Handmade terracotta ollas, made in Brisbane.
Ollas (pronounced oy-yahs) are unglazed clay pots you bury in the soil. Fill them with water, the porous walls slow-release moisture straight to the roots, and you water less, deeper, and cleaner than any watering can or drip line. People have used them for 4,000+ years — these are wheel-thrown in my Brisbane studio, with the clay, wall thickness, and firing dialled in over hundreds of throws.
Capillary action, not electronics.
The clay body is porous — fired to bisque temperatures but never glazed, so water can seep through the walls. When the surrounding soil dries out, it pulls moisture through the clay and straight to the root zone. When the soil is already wet, nothing moves.
The result: water goes exactly where plants need it, not on the surface where it evaporates or runs off. Water use drops 50–70% vs surface watering, and plants put down deeper root systems because that's where the moisture sits.
No pumps, no timers, no plastic tubing. Just clay, water, and soil doing what they've done for thousands of years.
Four steps. Ten minutes.
- 01
Pick the right size
Small 15cm olla for planters and smaller pots — waters about a 0.3–0.5m² root zone. Large 25cm for garden beds, raised planters, or very large containers — waters about a 0.7–1m² root zone. When in doubt, size up.
- 02
Bury the body
Dig a hole so the entire olla body sits below soil level, with just the neck and lid showing. The neck should stand 2–4cm proud of the soil so rain and mulch don't wash debris in.
- 03
Backfill + plant
Pack soil firmly around the olla — no air gaps, or the water can't wick out. Plant your seedlings within 30cm of the olla; roots will find it.
- 04
Fill and cap
Fill the neck with water. Put the lid on to slow evaporation and keep bugs out. Check again in 3–7 days — refill when empty.
Ollas love thirsty roots.
Vegetables
Tomatoes, capsicum, basil, cucumbers, leafy greens. Anything with a deep or wide root zone thrives beside an olla.
Fruit + herbs
Strawberries, blueberries, Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage). Slow-release watering suits them perfectly.
Ornamentals
Drought-tolerant natives, roses, shrubs in raised beds. Less waste compared with surface watering — plants drink deeper.
Will last for years.
- · Wipe the lid occasionally if algae forms on the rim — just water and a cloth.
- · Bring ollas indoors or wrap them for hard frosts — unglazed terracotta can crack if water freezes inside.
- · Rinse the inside with water (no detergent) if sediment builds up. No other maintenance needed.
- · At end of season, dig up, rinse, and store dry. They'll outlive the garden bed.
Get an olla for your garden.
Handmade terracotta, thrown in Brisbane. Two sizes — small for planters, large for beds. Pickup from Indooroopilly or post on request.
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