100 year old plant watering system that means you don't have to water daily
A gardener has shared an ancient watering system that helps her stay on top of her plant care in her garden - and it's an easy DIY hack to follow at home
A keen gardener has shared a clever trick for keeping on top of plant care using an ancient technique. In a TikTok video from 2024, Syd Roope showcased her homemade olla, a type of porous clay pot used for slow-release irrigation.
Ollas have been around for over 2,000 years, with the first recorded mention in the Fan Sheng-Chih Shu, an ancient agricultural textbook. Syd created her own DIY version using a terracotta pot and saucer, which she buries underground and fills with water.
As the soil dries out, the olla releases water, reducing the need for frequent watering. Syd explained: "In the summer when it gets really, really hot, you probably have to water once, maybe twice a day when it gets to be like 110 degrees (43 degrees celsius).
"But with this, you bury it underground, and because it's porous, it will leach out water when the soil gets really dry, and the roots will come attached to this so that I don't have to come here and water it every day."
The hack impressed fellow gardening enthusiasts, who praised Syd for her ingenuity. Experts at Plantura have shared several benefits to using ollas in your garden, such as the reduced need for regular watering, reports the Express.
They've also identified that using ollas results in less weeding since "the topsoil remains drier, weeds germinate less easily".
They also suggest it's a savvy method for reducing diseases and pests, noting: "Watering with ollas keeps the plant leaves dry, eliminating moisture-loving fungal diseases such as downy mildew and late blight. Slugs also have a harder time moving over dry soil."
The team at Plantura have gone one step further, offering a how-to guide for crafting your own ollas at home, helping you save on costly alternatives.
How to make your own olla
Glue the large opening of two unglazed clay pots together. No water should be able to escape through the join.
Now glue the flat clay shard over one of the drainage holes so that no water can get through. (Alternatively, you can use mortar, silicone, a flat stone or a cork to seal the drainage hole.)
Lastly, fill the homemade olla with water (using a funnel if necessary) via the unsealed drainage hole on the opposite side. The saucer serves as a lid for your homemade olla.
You can also buy Olla irrigation pots online. These sell from upwards of £10.
They can be bought easily online.
The self-watering clay pots are particularly effective in very dry climates.
That is why Spanish settlers introduced the technique to the Americas in colonial times.
The technique has now made a comeback in New Mexico and the American West.
Plantura is an online shop where you can buy gardening goods.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
I took a risk and ordered a storage shed on Shein, it was £600 less than others but there is one major flaw
MOST of us have ordered clothes and accessories from Shein before. But many will be shocked to know that you can buy large furniture, including beds and even sheds. A woman called Angelica took to social media and showed off the massive shed she had bought from the online retailer. The 12x10ft metal storage shed looked perfect in the pictures, so she decided to take the risk and get it shipped to her house. It cost her just £471, and she revealed it was a lot less than other sheds she had looked at. In the clip, Angelica said: "We bought a storage house from Shein and this is what we got." The giant container came to her in three boxes and she admitted some were damaged. "It came with a little surprise," she added as she moved one of the boxes to unveil a huge spider. Ignoring the critter, she went on to unpack the rest of the boxes and was pleasantly surprised to see nothing was missing. Angelica then went on to build the shed and was pleased to see it all come together. "Base ready. Walls ready. Roof ready. Doors ready," she added. "I actually liked it." I'm a single mum sick of soft play costs so turned my shed into a mini one The shed was so roomy many suggested it could be used as a studio house. But others noticed there was a major flaw with the building. The clip went viral with over 8 million views on her TikTok account @ angelica_torresramos, and many realised the shed came without any type of flooring. One person wrote: "What about the floor? Everything is going to get wet when it rains." Do I need planning permission to convert my shed? CONVERTING an existing shed or outbuilding into a self-contained living space will usually require you apply for planning permission. However, there is a "loophole" Brits can use to convert outbuildings into a tiny home without permission. Planning expert Martin Gaine from Just Planning warned the conversion process is far easier than you may think. Speaking to The Sun, the Chartered Town Planner of 14 years' experience explained: " An outbuilding can be built using 'permitted development rights ', meaning it does not need planning permission. "As long as you comply with the various restrictions and conditions." One of these is that the outbuilding can only be used for something 'ancillary' to your main living accommodation - examples include storage, a gym or a pool room. If the outbuilding is existing, converting it then into primary living accommodation IS allowed. Martin explained: "This is because internal changes to an existing building are not considered to be development at all under the Town and Country Planning Act. But like anything, there is one catch. The new living accommodation must still have some connection with your use of the main house. For instance, if your gran is living out there, she must still come into the house to eat. "Ooooh that's a studio apartment," penned a third. "It looks good!' claimed a fifth.
Daily Record
12 hours ago
- Daily Record
June warning to gardeners cutting their hedge this month
Trimming the hedges is a job that comes with risks, warn experts If you're desperate to get the garden in shape this summer, there's one job you may want to hang off setting about just yet. Cutting your hedge this month could land you in legal bother and see you fined or even facing jail time. That's because hedge cutting is covered by environmental law. And if you cut your hedge and damage or destroy a bird's nest in the process you can end up being prosecuted which can lead to an 'unlimited' fine. As the law stands, farm hedgerows cannot legally be cut between the dates of April 1 and August 31. In extreme circumstances, farmers can plead their case to cut hedges if they have a reason but it would require them to be granted a licence allowing them to do this. And while it is actually legal to cut a domestic hedge, gardeners would have to be extra careful there are no birds nest in it before getting the hedge trimmer out. If you do damage or destroy a hedge while cutting, intentionally or unintentionally, you are breaking the law, reports the Express. That's because many birds are still nesting and feeding their young in June. Experts at Husqvana explained: 'Under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it's an offence to intentionally damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it is being built or in use. That includes consciously using a hedge trimmer when there is a bird's nest in your hedge, and in the process of doing so, causing the nest to be damaged or destroyed." The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) backs this up. It says that a person is breaking that law if they intentionally damage a bird's nest while it's being used or built, and this applies to trimming hedges, saying: "The moment it becomes active, it is illegal to destroy it". Breaking this law could land you an unlimited fine and even six months in prison. The RSPB adds: "The consequences for the above, even in the event of harm to a single bird, nest or egg, is an unlimited fine, up to six months in jail or both. Suffice to say, it is certainly not a risk worth taking." They said: "Pieces of environmental legislation such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended are regulated by a combination of the police, Natural England / Natural Resources Wales / Scottish Natural Heritage (based on location), the Environment Agency, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC), the local authorities, the Partnership of Action against Wildlife Crime (PAW), various public bodies, and relevant organisations based on the endangered species in question. "Once an action breaking the rules of the Act has been carried out, the offence will inevitably result in a police investigation. "The police will enforce part 1 of the Act, as it focuses on the fundamental wildlife protection over wildlife species and what exactly necessitates a breach of the rules. "In fact, dedicated departments of the police specialise in breaches of environmental and wildlife laws, such as the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and Wildlife Crime Officers (WCOs). "Any law relating to the environment and wildlife are taken just as seriously as any other piece of active legislation. "Even in respect of a breach of the Act involving a single animal or habitat, the person responsible would be liable to pay a potentially unlimited fine, spend up to six months in prison, or possibly even both."
Edinburgh Live
15 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
British couple try Chinese takeaway in America and spot one big difference
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A British couple, James and Siana, recently tried Chinese takeaway in America for the first time and noticed a significant difference. In the UK, ordering 'a Chinese' is a beloved tradition, with favourites such as egg fried rice, chow mein, and sweet and sour chicken. Chinese takeaways are dotted all over the UK and are a popular choice for relaxed get-togethers with family or friends. For some families, getting a Chinese takeaway for dinner is a treat, while for others it's a convenient option when they don't feel like cooking. Americans also enjoy Chinese takeaways, and this British couple decided to document their experience of trying one in the US on TikTok. James mentioned that a Chinese takeaway "is normally very good in Britain", so they were "intrigued" to see how it compares in the US. Siana started by opening a "stunning" container of broccoli beef, noting that it "actually smells really good," reports the Mirror. Next up was orange chicken. James confessed that he had never tried this dish before in the UK, and Siana admitted she hadn't heard of it either but knew it's a "big thing" in the US. Upon opening the container, James took a whiff of the chicken and exclaimed: "Oh it smells amazing." Siana excitedly chimed in: "Ooh yum, that smells like sweet and sour chicken." They also ordered some chicken fried rice. The next dish left them puzzled. They explained that the item was labelled as egg rolls, but the couple thought they looked more like spring rolls. In their exploration of different Chinese takeaway options between the US and the UK, Siana questioned whether 'egg rolls' were simply a stateside term for 'spring rolls', imploring her viewers to weigh in. She also pointed out one key item missing from American Chinese takeaways: "The one thing that we're missing is prawn crackers." James chimed in, remarking on how they didn't receive the customary prawn crackers but instead got complimentary white rice: "They usually just put them in for free but it seems like they've just added some white rice for free. Maybe that's something they do here instead." Despite the lack of prawn crackers, they were pleased to find fortune cookies included. Tasting the egg rolls, Siana immediately noted their resemblance to chunkier spring rolls: "That's a spring roll but thicker." She expressed enjoyment at the heartiness of the roll, finding it "actually really nice." When they delved into the orange chicken, James declared it "really good" with both agreeing it bore a similarity to the sweet and sour chicken back home in UK takeaways. Their verdict on the broccoli beef was less enthusiastic, branding it "average" and somewhat uninspired in flavour. Siana however found its subtlety ="still quite nice." Digging into the chicken fried rice, the pair were unanimous in their approval, with Siana commenting it was "just your typical fried rice" and akin to that served in the UK. To clear up confusion over egg rolls versus spring rolls, The Food Network has differentiated the two on its website, noting that egg rolls are an American invention, while spring rolls have their origins in China. Egg rolls are known for their thicker skin, utilising a "wonton or thick, yeast dough wrapper", in contrast to spring rolls which boast a "more delicate, thin skin and use a spring roll wrapper." When it comes to what's inside, egg rolls are usually packed with "typically contain cabbage and meat", whereas spring rolls tend to be "traditionally vegetarian or vegan", although there are versions that feature meat or seafood.
