Olla irrigation solves problems for gardeners who cannot irrigate frequently, and is a boon for plants that should not be irrigated frequently. Ollas allow gardeners who travel as well as gardeners whose irrigation frequency is limited by water conservation ordinance to irrigate infrequently while still maintaining the health and beauty of their garden plants.
An ollas (pronounced oh-yah) is a handmade terracotta clay pot used as an ancient method of drip irrigation for container gardening or ground applications. Ancient agrarian cultures living in or near desert regions have used olla irrigation methods for millennia.
here is an elegant solution in the form of self watering containers. The principle is simple. Rather than having a hole in the bottom of the pot, there is instead a reservoir of water. Potting soil is suspended above the water reservoir by means of a perforated barrier. Circular "wicking chambers" reach down into the reservoir and draw water up to the plant's roots.
