Make your own Drought Busting Ollas Inexpensively
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ต.ค. 2024
- I realize that many folks are blessed with an unlimited supply of water, where drought is not a problem. That is not a case where I live, which has resulted in me trying to figure out decent options for water conservation.
I use Pennington brand terra cotta pots to create water-conserving “Ollas.” The technique of using terra cotta pots has been used for millennia to manage water more efficiently in dry or arid countries. The area these pots were reportedly first created in was ancient North Africa.
In this video, I will show you three different techniques I use to create an Olla. Each technique costs about three dollars and fifty cents, which I consider inexpensive. Anyway, I hope I can give you some good Ideas on stretching your water usage. Additionally, if you are someone who worries about your plants when taking a weeklong vacation, then an “Olla” could be a solution for your concerns.
Here is a link to how I use them in the garden:
• Drought Busting Ollas ...
6-inch Terra cotta pots/saucers and GE silicon caulk were purchased at Home Depot. The Pennington pots hold about 1.5 quarts (48 ounces or 1.4 liters of water.) These are my favorites, as they are very simple to make.
[Three-year update: Still working very well in the same vegetable garden that is the hottest location in my yard. If you have a highly calcified water source, this could lead to the permeable terra cotta walls becoming fouled or clogged. Most people know if their water supply is highly mineralized as your plumbing would indicate it with premature piping problems or water heater failure. If you do have a water softener, then using your softened water would extend the olla's usefulness.]
Rubber stoppers/corks: www.amazon.com...
Or you could cement the hole and use the saucer as a cap. I find this easier and storing them for winter takes less space. in southern Australia where it is very hot and dry
I used plumber putty, and sank the pot to the bottom of the lip, and used the saucer as a cover. I used this year in triple digit heat, and the pots I used this method did extremely well, with minimal watering.
Far better than using silicone
I just put a well fitting cork in the hole and used the plates as lids
Good idea 💡 Especially for later storage..
@@Madamoizillion Use glazed plates for lids?
In December 2020 Weather channel stated that Canada might be getting a period of drought the next few years. We are on the prairies and have irrigation and there has been talk about restrictions. As a small seed grower business owner this is unsettling. Very nice of you to provide the different choices. I can see how these will work on our land. Thank you for your time. Hope your 2021 is successful. Blessings from Alberta Canada.
Thanks for your kind comment. I have been conserving water through other means as well. I want to share two videos that also have to do with water conservation.
The first link is recycling water from a washing machine. It has been a boon for us here in saving water (thousands of gallons annually). We have a septic system, which is what would be possible on the prairie, so the massive amounts of water for cleaning your clothes goes into the plants instead of the septic system. (If you use the simple system, you should be very mindful of the soaps/cleaners used.): th-cam.com/video/R8mP_RKKhLI/w-d-xo.html
This simple water can produce such good results and allows you to monitor you water use and conserve it. I consider it an important factor in water conservation: th-cam.com/video/MgLZBscrEtU/w-d-xo.html
Bless you in Canada!
And we can even say we weren’t told. The climate change folks haven’t shut up about it for 20 years. We should have listened but those dang petro dollars can buy a lot of propaganda
I'd be curious as to your results. This summer was very dry and hot in southern Ontario. I basically gave up on my cucumbers since I'm not really diligent enough to do the daily watering they needed
These are great for watering large pots but a long terra cotta trough would be great. Plants could grow on either side in rows.
I agree. I wish I owned a kiln. If you make them, would really like to know how they work.
@@doityourselferhomeandgarde9732 Search for videos about firing without a kiln, I think you will be pleasantly surprised, also it is better for terracotta since it is usually fired at lower temperatures anyway.
@@jesterjunk
THANKYOU
Great ideas on ollas. another technique I am trying is to seal the hole in the bottom of a larger terra cotta pot which I bury straight into the ground, fill with water, and place a saucer over the top. This gives me the comfort of being able to verify if the pot is ever cracked and is easier to remove for winter storage. Thank you for such a wonderful video.
I just made my first one out of two pots glued with silicone at their tops and a rock with silicone to cover the bottom pots hole. It's working well. The mortar seems overkill and creates a step that might keep people from trying this if they are busting ass to plant right now. Just know it does work without mortar. Not everyone needs a pot to last 10 years. love the plastic bottle one.
Sounds like you found exactly what you wanted and went for it. Great to hear from a diy-er. Thanks for watching!
@@tf4606 he displayed how long it took the water to "wick", keeping the tera cotta wet, the soil would draw the water.
Do you bury the pot in the bigger pot?
Isn’t silicon sketchy for food safety?
@@massimoscipioni8434 i don‘t know about the Food safety of silicone, but a german TH-camr has used beeswax.
You could put your mortar in a heavy zip bag and cut off a corner and use it like a baker's piping bag he uses for icing a cake!
Sounds like it would work but it doesn't. Easier to just use your hands and do your best
Stop w the plastic use when it’s not necessary.
@@forestcats Stop telling people how to live, focus on your own flaws.
@@Erizedd 😄🦃
I would like to see how you place them (the ollas) in your pots or garden. This was interesting video. Thank you.
Here's a link to using them in the garden: th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
These DIY would be adequate for planters. I don't see them replacing what I have for larger needs. For gardens, I bought commercial made ollas with saucer type tops, but are very large bulbous vessels that are buried. The top allows easy refills, usually every other day, but this year was daily. That shape allows the roots to wrap around it. I use them for tomato and squash plants due to high risk of powdery mildew in our area from surface moisture. The watering from beneath kept weeds down, didn't have to weed, but use row covers and winter tarping as weed and pest control, too. To keep costs down, I bought a large number at one time getting bulk discount that cut cost in half from a dealer. In winter, I clean and store them to prevent breakage from freezing.
If someone lived in an area with no snow / ice in winter would it be possible to leave these buried all year?
@@giftofthewild6665 They hold moisture if there is any, that moisture will freeze in frost temperatures, expand and crack the pot. Thick mulch could be enough to prevent that, but with other maintenance on veg gardens yearly getting them out makes less hassle and risk.
I have also seen home-made Ollas with two pots rim to rim with the silicone bond between and silicone plugging the hole of the bottom Olla pot. I like your technique and will try with the mortar mix used.
Had never heard of Ollas before this video Tom. Great idea. We're definitely going to incorporate these into our garden this year. Thank you for sharing.
Check out how to make your own olla from potter's low fire clay. It's super simple.
@@daniellehaggard7401 is it possible to cure this in my stove oven, or does it need a fire? Thank you for any info
@@judithdriscoll2934 I think you can do it in a fire pit under wood. Haven't tried it myself yet. Very interesting though. Many people just make a row of logs, add the dry pottery, and add wood and kindling above, and then fire it that way. As long as it fires under 500° F, you should be able to. I only work with the small clays and glass.
@@daniellehaggard7401 thank you for this information. Bought pots are expensive here, or way too small
@@judithdriscoll2934 check this out.
th-cam.com/video/VaX1iOyKsB0/w-d-xo.html
Dude these are so cool! I'm just getting into gardening this year and have so much to learn. I loved your video.
Try making one with a small pot inverted in a larger pot. Basically the same as the first design you showed but with another pot in place of the bottom plate
Thank you for this video. I am gearing up to use alternative ways to water my new trees, bushes etc over our next summer period.
That’s November to April where we live.
We have quite serve summer droughts here in New Zealand, and it’s been reported that this coming summer is going to be hotter than last year. Last year it was so dry our creek dried up and we had to buy water. We live off the grid and we harvest our own water.
We have approx 50.000 litres storage ( sorry have no idea what that’s in gallons, funny that America is the only one of three countries in the world that use imperial measurements). Thanks again, your ideas are a big help
Water, where I live in Southern California, has been an issue for well over a decade.
I use a homemade watering can for selected plants and trees in the ground. Here is a link to an inexpensive watering can. It works really well and is very cost effective. Hope it gives you some ideas/possibilities:
th-cam.com/video/MgLZBscrEtU/w-d-xo.html
(After watching the video, the quarter-inch microtubing connected to the container could easily be fitted with emitters that could regulate the flow from an extremely slow drip to a steady but slow flow of water.)
You have a super computer at your fingertips to translate measurements in seconds!
Super helpful. I am going to watch part two right now. I hope to use this method because here in Austin I get 100 degrees as well!
Sounds great!
You can also put two pots together, seal the bottom of one and fill thru thehole in the bottom off the other
Thanks for creating & sharing this, Do It Yourselfer 🕊
Always!
You can also buy terracota jugs and plant them in the ground or even use it to attach ferns/orchids to them.
Late to this comment, but this a really great idea!!
The video wasn't fancy, it was just old school.
Thanks for sharing.
I made some terracotta pot olla's and they work great
I use those terra cotta pots filled with wet sand to “refrigerate”food.vegetables stay fresh longerwith the cool humidity
That's a great idea!
This sounds really interesting and useful - how do you do this exactly?
@@Erizedd if u don’t just set the pot in the creek like I do,u can find 2 terracotta pots that fit one inside the Other.preferable no holes.but no important.put sand between the 2 and wet it.set veggies in the clean inner pot and put a lid on covering both pots.set in shade.a root cellar would b ideal and they r easier than u think.the cold wet sand Will chill the inner pot and keep veggies moist and cool but not soggy.I think it’s called a zehir pot.India makes small terracotta refrigerators like that.maybe google international food storage solutions.
I closed the hole and use the saucer for cover. Later on I found terracotta pots without a hole in the bottom, even easier.
Very clever way to make these using the existing holes and structure
While travelling in PR in the 80s I bought to vases which turned out to be Ollas, and I wasn't gardening back then.
Nice!
That's a great idea. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thanks for this tutorial! I'm just curious, though, as to whether these would add any harmful chemicals to the soil in a vegetable garden. You said the mortar is caustic. Thanks again. I love these ideas!
As mortar is wet it before dries and cures, it is caustic to the skin. When mortar dries and cures, it is not caustic. From reservoirs/dams and swimming pools, cement products are what most people in developed countries rely on to deliver water to their farms and homes.
you guys are so smart, these ideas are great
Wow! Merci from Montreal, Canada.
I like your ingenuity. Probably, though you should remove them during winter. Water will freeze in the terra-cotta pot sides and split them. It’s why I moved away from terracotta in my garden even though I love the material. Got tired of buying new vessels every few years.
Great idea!
thanks for this tip!
Great ideas from you and your fans. Thanks!
Thank you very much for sharing 👍🌹
Thanks for visiting my channel
Very interesting video. I had never heard of these. Thank you for doing the video.
Quá tuyệt vời, quá tuyệt vời cô ơiiiiii, điều em chờ cũng có rồi 😁 Em cảm ơn cô nhìu ạaaaaaa 😍
Thanks for this great vido showing us all the options!
The easiest to create and my favorite is the one that I only use silicone to join the pieces of terra cotta.
I mulch with old hay, wood whips, newspapers, … anything I can get my hands on. Old, rotten hay can be had for free or really cheap money. I rake leaves to the driveway and mulch them under my tires before they end up in the garden. I use an old blender and grind up kitchen scraps, putting the slurry into the garden for the worms.
I'm not a very good gardener and a skinflint too so I tried this idea using plastic milk cartons. Drilled holes with a 1/32 drill bit, buried them up to their necks and planted around each one ( I wanted to let the water out faster because I live in mosquito infested area and don't want to help them procreate.). Any way pretty successful idea and once the plants grow you can't see the milk cartons. But I love his idea of using the clay pots and will at least try one to see if they harbor mosquitoes. They're so much prettier than milk cartons!
@@cynthiawadeson8843 As long as you keep the Ollas plugged at the top, and only uncork them to add water, mosquitos won't enter. Same goes for the milk cartons - keep the lid on tight and the water will only drip out of the holes under the dirt, not leaving any obvious areas of water for mosquitoes to procreate on the surface. Then put mulch on the top of the soil (about 25mm deep) and it will not only stop the mosquitos from reaching the damp soil, but also keep the soil from drying out in the hot sun, and keep the plant roots cool. The only thing I'd warn you about is that plastic bottles, especially recycled plastic, can leach into the water and soil over time, and then be taken up by the plant. Therefore it's not the best idea for any edible plant.
Going to try and make my own pots. Thank you your video started it!
Just discovered your channel. Thank you so much for sharing this pot watering hack!
Fantastic idea! Sending love and greetings from Missouri ♡
Thank you! 😊
Thank you for sharing. Which one would you say you like better or that serves its purpose better?
The larger ones with corks are the most effective for my purposes. They offer more water over a longer duration of time. The double-caulked plate and pot is the easiest to make and equally effective; next growing season, I am going to make another dozen or so of them, as they do effectively hydrate plants in peak temperatures.
@@doityourselferhomeandgarde9732 I would have to go with the larger one as well that doesn't have any mortar, because mortar and cement both increase soil pH which is a big No-No here in the desert.
Great idea, thanks for sharing
Couldn't you just use mortar for the first step instead of caulk?
Thanks for sharing, very cool idea!
I have not tried it. Therefore, I am not sure
Brilliant! Thank you. 😊
💪💪brilliant will have a go thank you clever 🌱
Making ollas is now on my list for winter take! Where did you find the pots for such a !ow price?
Home Depot
Very interesting. Got me hooked.
algo-jazz, cus even the smallest YTr deserves recognition ;) - and its a good vid
THANK YOU for sharing!🤗💖
I've never had a problem with mortar on my skin. If you are concerned about it, you can keep a jar of water or the hose nearby. I am finishing mortaring tile onto the concrete of my porch.
I have worked for many years with various types of cement products, concrete, mortar and stucco (including grout). All of those products give caveats on how import it is to protect your skin, etc.. Please read your product label carefully and follow its instructions.
Thank you so much for this amazing information, sooooo cool
Brilliant idea.
Thank you! I have been thinking about ollas and the price doesn't fit my budget.
thanks for this great vid!👍❤
how many pots do you use in a raise garden bed. Like how far apart should they be from each other
Great question (There is a link at the bottom on using them in the garden). Tomato, cucumbers, and zucchinis I've discovered about 8 to 10 inches from a young transplant is good. Peppers, my experience is only with the Poblano chili, about 12 inches away as their roots become incredibly strong and can push the olla up.
This year I am growing four tomato plants in my raised garden in one section. If you imagine a four cornered box that is 32 by 28 eight inches, I have a tomato plant each of those corners. I placed two 50 ounce ollas in the center of that imaginary box at about 10 inches from the two sets of tomato plants.
Tomato Plant = X
Olla/pot = O
X X
O
O
X X
I hope that above diagram did not become garbled.
Here is my link to using the olla/pot in the garden: th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for sharing this. I saw part 2 first. I misses what you used for the white hole plugs?
White corks/stoppers are size #3. Here is the link: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y31V5YM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Nice video thank you
Great video, very informative! I wanted to ask, though, what do you think of the idea of a "reverse olla?" By "reverse olla", a term I created....Say you have lots of small flowerpots, or pots about the size of the olla you were making, with plants in them. Since you couldn't make an olla small enough to fit inside of the small flowerpoots (and a lot of ours are rootbound as we have had them for a long time, and drought is hitting us HARD here in california), I thought of this concept and am thinking of putting it into action. So, say, you take a terra cotta flowerpot, unglazed, transplant your flowers into it, and then PUT IT INSIDE of a larger plastic pot, with a one inch or two inch gap between the outer and inner, so that the water from outerpot seeps INTO the terra cotta pot. Hence, "reverse olla." What do you think of this concept? For flowerpots too small to put an olla into, I mean?
You seem to have an extremely intelligent idea that seems to offer progression to save water in that it slows the transference of it with consideration for the plant. I hope you conduct the process and share your experience. Awesome!
@@doityourselferhomeandgarde9732 So, I typed in "Reverse Olla" into Google after I commented last night, and found that, not only is someone doing it but has made an attractive looking, artful product that incorporates my idea. Complete with rain drainage and aesthetics. But...the product she's made looks like it's going to be expensive to buy. But, yes, reversed olla DOES work as she has shown on her website.
leaplato.design/rootine.html
I did not think of the drainage. But I'm going to make one of my own with the following plan:
1. Buy a terra cotta pot like the size you use and a bigger plastic pot that it can fit inside of.
2. in the plastic pot, drill a hole in the bottom the same size as the hole in the bottom of the terra cotta pot.
3. Connect a plastic tube 1 inch or so between the two holes, and caulk both holes in both pots.
4. seal off the other holes in the plastic pot.
5. Put some spacers to support the weight of the clay pot over the bottom of the plastic pot.
5. Get a tin foil or plastic plate that fits over the plastic pot.
6. Cut a hole out of it the same size as the terra cotta pot.
7. transplant into the terra cotta pot and then fill the outer pot with water.
That way, the water from the plastic pot will seep into the clay pot, and if it rains then the overflow or excess water in the clay pot will drain out the bottom and also keep the bottom of the terra cotta from becoming slimy and bacteria-ridden.
What’s the distance between plants per olla? Say I have a raised bed garden that is 8x5 (sq foot garden). How many Ollas should I put?
@@twinpeaksfanclub5493 Fantastic design concept, thank you for sharing!
Basically the concept of bottom watering. Have you tried your idea and did it work? You could push in a wicking material from the bottom of the pot to transport water from outside to inside the soil where it will be soaked up (think of the small self watering plants at Lowe’s where you see a tray of water and fabric sticking out the bottom of the pots).
I am going to make a bunch of these. *
Good information and going to make some soon,. What are the sizes of the pot and saucer?
I’m confused, how do you actually use these to keep plants watered?
You dig a hole, put the olla in, leaving only the bung hole visible, then add water. It will slowly wick the water out into the dry soil surrounding it (water won't wick out of it if the soil is wet, so it doesn't get wasted if there is rain) and plant roots will automatically grow towards the moist soil. How far the water will wick through the surrounding soil depends somewhat on the size of the olla (total surface area of the pot, not the volume of water it contains) and the dryness and composition of the soil. There's a general rule of thumb for how often to place them, but I don't remember what it is.
The benefit of doing this instead of just watering your garden with a hose is that the water can last several days in the pots, so that covers your garden if you're going to be gone. Also, it's considered watering from underneath, so it's more beneficial to plants and avoids sunburn and mildew and all those other things plants can suffer from if you wet the leaves at the wrong time of day/in the wrong conditions. But most importantly of all for people in desert climates is this doesn't waste any water to evaporation, unlike top-down watering.
Here's a link to how I use them in my garden: th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
Great video, thank you 👍
i put a penny on the drainage hole and seal with silicon, works if you don't need to bury them and means the water delivers higher
Im going to use a pot and saucer for a water trough for my chickens! I hop it works. 😁
Very interesting !!! SUPERLIKED
Fantastic!
So where are these placed? It just shows me how to make them.
th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
great idea thanks
Glad you liked it!
Very nice ideas... just wondering if the fungicide in the caulk in contact with water would be detrimental to the soil flora and fauna..
Last year my vegetables and flowers did very well. I will include a link to using the "Ollas Part Two." It will show you them in use and about 6 weeks of growth. Here's the link: th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
What are those white things in the bottom of the pots?
#3 Corks. Here's I link to using the ollas. th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
Sera posible armar un tubo de este material que abarque todo un bancal y enterrarlo ?
Question:"Is it possible to assemble a tube of this material that covers an entire terrace and bury it?"
Answer: Nunca lo he probado, pero suena como una gran idea. Si haces cerámica de terracota y tienes el horno para hacerla, o algo parecido, sería brillantemente maravilloso. (I have never tried it, but it sounds like a great idea. If you make terra cotta pottery and have the oven to make it, or anything like it, would be brilliantly marvelous)
How do you place them in the garden? For you bury them under the soil?
th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
I found your channel while searching for ways to conserve water and still grow my veggies in keyhole gardens. God bless you for sharing your knowledge with all of us. I did have a question, not only am I interested in making the Ollas but I am also interested in repurposing things I have lying around. For me, this means thinset. Can I use something such as thinset on the ollas instead of mortar (they may be the same thing, I"m not sure)? Can you advise?
I haven't tried it. Let me know how it works out for you.
@@doityourselferhomeandgarde9732 Will do.
if the mortar is toxic, why are you putting it into your garden ?
"Caustic" It cures in 28 days. Cement planters have been around for centuries. It's the initial reaction of the materials. Once it cures it is safe. Think swimming pools, canals, and massive dams all made of like materials.
I'm confused do you fill the pots after you seal the pots then what do you do with them I'm a beginner.
It’s been hard to figure out how many do you need in your raised bed. Can you give a little info on that plz 😊
This is how I use them: th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
Researchers have also found them used in China up to 4,000 years ago.
Can you add fertilizer to the water? Would it be available to the plants or would it be trapped in the olla?
I have never tried it, as I agree with you that it would probably be trapped in the pours of the olla.
I do see a follow up video. Did they work? U have to make one for each plant? Trying to see if this is feasible in a container if u have to make one per plant
Here is how I use the Olla's Video:th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
Brilliant idea
Thank you Sanjay. If you are commenting on my construction of the olla, I appreciate it. The North Africans of antiquity are the geniuses of this watering technique.
I will implement your ideas in my garden to simplify life. :)
Would you mind if I share your videos with some of my gardening friends.
Great! Glad to hear it.
Hi there, this is a great video but you didn't show us what you used as a drainage hole stopper at the top for option 3. I want to duplicate this method on my own.
Thanks!
Option three, being a plastic sports water bottle from the Dollar Tree store, came with the cap.
I use the plastic bottle when establishing trees
Can you please list the things you are using in the description below so we know what to buy .THX
All pots and saucers are Pennington.
On the cemented pot, G.E. 100% silicone caulk that's 100% waterproof was used. After the caulk dried, I used Quikrete mortar mix. The pot was 6 inches and the saucer was 8 inches.
The double-caulked pot was 6 inches and saucer are 6 inches.
All were bought at Home Depot. It is important to go there and inspect the pots and saucers to make sure there are neither cracks or irregularities in the manufacturing process. Selectivity and checking for fit is very important. The cork size for all the drainage holes are #3 (standard used wine corks fit, too). If a different sized pot is used, the drainage hole will be a different diameter and need to be measured for appropriate cork size.
The plastic-water-bottle pot is 4.25 inches. The plastic water bottles were purchased at the Dollar Tree Store. Using another type of plastic bottle is fine. Just make sure it fits the pot. The bottom of pot and upper seam, where the bottle and top rim meet, Quikcrete mortar was used. Using any standard mortar will work. The white filler used was vermiculite (using clean sand or pea gravel would also work).
The easiest pot to make is the double-caulked one. Making them either smaller or larger to meet your needs is also possible and encouraged. Just go to one of the big box stores and see what works for you.
Thank you so very much .You have explained each and everything in detail .I really appreciate that you have taken your time to elaborate every single detail.Very kind of you .Bless your heart
Very clever~! 😉
Thank you! 😊
I know this is an older video. Not sure anyone will read it but maybe I'll get lucky. Where did you get the corks? At least I think they're corks...the plug you have in them at the end. I can't tell what they are made of. Would clay/cement plugs work as well? Thank you! This was an outstanding video. I've never seen these before. I'm going to make some tomorrow for my garden! 😊
There is information in about the corks in the video's description. In case you are interested in how I use them in the garden, this a link to that video: th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
@@doityourselferhomeandgarde9732 thank you very much!
Great video
Thanks for the visit
Seems like I would forget about messing with the pots and just do it all in the spring time.
Can fix cracks with the same silicone used to make them.
Can make your own clay pots too. Not hard.
Also, never good to water Tomatoes 🍅 ☝🏻except from below as they don’t like their leaves wet and it causes fungus.
Every time I see tomatoes 🍅 overgrown - or they’re using a watering can 🪴🚿 I know that 🪴 don’t know what they are doing 😊😂❤and I’m no gardener
What size stopper did you use to plug the hole?
I used a #3 rubber cork. But be careful to measure the diameter of the hole as different sized pots have various sized drainage holes.
If you know someone who is a wine drinker, collect their corks, as the standard size is really close. I literally just took a standard sized wine cork out to my garden removed the rubber stopper and put in the cork, and it fit quite nicely.
How close to the plant do these need to be?
This is a link to how I use them in the garden:
th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
like the water bottle version
Esquire I am concerned how long is the “seepage” life of the terracotta pot ? ie how long it takes the pores to choke by minerals in the water.
I am on my third year of using them. They still work. Make a few and decide on your experience. (My favorite olla is the one with a terra cotta saucer and pot, using only clear Bathtub and kitchen sink caulk.)
What kind of mortar mix did you use?
Quikcrete mortar mix
what did you use for the cork?
What’s the point of the mortar? I think I’d just put a cork in the bottom hole and put it in the ground right side up and use the saucer as a lid to fill it easily
If it’s caustic on your skin… I don’t think I want mirror in my garden with my plants and earthworms…
But I love the idea of making something like this
It's not caustic once it cures. Give it 28 days.
Would a lime paste work? I prefer products closer to nature. I would rather reapply something natural if needed. I know lime can be used in showers when properly burnished.
Do you have a recipe you can share?
what do you use for a stopper at the top of the olla, also how many ollas would you need in a 4 x 8 ft bed or a 22inch pot
A number #3 rubber stopper or cork.
As for how many pots per bed, myself I would determine how much water each plant might require and calculate plant spacing which would give me an estimate of how many ollas.
Are you sure it started in Africa and not India? Ancient Vedic times seem to surpass even Ancient Egyptian times so it would make sense these pots were used in India long before history was recorded. I know Ghee was stored in them as well as water.
Can you put these in 5 gallon buckets
This is how I use them: th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
Great
Wine 🍷 corks should work for the 🕳️ holes
I have 3 raised beds each is about 3x5. my question is how many Water pots will I need for that square footage.
I’m in Zone 8B so drought not issue but beds are direct sun 8 hours daily in summer months.
Pots will be used when I can’t be there to water while away
Thanks C
What types of plants are you growing in your 15 square foot beds? And what quality or consistency of soil, either sandy or loamy, meaning water retention do you believe you have?
Thank you for such an interesting question.
Here's a link that shows them in use. I hope that it will give you some ideas. th-cam.com/video/VDheEe0uGb8/w-d-xo.html
What kind of mixture you used around these pots ?Thanks
All pots and saucers are Pennington.
On the cemented pot, G.E. 100% silicone caulk that's 100% waterproof was used. After the caulk dried, I used Quikrete mortar mix. The pot was 6 inches and the saucer was 8 inches.
The double-caulked pot was 6 inches and saucer are 6 inches.
All were bought at Home Depot. It is important to go there and inspect the pots and saucers to make sure there are neither cracks or irregularities in the manufacturing process. Selectivity and checking for fit is very important. The cork size for all the drainage holes are #3 (standard used wine corks fit, too). If a different sized pot is used, the drainage hole will be a different diameter and need to be measured for appropriate cork size.
The plastic-water-bottle pot is 4.25 inches. The plastic water bottles were purchased at the Dollar Tree Store. Using another type of plastic bottle is fine. Just make sure it fits the pot. The bottom of pot and upper seam, where the bottle and top rim meet, Quikcrete mortar was used. Using any standard mortar will work. The white filler used was vermiculite (using clean sand or pea gravel would also work).
The easiest pot to make is the double-caulked one. Making them either smaller or larger to meet your needs is also possible and encouraged. Just go to one of the big box stores and see what works for you.
Is the caulk and mortar toxic? Will the chemicals seep into the water for your plants. Is there a natural material or natural method that can be used?
No. Let the caulk cure. Mortar is a cement-based product. Most large water systems, be they water-delivery channels or massive dams are based on cement (concrete).
@@doityourselferhomeandgarde9732 Can I use the quikrete stuff?
Where do you find terracotta pots for less that 20.00?
I purchased the larger Pennington pots and saucers at Home Depot back when I converted them to ollas. They were much less than twenty dollars. With the tax in my state, each olla cost less than four dollars.