Grow Bigger Veggies Than Ever With This Ancient Plant Pot Watering Hack

The long-winded answer to Monty Python's question "What have the Romans ever done for us?" needs another addition: Ollas. Pronounced "oy-as," it's a watering system that relies on a terracotta pot and a little science to irrigate plants. They're an ideal solution for veggie gardeners, especially those who live in warmer places. Ollas are so effective that they were used by farmers in China for thousands of years before Italians got wind of them. Although modern watering techniques, such as this method for tomatoes, have supplanted ollas, in recent years this ancient tech has made a welcome return to many people's gardens.

The way ollas work is elegantly simple. Take an unglazed terracotta pot (a glazed or painted one will not work) and plant it in the ground so just an inch or two of the pot sits above ground. If there's a hole in the bottom, seal it with foil or a flat tile. Then, fill the pot with water, cover it with either a terracotta or plastic lid, and go about your business.

Terracotta is a porous material, so over several days, the water inside will slowly drain into the surrounding soil, providing a continuous supply of hydration for your veggies, so they grow bigger than ever. In fact, they are so drawn to it that if you carefully lift out the olla, you may find it's been embraced by hundreds of roots. All you need to do is check the pot every few days, depending on how warm the weather is, and keep it topped up. No more disappointingly split tomatoes (which are prevented by consistent watering) and lots of big, beautiful veggies. 

Ollas rely on the suction force that exists between patches of wet and dry ground, known as soil moisture tension. Drier parts of soil pull moisture from wetter bits, and the ollas work in the same way. The soil wicks water through the pot, but here's the really clever part: it happens only when it needs to. If it rains and the soil is saturated, water stays in the ollas.

Keeping your veggie garden watered at the height of summer can be a nightmare; it all either seems to evaporate or run off the surface, leaving plants parched. While less water might give you spicier peppers or more flavorful tomatoes, that's not the case for all veggies. Ollas are a direct delivery system that's largely unaffected by above-ground conditions, so there's no waste or drain on your household water bill. They cut the risk of disease from overwatering, as you can check the level inside the pot every couple of days to see if it needs a top-up, while ollas also encourage the growth of deeper root systems, making for more resilient plants and bigger veggies, even amid unpredictable weather.

Using terracotta pots for ollas is great for the environment, too, as they're a robust, natural material that will eventually biodegrade. They also come in a range of sizes, so even if you have only a small plot or a single bed, you can still benefit from the ancient watering technique. Some gardeners even combine ollas with a drip system so their pots are constantly being topped up. All that's left for them to do is sit back and wait for a bumper veggie harvest!