They did write a nice article and hopefully we will see them here in the future:)

http://convenientresilience.com/2012/12/15/dripping-springs-ollas-simple-effective-irrigation/

DRIPPING SPRINGS OLLAS: SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE IRRIGATION

December 15, 2012 · by Convenient Resilience

The struggle of water conservation and allocation is constantly on the minds of those living in arid and semi-arid climate zones. This precious resource is stretched thin over these regions, with conservation ordinances in place that limit water usage for activities like growing your own food. But in a time where home food production is becoming increasingly important, how do we address small-scale, efficient irrigation in water-stressed regions?

Lori Haynes is from Dripping Springs, Texas, located just west of Austin. Ironic name for a town in Central Texas where water availability is a constant strain on the population. Lori and her husband settled there in 2009 and quickly made a conscious decision to use rainwater as their water source, rather than adding pressure on the areas underground sources. Once the move was squared away Lori began to pursue her gardening hobby, despite the challenge posed by Texas heat. However, the summer of 2011 brought a hard drought to Dripping Springs; “We had truck deliveries about once a month to deliver 2000 gallons and that supplied the house and any irrigation,” Lori says. “I had started researching different irrigation methods and I came across clay pot, or olla, irrigation.”

An olla (pronounced “oh-ya”) is a clay pot buried to the neck and filled with water. Unglazed and fired at a low temperature, the clay remains porous allowing water to seep through the walls and directly irrigate surrounding roots at a continuous slow rate. The agricultural benefits of olla irrigation are numerous: the soil surface remains dry, reducing compaction and weed germination. Additionally, runoff and evaporation are eliminated allowing plants to absorb nearly 100% of the water (giving ollas an application efficiency of nearly 100%). Other irrigation techniques are not nearly so efficient; of the main methods of irrigation, drip irrigation is the most efficient with an application efficiency of around 90%. Sprinkler irrigation and surface irrigation follow with application efficiencies of 75% and 60%, respectively. The high efficiency of clay ollas vastly reduces water loss as well as watering frequency, a win win for busy homeowners!

Lori could not find a local olla source, but was determined to test the technique out. She experimented by gluing two terra cotta pots together, and discovered that the overall idea behind the system worked incredibly well. She began talking to local potters about possible production, and after a long search found a pottery manufacturer who was willing to take on the project. Her goal was to make this “ancient technique of low tech, low cost irrigation” available to anyone looking for an irrigation solution, and ollas have demonstrated their success and versatility in many climates. Now, Lori’s terra cotta experiment has evolved into Dripping Springs Ollas, and her ollas are available at retailers in Texas, Louisiana, and Virginia.

Though we did not get a chance to visit Texas during our voyage, we maintained contact with Lori and thank her for her flexibility and support. We cannot wait to meet her in the future!

Hola everybody – December 2012

New OLLA installation at Venable School Garden.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Dripping Springs OLLAS in the fall garden.

Here in Central Texas, my favorite gardening time is the fall. I have only lived here a few years, so I am still learning, but you quickly find that we have two gardening seasons and if you like fresh greens the fall is perfect!

In this picture you can see my tomatoes, which are holdovers from the spring garden.  It gets so hot here in the summer that tomatoes don’t produce.  I had a nice crop early in the summer, pruned back, and now all of my plants are on their second round.  It was easy to keep them going through the summer by keeping the OLLAS full and by late summer/fall the roots were nicely developed and ready to go again!

This season I have added more coir (a substitute for peat) to the garden so that water wicks away from the OLLA farther and the soil holds moisture longer.  I have also changed to pine straw for mulch, which I am liking so far, because it is neat and does not compact easily.

I have put in several types of greens, I am finding those I have seeded are coming up well but I get impatient (don’t have room to start them inside) so I have also bought several plants.  After planting or seeding, I keep the plants watered for a bit so that the roots get established.  After that, I just keep the OLLAS full.

The “buried clay pot irrigation” — or “pitcher irrigation,” among other names — dates at least back to China more than 2,000 years ago.

Local gardeners and experts agree that the method is easy and effective for small-scale gardens. Unglazed pots are buried in the soil, with only the neck or top opening above the surface, where water is poured in. Plants are put in the soil near the pot, and because the pots are unglazed, the water seeps out its porous surface, keeping the plant roots moist. The pot can be refilled with water as necessary, and a lid covers the opening to help reduce evaporation and the presence of mosquitoes.

The ollas “virtually eliminate the runoff and evaporation common in modern irrigation systems, allowing the plant to absorb nearly 100 percent of water,” said horticulture specialist Curtis Smith in Austin Water’s February/March 2006 WaterWise publication. “Ollas are about the most water-efficient irrigation method available, and they’re incredibly simple to use.”

This technique also means fewer weeds grow because the surface soil does not get moisture.

Annelies Lottmann of Austin’s Urban Patchwork Neighborhood Farms, a nonprofit farm network, says clay pots have been used in some of the organization’s planting areas.

“Water is always on the top of our mind,” says Lottmann, who taught a workshop on this method in June. “It saves a lot of time as a gardener, in addition to saving water.”

http://www.statesman.com/news/lifestyles/home-garden/bury-the-pot-and-water-the-plants-with-gardening-t/nSLYz/

An Olla (pronounced oh-yah) is a handmade terracotta clay pot used as an ancient method of drip irrigation for container gardening or ground applications. Ancient agrarian cultures living in or near desert regions have used olla irrigation methods for millennia. Thought to have originated in Northern Africa and brought to the Americas by the conquistadors, research has also found ollas used in China over 4000 years ago.

How to Use an Olla

1. Bury the Olla in soil leaving the neck exposed.
2. Plant seeds or plants within 2” – 5” radius based on olla size.
3. Fill the Olla with water and let it do the work.

The water slowly seeps through the unglazed porous clay, directly irrigating roots that will encircle the jar to absorb leaking moisture.

Ollas virtually eliminate the runoff and evaporation common in modern irrigation systems, allowing the plant to absorb nearly 100 percent of water. In places with water conservation ordinances, ollas can help maintain a steady flow of water to plants because they also reduce the frequency of watering.

HT Growing Awareness Urban Farm