Terracotta Wet Pots: cheap and readymade.

[Dave Riley]

Terracotta isn't as cheap as it once was and adapting flower pots  for use as wet pots requires a talent to get 

the glueing just right.

However, there may be an option: Italian made terracotta wine cylinders. Some come with a saucer base which will serve as a lid.  Unlike flower pots these items turn up frequently in Op Shops so they are worth looking out for. They are deeper than many flower pots and you don';t have to seal any draiinage hole. 

I bought one today at St Vinnies for $3.00...

[Dave Riley]

Ollas: terracotta irrigation done cheap

I had a section of garden that I needed to irrigate but I didn't want to extend the "leaky' hose system I have installed for my vegetable growing. 

Reasons?: cost and convenience.

So I got myself some terracotta wine coolers instead.

Tip: drink the wine first. 

Unglazed Terracotta 'leaks' -- it sweats water because the clay remains porous:

Porous terracotta  pots buried under the soil slowly seep out water under the pressure of  gravity, keeping the soil moist and providing  ongoing local irrigation. These buried terracotta chambers are called Ollas or 'wetpots'.

It's an efficient and convenient method of watering. Since terracotta pots aren't so cheap nowadays I went shopping at local Op shops for unglazed wine coolers instead. I picked up 6 in a couple of hours op-shop shopping. The wine coolers don't require any adjustments before they can be put to use: no holes need filling or saucers glued into place. 

Just bury them and top with a lid (saucer, tile, rock or whatever).

[1qus0t4ainis1]

I've never heard of this, thankyou for posting :) I don't have a garden at the moment but will definitely keep it in mind.