I spent this spring throwing several ollas (pronounced oyas) for my garden, and my tomatoes are absolutely loving them. My sungolds are like 10ft tall! If you’re looking for a fun garden project idea, read on.
Ollas are an irrigation method that’s been around for thousands of years. They’re porous ceramic jars buried in the soil that slowly release water directly to plant roots. They’re incredibly water-efficient, and my plants seem to like them even better than the drip irrigation I had installed before.
I throw mine with about 12 lbs of Cinco Blanco (half a bag per olla). It’s a high-porosity clay, which is annoying for dinnerware but perfect for this application. I only bisque fire them so they stay porous—I don’t glaze fire them. I think that traditionally, ollas are made from terracotta, but bisqued Cinco Blanco has worked great for me.
Each 12 lb olla holds about a gallon of water, so I only have to refill them every week or so. I space mine about 2 feet apart, although I suspect I could get away with spacing them a bit farther.
They’ve been a great introduction to throwing larger forms because it doesn’t matter what they look like—they’ll be buried anyway! And if the lid ends up a little too big the first time around, you can always glaze fire it afterward to shrink it a bit (which is why the olla below has a glazed lid 
).
I first got the idea after seeing the ollas sold by Dripping Springs Ollas, but as a maker, my immediate reaction was, “Cool, I could make that.” Perhaps you can relate.
