Staff Writer, Nicole Meyer-Greene
Gardening / Sustainability
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In the hot Arizona sun, do you feel you are doing nothing but watering your plants day after day?
There may be a simple and economical solution to over watering your yard: clay pots. In the article, Clay Pot Irrigation - a simple adaptation of an ancient technique, gardeners are shown how to use clay pots to water their plants.
Get hold of an ordinary 25 cm (10 inch) terracotta pot. Plug the hole with a wine cork. Bury it almost up to its neck in the soil but not too deep so that soil falls into the pot. Fill it with water. Add a terracotta lid.
Plant seedlings or sow seeds 18 inches around the base of the pot. Water will slowly seep out through the clay wall of the pot, directly irrigating the soil around the pot. As the roots grow they will wrap themselves around the pot. The plants takes up almost all the water, and because the water source is now in the ground, evaporation is almost nil.
Keep the pot filled up and you will provide a steady source of irrigation when your plants need it.
It is that simple.
With the heat of the desert on the rise, gardeners can take comfort in knowing their plants are well cared for all afternoon long without the mess and time of using a hose.
(Make sure the pot is unglazed.)
Source: Permaculture UK,
