06-05-2025
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.
