Irrigating with Ollas

Abstract

Desert gardening presents a host of challenges including: poor soils, high temperatures, intense sun, low humidity, and frequent winds. All of these factors are compounded by an arid to semi-arid climate with little rainfall, which makes proper irrigation a vital component for any successful gardening endeavor. Drip irrigation is widely accepted as the one of the most efficient systems to irrigate in desert gardens and landscapes because it minimizes water loss from evaporation or run off by delivering measured amounts of water directly to the soil (Schuch, 2016). However, drip irrigation may be ill suited for remote areas with low technology and/or unpressurized and unfiltered water systems. Drip systems can be costly, damaged, and emitters can be easily blocked with sediment, salt, and several insects (Ezekiel et al., 2017). Unreliable or impractical water sources for irrigation may discourage those wanting to develop a garden. For these situations, utilizing the ancient method of olla irrigation may be an option.