take care of the watering!
I got some tiny ones for my houseplants a number of years ago since I was going on vacation and didn't have anyone to come water my plants for me. So there's definitely that angle of the convenience and usefulness of time-release water.
Howdy. This summer I used terracotta stakes to water the garden while we were gone for 5 days on vacation during a heatwave in California. The stakes I used are hollow and you use a narrow mouthed bottle (like a wine bottle) to keep the stake full of water. My garden definitely needed watering when we returned, but they were not dead. I found that when I used them after I returned, I just needed to do some top watering. My whole garden is containers. Our house was a vacation home by a lake so the previous owner(s) renovated to have more cement for parking vehicles including boats than to preserve access to dirt. Container gardening requires watering more often, so I found I watered for less time using the stakes than without, and I had a lot of growth on my tomato plants in particular and the pots with my California poppies and snapdragons. Also, I noticed that where I used this stake during the hotter months of summer, my everbearing strawberries were lusher than those in wicking containers. I cannot use it as a main irrigation system for long term use, but did the work of keeping the plants alive till I got home. Happy gardening.
I was thinking about different options for that terra cota water system.
What if it was pipe ?
Pipes made out of the same stuff would work.
Really fragile but if thick enough could be solid enough.
3 to 4 pipes to water a bed .
Any system like this would be worth it , as long as it fits individual needs. You can see the difference big time.
Very nice plants ! Beautiful.
Oi-ya with the full Strayan slant
An olla is a water jug designed to use evaporation to cool the water in the container.
The olla principles are also used for electricity-free refrigeration devices in India.
I've had plans to buy clay planter pots to set up a seep system in my outdoor beds. Burying the pots into the bed and cover with another clay base as lid has always been the plan.
Thank you for the nice review and lead on the Thristy Earth system! My lettuce seems to struggle in my raised bed despite 2x day watering. I think I need a lot more organic matter in the top, but I also think Ollas can help buffer things for them based on your results.
I think this would be perfect for my balcony garden! Thanks for the heads up!
I have learned so much from your video's and can't thank you enough for posting them, I know we live in very different climates considering your in Australia and I'm in Virginia but your technics are priceless. I just ordered the Olla and can't wait for planting season this spring, I'm always looking for the best way to do my planting and I like using containers because I have limited mobility. Keep making the video's and I really need to learn more about how to raise chickens.
I’m going to try make my own based on this concept! Thanx for the ideas Mark…these days we have got to be resourceful as possible!! ❤
Can you make more videos with info on how to water raised beds deeply? I find that because the beds are raised that even when I water for a long time, the water doesn't soak in more than a few inches and I have to water wayyy more than for my stuff that's planted in the ground with watering trenches around them
From my experience in urban gardening on balconies and flat roofs, I found that the most efficient and economical way to lush and rich gardening is by drip irrigation + fertilization, with the excess water, if any, draining through pipes connected by a chain to the bottom of the pots or large planters. The frequency of watering is adjusted according to the temperatures in the seasons the difference.
I live in a Mediterranean climate
I'm using them right now. They're a major improvement for my balcony, but I still need to water my plants on top every day right now!
Before, I could see moist soil in the morning and wilting leaves in the evening. Now, my plants are far more robust and I need to only water here and there a little on top. It made things a lot easier, but adjusting hydration isn't that easy. One small pot and a micro ola and it's constantly moist. One medium pot and a thirsty plant and even two mini ones aren't enough!
I have mainly been using olla as a water supplement, it doesn't spread enough to really cover all the bed but for less hardy plants and flowers it helps get them through the heat of the day in the Brisbane summer. Often use the terracotta cones connected to plastic bottles as they are easy to move.
Interesting comment. I live in UK and don't yet have the severe water stress that you do. No doubt the climate crisis will soon change that!
I am learning more about permaculture and wonder what the fungal/microrhizal network might be like in Australia.
I had a self-watering system in my garden bed many years ago. I bought special cones that attached to the tops of 2-liter soda bottles. I'd fill the bottle with water, screw on the cone and then poke it in the soil by the roots. These were supposed to do something similar and release water gradually directly to the roots of the plants, but instead, the water all leaked out within a half hour or so. I still used them, because I knew my brussels sprouts plants were getting enough water through them since I had one at the base of each of one, but I would have preferred a more gradual release of the water. I can see where this system has a big advantage in the watering rate! Thanks for another interesting video!
I wonder did you soak the pot first to hydrate it? Maybe you got a lemon
I use these also, and some do drain quickly, you can rub caulking into a few holes to plug them up and slow it down. Because these deliver water to the roots, I feel they are still good watering devices where it's hot and dray.
Great Video Mark! I agree the usages for this product would be my grow bags or larger containers for watering. I've been using plastic or milk jugs with pin holes at the bottom, filled with water to water. Thanks for the new product review, nothing I'd purchase however, much too pricey.
I’ve punched tiny holes in the bottom & sides of sturdy plastic water or soda bottles & burying them next to seedlings when I plant them - cheaper alternative - can do with a circle of bottles around newly planted trees- some people bury the bottles upside down with a hole in the cap & a few tiny holes on the bottom half of the buried bottles & cut the bottoms of the bottles which is exposed above ground & filled with water from a hose😊
I've used 5 gallon buckets with very small holes drilled in the bottom and about 3 or 4 rows all the way around from the bottom up the sides. I did that in Texas heat many times in various garden beds. But, like you, I like to hand water. That way I can see each plant and what they need.
I've used the terracotta pot homemade version in one of my beds that's up on 'stilts' instead of being a full bed (got my first Birdie's Bed from Epic Gardening and I LOVE it!). I did three eight inch pots down the center of a 2 foot by 4 foot bed. The 'planter style' raised bed dries out crazy fast and the ollas need to be filled daily, but it's let me have some very nice lettuces this year, despite the heat. I'm about to put in my fall crop.
Thank you for reviewing these products Mark. Excellent video.
Try watering spikes!! They are a miniature version of this but much more convenient. I am using so much less water and my plants are constantly hydrated, no drought shocks. I don’t have to go outside everyday! They are smaller for a smaller job.
I really wish I had learned about this method back at the beginning of spring when I was building my first little garden 😅 I just built a little pipe that runs from one bed to another and created a little water reservoir underneath with rocks and landscaping cloth then filled it with soil. It works great, except for the past month or so when we've had WAY too much heat here in Texas.
I think I may have to try this out in my next raised bed I do! Thanks so much for all your helpful videos! 😁
Congratulations on your first garden and for "getting into it!" Like me and all gardeners, we're always adapting and experimenting and finding solutions to problems. It's part of the fun and satisfaction of self-sufficiency 👍🙂
its a great way to stop nutrients from leaching out of the soil from water runoff. Its probably the most efficient way of iriigiating I've ever used.
I really like Ollas in summer for tomatoes, & cucumbers. Less water on the leaves and keeps them crisp!
Thank for this. I looked into various Olla systems a couple years ago and found them cost prohibitive. Even the single gourd shaped vessels that put one per plant were beautiful but expensive. And once they're in the ground you lose the aestheitc appeal of them. I continue my quest for the perfect irrigation systems for both gardening and for widely spaced trees.
I was just thinking of making my own ollas 3 days ago. Great video Mark
I love the olla on drip idea but some drip irrigation on a solar timer, and a rain collection bucket, works wonders too. Or just gravity tape irrigation finely tuned for constant slow watering
I have Olla pots buried in my 32” 3.5’ by 5’ Vego garden beds (2 medium sized pots in each bed) and let me tell you , they work GREAT! They are buried in the soil and not part of a “system” with tubing and a bucket, so I have to fill them myself but they are passively watering my cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoes. I fill them every few days and other than that, my beds are watered by the rain. I definitely recommend them.
I have been testing a product called Tree Diaper this year for my potted hardy figs and then my tomato raised bed. They sit on top the soil and have crystals that absorb and release the water over time, just spray a hose at them to recharge them. They do good to soak water up rather than excess rain running off, which has been nice. They are costly but so far my figs have done better this hot summer. Tomatoes have not wilted like prior years in the afternoon heat.
Take a PVC pipe and add a 90 deg turn. Drill small holes on the horizontal section, then place at the bottom of your beds. You can then add water directly to the depths, causing the plants to grow stronger. Plus, you are not wetting the surface which will just evaporate anyway.
Good idea!
I heard about this recently through my dad who has some friends that work in environmental agriculture, for landscaping trees
Making them from a bunch of cheap pots from Bunnings. Putting them in small raised beds and for tomato plants this season.
Very interesting experiment and helpful. Here in the desert of southern New Mexico USA I have been thinking of trying the Olla in my pots. Angela in Growing in the Garden UA-cam in Arizona utilizes the Olla. Here we don’t pronounce the two l’s at all. Mesilla is pronounced me-si-a. Interesting the pronunciation in different localities.
How do you pronounce mellow yellow?
I have been using an upside down soda pop bottle with a small hole in the cap and full of water to water my plants here in hot Southern California. It's olla good!
What a wonderful idea!! We have watered through buried pvc pipes with small holes all around the lower section...but it all drains out into the deeper soil very fast. I love this idea!
You can also dig An Aquifer hole. It is One inch per foot plus 1 diameter and depth. So 30 foot Aquifer would be 31 inch diameter and 31 inches deep. Fill it with Rocks (bigger ones on the bottom if you can). Than dump GRAY water(like water from your dishes and bath. ) into the Aquifer hole. It also puts rain water faster and at a Higher % than normal pass through. It will helps you keep well pressure and recycles water faster.
Hey Mark! I'd love to see you plant some Carob trees. They are apparently almost drought proof which is useful coming into El Nino. Also beautiful and sweet and make a delicious sweet drink powdered in milk, sprinkled or baked into sweet goodies!
I love carob
I often bury a bowl or container in larger pots to hold a small amount of water, so the roots aren't waterlogged, but the soil doesn't dry out as fast
Thank you for the honest review. I prefer slow self watering, whether mist or drip, so this is a good option. I'll look into it, thank you!
I am located in zone 9b and our summers reach triple digits several days in a row. I use shade clots and try to be very diligent with watering but my plants will suffer from heat stress regardless how much I try to not let that happen. I also run my drip via my phone to give the plants an extra drink but they still get stressed. This system seems really promising.
Hi, about those broken pots... you can try to glue them using this combination of Super Glue and Bicarbonate (baking soda)... if the cracks are fine you can first 'sprinkle' some baking soda on it and then apply the Super Glue or vice versa... there are tons of videos about it.
All the best...
I have used a similar system for inside growing, they are called Blumat watering system and they work very well.
I've had a lot of success with the blumat watering system in pots, it uses the same concept but the devices are only the size of carrots and don't take up heaps of room in the growing pot.
I'm wondering if this would decrease the the damage from slugs. Since the ground surface isn't as wet as when you water by hand, they might not come out or go for the watered plants as readily.
Hay Mr Selfie an easy aussie Ollah is an upside down bottle full of water shoved in the soil,it gradually leaks out but very slowly depending how dry the soil is and how hard you shoved the bottle into the ground.Anyway it works better and can be any size and design or just an old plastic bottle.Really good for pots,my sister uses them and they are up market ones with nice swirly designs.
Always like seeing innovative, low maintenance irrigation techniques since I live in a desert. I did some experiments with a simple clay pot from the local hardware store, but I had to fill them each manually and trying to deploy them in my ground beds was way too much of a pain in the butt. Might have to pick up one of these for my raises beds though.
ive been using ollas for years and i love them but they are really expensive. I think this system you found is the best cost per olla ive seen and with it coming with irrigation piping is a plus. i however also plan on having alot of birdies raised beds. i only have 2 atm one big and one medium size on.