Building a New Autofill Olla Watering System From Thirsty Earth

[@compassrosette411]

M'Li, you're such a good teacher, very easy to understand and so thorough. I still remember things you taught me 20 years ago. I love how efficient ollas are and the company did a great job in making the system simple in design and easy to put together. I tried making my own ollas out of clay pots a few years ago and they didn't seem to wick the water to the soil very well. Having these cups purpose made for wicking is definitely a plus, and their smaller footprint in the garden takes up less root space than the terra cotta pots. Thank you for your review, I'm looking forward to following the progress.

[@gardenwiseadventures]

Thank you! I love the smaller footprint, too!

[@thethirstyearth5387]

This is awesome! Thank you for the review. Lovely garden!

[@gardenwiseadventures]

I really love your product!

[@darrelldixon8745]

Hi M'Li, Darrell here. Nice video. I have 2 suggestions: 1) Maybe stress that ollas cannot be left in the ground in freezing temperatures. They must be dug up, emptied and stored in an area that doesn't freeze in the winter. 2) Since the water comes into the reservoir through a float valve, it doesn't need to be on a timed system. It can be connected to a line that is always pressurized like the main line from the house. The float valve will allow the reservoir to always be full and not overflow.

[@gardenwiseadventures]

Hey Darrell, I am so glad to see you here! I am going to be doing some follow-up videos and will definitely stress these two things! They are important! I am glad you brought up that they don't need to be on a timed system. That is hugely helpful!

[@bensbackyard4155]

Would it need to be taken out in the winter here?

[@thethirstyearth5387]

If you experience hard freezes over winter, yes. A hard freeze is defined as sustained temperatures at or below 28* F

[@bensbackyard4155]

@@thethirstyearth5387 in Salt Lake it's usually a continuous hard freeze for a few months, so I'd have to take them out, thank you.

[@gardenwiseadventures]

That is my understanding. I think they would not do well if they freeze, kind of like the above ground terracotta pots.

[@loriedavis9410]

I did some diy olla’s 4 years ago. I made sure they were dry and left them in the ground for several winters with no problems. On this system I would pull off the lids and cover the part left in the ground so water couldn’t get in them, that’s what cracks terra-cotta pots. Also I leave my potted bleeding heart out all winter, if you place a piece of garden hose cut to the dirt level in the pot when filling it it provides a space for the freezing soil to expand so your pot won’t crack.

[@thethirstyearth5387]

@@loriedavis9410 what zone are you in? We've left some out over winter and had them crack. When they were left in a covered greenhouse, they didn't. We came to the conclusion they were picking up ambient moisture from the soil during rain and snowfall in the cases where they didn't make it.

[@lorihanby6733]

This is pretty cool! I especially like the size of the cups. Since you already had a drip system set up what was your main reason for trying this? Do you think this will save you water over the existing drip system you already had? Do you think it will give better water coverage for your plants? Since you hooked up to your automatic system I’m trying to understand what you think the pros will be to using this instead of the drip since the main water buckets/reservoirs will only fill up when your automatic system is running. I’ll be very interested to see if you end up liking this better.

[@gardenwiseadventures]

That is a great question! I had always wanted to try Ollas because my biggest goal is to be as water efficient as possible. I just couldn't find a system that didn't require purchasing and then individually filling a ton of different Ollas. When I saw the kits this company offered, it seemed to solve everything I saw as issues. They are auto fill, the kits come with enough ollas to fill the size garden bed you have, and it seemed really easy to put together. So far, my plants are doing amazing, and it is taking far less water than my beds with regular irrigation. I am thinking about expanding to other beds. I do need to do a bit more research, though. I read somewhere that there are certain plants that don't do as well with Ollas. We will see how it goes!

[@thevikingwolfpack836]

Those 2' wide beds I've got some the same an I've only got like 5 to 6 about 2' apart down the midof them an my beds are staying plenty wet so you know.

[@gardenwiseadventures]

That's good to know! I would like to experiment with the number of cups and see what works best! How high above the bed is your reservoir?

[@thevikingwolfpack836]

@@gardenwiseadventures sitting on top of 1" thick boards across the top of the beds with the bucket connected to my rain barrels with the barrels on blocks about even with the bucket.

[@gardenwiseadventures]

Thanks, that helps! I love that you are using rain barrels to fill your reservoirs! That is the ultimate in water efficient gardens!

[@lorihanby6733]

Did you try having the auger running when you pull it out? Other gardeners I’ve watched use one do that and it seems to pull the dirt out better and piles it around the hole.

[@gardenwiseadventures]

I did. My soil was just too soft. Great for the plants, and fortunately easy to dig with a trowel!