Repurposing Milk Jugs as Olla's - Water Irrigation in the Garden

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11 жыл бұрын

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Make a "poor man's" olla! This should help water my veggies this summer. I especially want to put them next to my melons and cucumbers so they can get the water needed (more than some of my other plants).
I water my garden with a watering can, so this little creation should help direct the water to the plant roots, instead of running off into mulch and pathways.
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Пікірлер: 217

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

I did this in memory of my father, so eyesore or not, they will be beautiful to me.....

@davidschmidt270 3 жыл бұрын

Amen.....so Sweet ....may he rest in peace 👏👏👏🤠🐓🌾🐔🍻💯

@charlescain7962 7 жыл бұрын

My grandmother did this with gourds, grew them herself and replaced as they composted.

@RainbowGardens 7 жыл бұрын

Wonderful! Neat idea to use gourds.

@ajr1247 3 жыл бұрын

Can you make a video and show how she did it?

@greenhousefun3235 3 жыл бұрын

This is great. I wanna to do that this year . Please give us more information

@Brand_One 10 жыл бұрын

try wrapping the jug in landscaping fabric to prevent dirt from clogging the holes.

@davethomas2089 2 жыл бұрын

Where can that be found? Are there different types of it?

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

I think any kind of bottle should work. The water does not stay in long, but the idea is to get water to the roots and underground instead of water running off or evaporating. Thanks for watching!

@valkyriesardo278 9 жыл бұрын

Your Papa is proud that you took the time to learn and to share. His wisdom will help many gardens grow. I don't acquire empty milk gallons, but I'm sure I'll be able to substitute with some other emptied product, perhaps a large liquid laundry detergent jug (well rinsed out).

@RainbowGardens 9 жыл бұрын

Valkyrie Sardo Sounds like a great idea!

@nessay720 5 жыл бұрын

You don’t have to freeze the jug to poke the holes. Using a large safety pin works great. You don’t want the holes too big , because the water will pour out too fast. You want it to slowly drain, and safety pin size holes does this well. Best to put the holes towards the bottom of the jug to better water the root ball. Also only need holes towards he plants you actually want to get water, so as not to water the weeds.

@turbocummins5795 10 жыл бұрын

The addition of the flying bee is cute. Great job.

@RainbowGardens 10 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much.

@crochetgottaloveit Жыл бұрын

This is a great idea! I have cut my milk jugs to make scoops for potting soil, watering, etc, but I definitely want to try this. Thank you for posting and for sharing this great memory from your father.

@fatearthbackyardfarm 9 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video! Ollas are so expensive, but with your idea I can now have them in my garden without the expense!!!!

@RainbowGardens 9 жыл бұрын

Thank you ! I am glad it helped!

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. BPA is becoming almost extinct. :)) Even if I wanted to buy plastic with BPA, I would have a very hard time finding it. It is in hard plastics and liners of aluminum cans. The only place I find bottles which potentially have BPA are clearance outlets like Ross, Big Lots, etc.

@chrisbright90 11 жыл бұрын

You could always use a thumb tack to poke the holes and they would be smalled for slower water release. ^^ Great Video btw!

@GardeningWithPuppies 9 жыл бұрын

My dad and grandfather used this method, too. It does work great.

@RainbowGardens 9 жыл бұрын

Gardening With Puppies Thanks so much! That is neat your folks did it too!

@SMprepnNancy 11 жыл бұрын

This is a fantastic idea for pumpkin squash and melon hills. thanks Donna, have a excellent summer !

@tankertemplar752 10 жыл бұрын

i always kinda knew this but im glad you confirmed it for me. we had alot of japanese gardeners in our neighborhood and they all would use milk jugs in there gardens. think i might try this with 2 liter bottles. thanks for sharing.

@RainbowGardens 10 жыл бұрын

Thank you. :)

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Quite possibly a bullfrog. I compared it to the American Toad sound...would that be a bullfrog? Anyway, we do have a pond right beside the garden. So many frog sounds at night! I just don't hear many during the day. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.

@LadyPenelope 11 жыл бұрын

I used a pvc pipe to add raw compost to my garden. It attracts worms and then they of course, help the garden. You just bury the pipe in your bed, so a few feet are underground and about a foot or so are above the soil and put a cap on it when you're not filling it up. You can add that much, but it works great to get worms in your beds. :)

@kittensugars 10 жыл бұрын

This looks totally doable. Great idea your Father had!

@shlpl420 11 жыл бұрын

This is so wonderful! What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Hopefully it works good. I plan to put cucumbers and tomatoes next to them because they always seem to need the most water. As always, thanks for watching and rating! :)

@hollylaughter8722 8 жыл бұрын

Love it poor mans drip irrigation. I think the bumble bee supervising your work was hoping for an open system so she could get a drink/bath.

@RickLarsonPermacultureDesigner 11 жыл бұрын

I do that for pepper plants using the plastic plant pots them come in. Great idea using milk jugs, I will try this.

@meehan302 9 жыл бұрын

That was worth viewing . That bee with the green wing was very interested in the milk container. You may need a hole near the top to allow air in to release the water. Thanks for referring this video to me from messages .

@DistractionCascade 10 жыл бұрын

This looks like a great idea! I have no shortage of one gallon milk and apple cider jugs :)

@gabbysgoods827 2 жыл бұрын

Hi 👋 It is a good way to help the plants 🌱 out for sure

@jimmie200 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you for posting this video. I am going to do this for a small herb garden.

@JamesNewton 10 жыл бұрын

These days milk jugs are made to break down in sunlight, so be sure to cover them between watering. You can also just bury non-glazed clay pot with another identical pot upside down on top of it to make a sort of olla which is much cheaper. Tape around the two where the lips meet to keep them together until the earth has a chance to compact down around them.

@RainbowGardens 10 жыл бұрын

Thanks. It has been a year and they are holding up very well.:)) I will keep an eye on them. If they need replacing, they were free, so it will be cheap and easy to replace. I am not sure if clay pots would be "cheaper"?

@Larvey1 10 жыл бұрын

wont the clay pots crack during winter unless you ddig them up?

@JamesNewton 10 жыл бұрын

They might in some places, they didn't in Southern California. ,o) If you don't worry about plastic decomposing into your soil, and instead keep an eye on the milk jugs and replace them when they start to break down, then they are probably a better idea.

@RainbowGardens 10 жыл бұрын

James Newton Hi, I just posted another video on the Olla's. It has been almost a year and they are just fine so i did not need to replace them (YAY!). I included a link in the video of the update.

@emgeespeaks8397 Жыл бұрын

I thought of making Olga's from 2 clay pots, but have concerns about the chemicals on the glue or tape. I'd rather try the hugs first

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Oh, also, I give weekly updates in my garden so you can see how they are doing, as well as show many other things in the garden. Perhaps you already know, but if you don't...to subscribe, just go to my channel and click the subscribe button, and then in your channel, go to "manage your subscriptions" so you will get an email from me whenever I upload a video. I think the weather will be drying out soon and I will need to fill them. Right now, they are full from just the rain :) Thanks!

@texasoutlook60 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, a great and informative video! Blessings

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I keep hearing them more and more. It is a new sound to me and I have been here for 3 years. I think cicadas take a few years to emerge and make that sound?? I think you are right!! Thanks for watching!

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Also, I really appreciate your support. Thanks so much and, as always, thanks for watching.

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

That sounds like the perfect planting space. It will make it easy to cover with a net as they approach harvest time. I hear the birds eat them if they are not netted. Tricky though, because if you net too early, the bees cannot pollinate the flowers :( I read to net just as they start to ripen, then remove it every evening to harvest and replace it again for the next day. We'll see...this is my first "real" try at growing blueberries. Hope yours do well :) Thanks for watching!

@kikigamble4315 4 жыл бұрын

Hi. Our neighbors South of the border use clay pots buried in soil. No holes in pot except fill hole.. The plant n ground draws the moisture from the pot thru evaporation. Cool system. Thanks for your grandpa's tip. Still holds true today. Peace to you and yours

@RainbowGardens 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! Happy Gardening and Cooking!

@heatherthyne2307 10 жыл бұрын

I have done this for many years, starting with my first veggie garden in Lithonia, GA in 1985

@RainbowGardens 9 жыл бұрын

Heather Thyne Hi! Must be a Georgia thing. lol My father lived in Georgia.

@bonnywagner4069 8 жыл бұрын

I'm very excited to know how the reseeding garden is going and what you have planned to fill it with.

@RainbowGardens 8 жыл бұрын

Mostly herbs like dill, cilantro, arugula, and onions (to be used as spring onions). I am also letting a small tomato reseed and it is working great. :)

@charlie1957able 10 жыл бұрын

used these for many years , I just put them on top of the ground with the holes on the bottom and when I was done just picked up the empty jugs and put them in the shed

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

I really like the PVC pipe idea! Now I am going to have to try that too! :)

@CobinRain 11 жыл бұрын

Another great and useful video. Thanks so much for making it..I had never heard of this technique in my life but I am definitely going to do it this summer as my soil is very light with lots of organic matter in it, it dries out really quickly. Lets see how it works out..Maybe for me ideal near climbing cucumbers etc. OBTW...I got my blueberries in.. in the end I planted 5, in a row and close(3 feet) apart...crazy idea that I might grow a sort of blueberry hedge! we'll see. Thanks again.

@Gizmachy1 8 жыл бұрын

this looks like a great way to fertilize your plants too if you put cow manure in the water and strain if necessary

@GardeningWithPuppies 11 жыл бұрын

It's too late for me to do this in my, Florida garden. I will use the jugs in my new mountain garden in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing.

@cubaniton74 5 жыл бұрын

Want to try the easy version, with no digging in the ground? Take the same milk jug and poke just one very tiny hole at the bottom edge, then put some small stones inside so that the wind does not tumble the jug around the yard, and place the jug on the surface of the ground, next to the stem of the plant, with the hole pointing directly to the stem and as close as possible to it. Fill the jug with water, and leave the jug's cover off, so that the jug may retain its shape. Also, add approximately 2" deep of mulch around the plant, extended outwards two feet to each side all around at least, the mulch will help hold the moisture in the ground, and the jug will irrigate the plant for a while, with water dripping away from a single hole.

@mohawkdriver2504 3 жыл бұрын

Really nice jugs!

@lucrtrvl 9 жыл бұрын

The cute diva-bee stole the show! I think it tried to deliver some message. May be it asked for more milkweed in the garden?

@JanColdwater 10 жыл бұрын

I just thought of something! What if u put the jug inside a large enough clay pot, fill the inside of the pot all around the jug with small gravel. This would solve the problem of the jug becoming clogged and seepage would be slow... If you cover the top and jug unit first with landscape cloth, and then mulch, you could water directly around the jug, filling the pot first, then fill the jug, replace screw top and Viola! Continuous unclogged seepage as needed! Come to think of it.... It could be done in all size pots and drinking bottles! I think it should work. Well, it does in my head anyway! LOL. I shall give it a try! Thanks for the inspiration!

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

I can't wait to see your new garden! How exciting! I know it will be a lot of work but it will be worth it... :)

@BT0629 10 жыл бұрын

Years ago I did this with milk jugs. I put a gallon jug per tomato plant, as an example. By the end of the season the plant's roots had almost filled the jug. I watered only 1 to 2 times a week, filling each jug with water/fertilizer. The plastic will soon become brittle due to UV light. Get rid of the bottles as soon as garden is done and remove from ground carefully and they will start to crumble if left in too long.

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment. I hope it works well for you. Smiles!

@maximilian333 10 жыл бұрын

Thanks I've found that 1-3 tiny holes on each side is sufficient to slowly moisten dried out topsoil. It can be very difficult to keep soil nice and moist right at that mid-area between the surface and the deep soil, where most of the roots happen to be. Where I am a nice slow soak will let the water saturate that soil instead of sinking down. As for the clay I wonder if filling the hole around the jug with some peat or perlite mix might help distribute the water better via capillary attraction.

@robw2068 Жыл бұрын

😊

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Yes. I froze them first because I read to on the net.... I found I could achieve equally small holes using the ice pick without freezing & it saved a lot of time :))) Go figure! Live and learn I guess.... Thanks for watching :)

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

@FensterfarmGreenhouse 11 жыл бұрын

This is also a great way of recycling the jugs! Thanks Dylan!

@RavenReedStarr 10 жыл бұрын

I live in the desert and I am always looking for ways to conserve water. I tried something like this with orange juice jugs and it worked so well that I almost drowned my tree by over-watering the roots. It cuts down on water usage so much that I am doing it all again this spring.

@RainbowGardens 10 жыл бұрын

That sounds wonderful!

@maximilian333 10 жыл бұрын

There was an article about a guy using plastic boxes to halt the advance of the world's deserts at the edge of the Congo, India, Arizona, Cambodia, Brazil/Amazon. There are some at Joshua Tree now. They catch rainwater on top and store it in a reservoir for the trees. 3" rainfall more per year can be added. For many trees this can make all the difference and save them from dying. So the plan is to put thousands of them in these areas to halt desertification. Using self-watering technologies like this seems simple, but it makes a huge difference compared to "spray and pray" methods of the past.

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching :)))

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Good idea! :) I was thinking of using sand, but I think the screen would be better. It would prevent the clay/mud from seeping into the jug. I'll see how it goes this growing season and if there is a problem, I'll try the screen. Thanks so much :)))

@RainbowGardens 10 жыл бұрын

Yes,(smiles) my clay soil is not so clay anymore! As you may well know, it is mostly the first 6 inches of soil utilized by our plants for nutrition. Below the 6 inches, commonly referred to as top soil, there is little added benefit to the plant for growth. This is why the Square Foot Garden method has been so successful for me in the past videos. My favorite additives to soil are compost (from horse manure opposed to cow manure) and potash I obtain from burning downed winter wood.

@melissanielsen8215 3 жыл бұрын

Good idea

@jonahbert111 11 жыл бұрын

Nice! I have clay too. Nice bumble Bee!!!

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! :)

@villejohn8926 10 жыл бұрын

hmm, i'm thinking using a mineral water bottles for this kind of irrigation technique, thanks for sharing :)

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you. :)

@RainbowGardens 10 жыл бұрын

You have a good ear! My neighbor had Guineas. :)))

@Pigearvet 6 жыл бұрын

Cool little idea. That noise is a cricket lol..

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip. I could not understand why everything I read about making them said to freeze or fill with sand. I used an ice pick without freezing or filling and when I used the ice pick, it dented in the sides a little. Not too bad though, but I could not make as many small holes. Certainly easy to skip that step, which I did on a few of the others.

@roxylamour1119 8 жыл бұрын

That's so creative

@RainbowGardens 8 жыл бұрын

+Roxy Lamour Thank you! my daddy would be proud his milk jug idea has spread! :)

@jakesarms8996 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome!!!

@RainbowGardens 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!!

@Innperlenburg 11 жыл бұрын

WHAT a great idea:

@MrsElizabethOliver 11 жыл бұрын

Great idea, love your videos, just an idea...I think I may have put some screen and/or gravel around the jug just to make sure the soil didn't clog up the holes

@Fedeleness 8 жыл бұрын

It is a frog.

@SuperBobistheman 10 жыл бұрын

BRAVO! I have subscribed.

@tullysoulliere8254 10 жыл бұрын

I think that was a squatch in the background !Lol thanks for the vid !...(o;

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

We have had sooo much rain this season, I have not had to fill them. Funny thing is there has been so much rain, the jugs are filled just from natural rain! I was surprised to see it work both ways. I can put water in them when there is no rain OR they will fill with water when there is too much rain.

@shelly5596 6 жыл бұрын

The sun can penetrate that jug and cause algae. I would paint the tops black or dark green for my garden and then rubber band a piece of mesh screen over the top (like the screen door mesh) this would keep debris out and let water flow in for filling. Perhaps funnels could be added during a heavy rain.(; happy gardening.

@anniegaddis5240 10 жыл бұрын

A good dose of vermiculite should take care of your compacted clay. It'll be hard to install the first time, but after that, you won't have to worry about it again! Check with your local co-op for more info.

@RainbowGardens 10 жыл бұрын

I use vermiculite in my raised beds and love the results. Never thought of putting it in my ground garden...maybe I will give it a go! :)

@danelokikischdesign 8 жыл бұрын

awesome°

@noahr1142 7 жыл бұрын

So have you timed how long the water coming out of the jug will last for? And are you using this for adult plants or only small plants? I'm curious how much is the limit for distance from the jug and still considered effective? In other words what's the limit of the distance?

@birdman71264 10 жыл бұрын

The noise you are hearing in the back ground is a tree frog

@mogatdula 7 жыл бұрын

I love her accent

@alan30189 10 жыл бұрын

That bee likes you because you're so sweet. ;-)

@broadwayFan28 10 жыл бұрын

I have used milk jugs, 2 liter cola bottles and 16 ounce coffee cans. These all work best on garden beds that are not level and water tends to run off. It is also a good way to soak into clay. You can use it for water or water soluble fertilizers, organic or not.

@RainbowGardens 10 жыл бұрын

Thanks! It worked great for me this past growing season, even though it rained a lot. I think I will try it with compost tea this spring.

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Thank you! That must be a big rascal! I better stay out of the woods! LOL

@judahhbo 8 жыл бұрын

I would like to apply this concept using 5 gallon pickle buckets (same as the Home Depot orange "Homer" buckets) buried such that only a few inches from the upper rim are above the soil surface. I would drill holes near the base and maybe at the halfway point, too. I imagine drilling a 2" diameter hole in the lid and covering the hole with window screening to keep bugs out. I could also refill the bucket from the garden hose through the mesh. Does anyone have any thoughts about using buckets in lieu of milk jugs? The extra four gallons would - in theory - allow me to be away from the garden for days at a time and still keep the roots irrigated.

@williammckeown9699 2 жыл бұрын

do you put more holes in the top or in the bottom area? do would you put some potting soil or compost around the jug?

@Pepper5655 10 жыл бұрын

but your clay is full of lots of minerals and nutrients so if its mixed with humus/organic its best for your garden. thnx for sharing

@peggycarpenter3924 10 жыл бұрын

You need to water the area really well before filling the jug

@billgould5690 4 жыл бұрын

Brilliant! Thank you!

@jerrymaxey3090 4 жыл бұрын

What that what

@rebeccashetter8389 4 жыл бұрын

Would PH Stone work in the hole or sand to keep the water flowing. I also was thinking about taking a clay pot and turning it upside down and gluing it to the base dish and planting this. Fill with water from the hole in the clay pot. Their are some self watering clay jugs that are basically are just clay pots with a hole in the top to fill with water. The clay isn't glazed and people say work very well.

@TubinHard00 11 жыл бұрын

how often do you refill them for the amount of tomatoe plants you have? Thanks for posting! very interesting...

@caracampbell4442 Жыл бұрын

That sounds is spring frogs, or we always call them peep frogs! They come out when it's warm, even if it's January

@RainbowGardens Жыл бұрын

We have spring peppers and I am just beginning to hear them. They start chirping when the daffodils begin to bloom. I do believe the sound in this video was the American Toad however... Thank so much! Glad to know someone else enjoys the sounds of nature.

@Larvey1 10 жыл бұрын

lol that lit'l bee is so adorable and thanks for the tip. I have some old juice plastic bottles that i'll use but instead of burying them I will try to put them atop of the soil in rows so I dont have to keep digging them up. It doesnt get that hot here throughout the summer so the ice should still melt slowly. thoughts?

@williammckeown9699 2 жыл бұрын

another question ... i plant in four foot squares with a two foot walkway between squares! how many jugs would you put in each square?

@animalloveriranian 8 ай бұрын

با افتخار سابسکرایب شدید ❤❤

@LadyBeritanavatarius 11 жыл бұрын

And how long do they last before you need to refill them once they're in the ground?

@bakisgreenvlog2789 9 жыл бұрын

under this milk jar tiny hole should be block with soil, anyway i,ll try your idea in my container plant,thanks

@LadyBeritanavatarius 11 жыл бұрын

Could one use soda bottles as well?

@FrancisRoyCA 9 жыл бұрын

What an excellent idea. This extends, of course to any container, but I never made the logical leap from an olla to general containers. I noticed that in the video, the weeping seemed to be quite extreme, does this change once that it is packed with earth?

@RainbowGardens 9 жыл бұрын

Francis Roy It flows much slower once the area around it is saturated. :)

@RainbowGardens 11 жыл бұрын

Yes, the sound was the American Toad. :)))

@marcellatraylor 10 жыл бұрын

to preserve the jugs us heat resistent blue paint like engine paint to preserve the jugs thru the sesaons

@NancyDaviesTangME 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks, I was researching ollas and came across your very helpful video. One question - what's with the little bee that keeps flying across the screen?

@RainbowGardens 8 жыл бұрын

+Nancy Davies Tang Haha, :) That's my pet bee from my magical editing program. LOL

@lindseybaginski8829 8 жыл бұрын

I have a plot at a community garden and we need to bring water to water our plants. This is a great idea. How many plants are able to receive water or how big an area will be watered off one milk gallon jug?

@RainbowGardens 8 жыл бұрын

+Lindsey Baginski You can plant one on each side of the jug. I am using them this year for my plants which require much water such as tomatoes and cucumbers.

@Cbiblical 10 жыл бұрын

This might sound like a silly quesltion, but where did you plant your plants so they could be watered my this milk jug sy

@RainbowGardens 10 жыл бұрын

Around the milk jug. I especially planted cucumbers, squash and tomatoes. The roots grew towards the jugs. I actually found roots inside one of the jugs. haha

@richardfournier5217 10 жыл бұрын

Great idea but the milk jugs these days are made to bi-degrade(break down) after being in a landfill or garden for a couple of years. I think soda bottles hold up better because they recycle them and they have to bi-degrade like milk jugs. or use oyas - I believe they are a natural hollow plant that will leek water into the soil.

@RainbowGardens 10 жыл бұрын

Also, did you see the follow up video? I took them out of the soil and rinsed before reinstalling them. They looked fine. :))

@richardfournier5217 10 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you are succeeding but have seen milk jugs crumble in my hands after a few years. All the best to you!