Sunday, May 16, 2010

Ollas- Affordable Water Conservation



Irrigation of plants by means of ollas, unglazed pottery jars, is an ancient practice. It was brought to the American Southwest by Spanish settlers and adapted to local gardens by Native American gardeners as well as by the Spanish settlers.

Over time, modern systems were adopted, but these modern systems are not as efficient as irrigation by buried ollas. Modern systems, even surface drip irrigation systems lose more water to evaporation and are more likely to clog than ollas. When ollas are used properly, plant roots will proliferate around the moist clay jar, intercepting water before it can move through the soil by capillary action. This water intercepted by plant roots will then be used in the plant transpiration stream. This results in almost 100% of applied irrigation water being absorbed by the plants.

Our Ollas (pronounced “Oh-yas”) are made right here at  East Central Ministries by local folks.  They are based on the  ancient practice of burying unglazed clay pots in the  ground, then planting around the pot.  Water is then added to the pot, and it slowly seeps through, providing a super-efficient way to irrigate! Ollas are great for conserving water here in the Southwest.  In fact, they have been estimated to be more efficient than drip irrigation!  Available at East Central Ministries, Whole Foods, and other local nurseries.

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