One gardener utilized a little-known hack that revolutionized how their garden grew.

"This was my first year using Ollas in my garden," wrote the original poster on the subreddit "r/Permaculture." "My experience was completely positive!"

Ollas are involved in a method of gardening where an unglazed, porous terracotta pot slowly releases water for the plants. 

"Once filled up, the olla watering pot allows water to flow out into the soil surrounding your plants' roots," Chimney Sheep explained.

The scoop

To use ollas in your garden, you can either purchase specific olla terracotta pots or DIY them. One Redditor described how they created their own by using "a 4" pot with the drainage tray as a lid."

The OP found a four-square-foot space that had no herbicides or pesticides. They completely covered the ollas with approximately three bags of leaves in the fall while the snow "compacted [the ollas] down to a little mat about 2 inch thick."

Then the ollas do the work for you. They "are a simple and effective way of ensuring a constant trickle of water makes its way to your plants' roots as and when they need it," as Chimney Sheep shared. 

This gardener filled their ollas once every day or every other day, depending on the rain conditions.

How it's helping

Despite the ollas only being an experiment, the gardener found they worked fantastically.

"Last summer we had a period of about 2 months where we got little to no rain. Most plants struggled even when I was watering daily. This small section ... did the best out of the whole garden," the gardener explained.

How much time do you spend taking care of the plants inside or outside your home? Several hours a week One hour a week Less than one hour I don't have any plants Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

With dry weather conditions lurking as summer approaches, gardening methods that conserve water are vital for your garden. Natural ways that effectively get the most out of rainwater minimize your water bills while keeping your garden happy, even in the drier seasons.

The benefits of maintaining a thriving garden are extensive. Native plants ensure that your garden is resilient without as much upkeep and money invested. Meanwhile, growing your own food can keep you healthy while slashing your grocery bill. This gardener grew "a ton of tomatillos and celery" using their ollas.

At the same time, you're maintaining an ecosystem for pollinators to thrive — an important factor as pollinator populations are on the decline.

What everyone's saying

Redditors were impressed by the hack.

"It's always great to hear success stories like yours," wrote one person in the comments. "Ollas truly are game-changers when it comes to water conservation and maintaining healthy plant growth, especially during dry spells."

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