Heading out on vacation and worried about your plants? Content creator and gardening expert Simon Akeroyd (@simonakeroydgardener) shared an ancient hack that waters your plants while you're away.
@simonakeroydgardener Using a porous terracotta pot to water your plants while you are away for a few days on holiday. It's an ancient irrigation technique called 'olla' Spanish for pot. Use larger pots if you are going away for longer.
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The scoop
In his TikTok video, Akeroyd demonstrates how to use an unglazed terracotta pot to keep plants watered while on vacation. By burying the pot near your plants and filling it with water, moisture gradually seeps through the pot's porous walls, delivering water directly to the roots over time.
In his caption, Akeroyd says, "Using a porous terracotta pot to water your plants while you are away for a few days on holiday. It's an ancient technique called 'Olla,' Spanish for pot."
He also adds a tip for when you have an extended stay away from home: "Use larger pots if you are going away for longer." A bigger pot means more water that will seep out and hydrate your plants.
You don't have to be on vacation to use this method either. If life gets busy and you can't tend to your plants every day, using the olla method is a great way to keep your plants happy when life gets in the way of your green thumb.
How it's helping
This gardening hack offers a hands-off approach to plant care, ensuring your plants receive a steady supply of water without daily attention.
It puts those empty terracotta pots you have lying around to good use, while minimizing water waste by delivering moisture directly to the roots.
Olla irrigation promotes plant growth and decreases the chance of over-watering your plants, only releasing water to the roots when and where it's needed.
Inefficient irrigation leads to significant water waste, with the Environmental Protection Agency estimating that up to half of outdoor water use is wasted.
Your home or community garden can use less water with various irrigation techniques. Using an olla pot or drip irrigation decreases water runoff and surface evaporation, which ultimately leads to major water waste.
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Every day 🥗 What everyone's saying
Users loved Akeroyd's tip, with one commenter saying, "I was looking for a method like this."
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And another chiming in, "Nice one! Gonna try that with my plants for sure. Thanks for the tip!"
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