My DIY self-watering herb garden trick is so easy to maintain – you need a $7 buy but be sure you plug the hole
IF you’re someone who forgets to water their plants, this hack may be for you.
A gardening expert shared the DIY hack she uses to get her herbs to take care of themselves.
In her viral video, Sara Tracy (@onagardenkick) demonstrated how to create a “self-watering herd garden.”
The Instagrammer used her “$7 terracotta pot to do the work of watering.”
For her first step, Sara filled a planter with potting mix, sand, and vermiculite.
She mixed the three ingredients together before flattening the soil o top.
Sara then dug a hole and placed a small terracotta pot inside before filling the area around it with more potting mix.
She used a wine cork to partially seal the hole at the base of the smaller pot.
Next, she planted her herbs around the pot, including rosemary, basil, parsley, oregano, and dill.
“Press firmly but gently so the roots make good contact with the soil,” she advised her audience.
Sara initially watered the soil to settle the plants into their places in the planter.
However, once her herbs were situated securely she revealed her new method for watering the planter.
She filled the terracotta pot to the brim with water and let it slowly seep into the soil.
Sara covered the terracotta pot with a matching saucer as she left the water to drain.
“Eventually roots will grow towards [the pot] and it will seep water to the plants through the terracotta,” she explained.
She recommended refilling the terracotta pot every two to three days or as needed.
Sara explained that her method, known as an olla, was used as an “ancient” form of irrigation.
Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space, and repel pests
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- Banana peels, vinegar, and coffee grounds are often recommended as natural fertilizers.
- Dollar Tree sells four packs of seeds for $1.25.
- Try a vertical planter like Amazon’s Mr. Stacky 5 Tier Stackable Planter, $35 to make more use of a small space.
- Use netting like the Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, from Amazon to keep away bugs that eat your vegetables.
- Try sacrificial planting to reduce the use of pesticides and keep pests away from your garden. Deliberately growing certain plants to attract agricultural pests can keep them away from the plants you want to protect. Examples include marigolds, lavender, catnip, and chives.
- For pesky weeds in your garden, the Grampa’s Weeder – The Original Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool with Long Handles, $45, from Amazon is a helpful tool you can use without having to bend over.
She suggested opting for unglazed pots and ensuring drainage holes are plugged to make the water last longer.
Her followers shared their thoughts on the unique technique in the comments section.
“Fascinating! Never heard of this and so happy you shared! Thank you,” wrote one viewer.
“I bought a friend an olla for as a gift. She loves it and puts it in her tomato bed. Huge tomatoes and lots of them. Now I’m going to try your DIY,” said another Instagram user.
“Ollas are the BEST self-watering system for plants. The slow release of water through the terra cotta = happiest plants,” commented a third person.