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Last Updated on April 29, 2025
I’m deep in my first real garden season, and let me tell you — watering every day is not the vibe. So when I found out about ollas (clay pots you bury that water your plants slowly), I had to try it.
Turns out, you can make your own for around $6 — and they work beautifully.
Here’s everything I’ve learned, including how to make your own olla, how to plant it, and a few beginner mistakes to avoid (yes, I made them so you don’t have to 😂).
What Is an Olla?
An olla is a buried clay pot that slowly releases water into the soil around your plants. They’ve been used for over 2,000 years — no electricity, no timers, just porous clay doing its thing.
The idea is simple:
You fill the olla with water, and it seeps out slowly through the pot walls, keeping your soil moist right at the root level.
It’s perfect for:
- Garden beds
- Raised beds
- Container gardening
- Lazy girl gardening in hot summers (hi, it me 👋)
How to Make a DIY Olla
What you need:
- 1 unglazed terracotta pot (like the kind you find at the garden store)
- 1 silicone wine stopper (or food-safe cork or tile plug)
- A bucket to soak it in
Step-by-step:
- Plug the drainage hole with the wine stopper.
- Soak the whole pot in water for a few hours (so it’s fully saturated).
- That’s it — you’re done!
Cost breakdown:
I spent about $6 per olla, compared to $30–50 for pre-made versions.
How to Plant an Olla
This is important — don’t just bury it and hope for the best.
- Dig a hole where you want your olla (I just scooped mine out with my hands — new beds FTW).
- Place the olla so the top lip is above the soil line — if it’s too low, you’ll get dirt and mulch inside every time you water.
- Pack the dirt back around the pot.
- Cover the area with mulch or straw.
- Fill the olla with water — and boom, you’re done!
Pro tip:
One olla can usually water plants in a 2–3 foot radius, depending on soil and weather.
Olla Mistakes to Avoid
Here’s what I learned the hard way:
- Don’t bury the whole thing — leave the top exposed.
- Don’t use glazed pots — water can’t seep through.
- Soak before planting or it won’t work right.
- Put them close to your plants’ root zones, not randomly in the bed.
Bonus: I Used ChatGPT to Plan Mine
Yup. I literally asked ChatGPT what size olla I needed for my beds and how many.
It helped me figure out spacing and coverage based on my layout — so I didn’t waste time (or clay pots).
Work smarter, not harder is the whole theme here. 😂
Watch It in Action
👉
@kelly_bejelly No $50 olla needed 😂 DIY for $6! #gardentok #lazygenius #firstgarden ♬ A Happy Farm – codemusic
Tools I Used (TikTok Shop links coming soon!)
(Affiliate links — thanks for supporting this lil garden experiment!)
Final Thoughts
If you’re a beginner gardener, or just tired of watering by hand every day, ollas are such a win.
They’re cheap, simple, and have already saved me a ton of time.
I’ll keep updating as I learn more this season — and if you’re on TikTok, come hang out!
👉 @kelly_bejelly
