The Thirsty Earth watering system works by using ancient terracotta olla technology and combining it with modern watering systems.

The porous terracotta lets water seep through it, slowly watering your plant’s roots. Your plants get water when it needs, where it needs – at the roots.

Which means plants get 100% of the water they need, with more than 61% less water lost to evaporation, that traditional drip lines waste.

Whether you're currently using a drip system, hand watering or sprinkler watering, you’ll save thousands of gallons of water by switching to Thirsty Earth.

The Thirsty Earth Garden Watering System is far superior to other watering systems, giving you extremely low water usage and ultra healthy plants, at the same time.

Real World Example: A 12'x15' row garden in Umdoni, Eswatini, Africa uses a total of 5 gallons of water every two weeks. 

Question: Does this olla garden watering system work for row gardening?

Answer: Yes it does. To capitalize on the water plume the olla creates, you'll want to base your row spacing around our ollas 18" diameter water plume.

Question: How do I install my Thirsty Earth Olla Garden Watering System?

Answer: Installation is easy. We've included everything you'll need in your kit to install your watering system.

To install your Thirsty Earth Olla System:

1. 1. 1. Bury your olla cotta cups in the soil (raised garden beds or in the ground).
      2. Set up your hosing system.
      3. Your bucket/reservoir that's included in your kit will fill your cotta cups (terracotta ollas). Your bucket will fill your cotta cups (ollas). You can handfill your 2.5 or 5 gallon bucket weekly. Or set up your kit to auto-fill your ollas by a hose hook up, single drip line, sprinkler head or rain barrel.
      4. Place your bucket/reservoir in your garden bed/row garden or anywhere around it. Your bucket needs to be 0"-6" above your soil for optimal water pressure and water savings.
         
      5. Your plant’s roots will call for the water it needs. The porous terracotta olla let water seep through the cotta cups, slowly watering your plant’s roots.
      6. Watch your plants grow!

For more detailed install instructions for your exact water source and bed size, click HERE.

Question: Can I install this olla watering system if I've already planted my garden?

Answer: Yes. You might need to adjust our recommended placement of your ollas to give your established plants a little more room. Shoot for burying the olla cup 3"-6” or so from the plant. Where you place your olla is a judgement call based on the size of your plant and roots. Also, our auger is helpful when installing in an existing garden. Use the auger slowly and be gentle on any roots you encounter.

Question: Where do I bury my olla cotta cups in my garden?

Answer: Cotta Cups emit approximately 1.5' - 2' water plumes in ideal loamy soils. Utilizing a grid layout like the one below will give you excellent coverage. While your bed size may vary, this is the general way to go about it. Adjust as needed.

Question: What's included in my kit?

Answer: Everything you'll need to set up your watering system.

1. Choose your garden bed/row size (3x4, 3x6, 3x8, 4x4, 4x6, 4x8).
   
2. And quantity of beds/rows you need to water.
3. Then click "add to cart", checkout, and you're all set.

We'll make sure you have all the ollas and parts to install your watering system.

Here's a list of all the parts included in each kit:

Question: What's the best way to fill my olla cotta cups with water?

Answer: This totally depends on your preferences. There are 5 different water sources you can choose to have fill your olla cotta cups. You can fill a 2.5 or 5 gallon bucket about weekly by hand, or have your olla cotta cups be automatically filled by a hose, drip line, sprinkler head or water barrel. We recommend choosing what's most convenient for you. Here's the video that'll explain more.

Question: What if I plant seeds? Will I need to overhead water?

Answer: To directly sow seeds make sure they are planted within a 6" radius (12" diameter) of your Cotta Cup in order to ensure they receive enough moisture for germination. They need to be sown to their appropriate depth as the top 1/4" of soil will be too dry unless it's underneath a mulch layer.

Question: How do you know your system uses 61% less water over drip lines?

Answer: Through extensive testing we have measured how much water our cups emit at 0.5 psi. We've compared this with drip emitters laid out identically and measured the water usage.

Question: What is the buckets for in the kits?

Answer: Your bucket/reservoir that's included in your kit will fill your Cotta Cups (terracotta ollas). To handfill your bucket: Fill your 2.5 or 5 gallon bucket weekly. Your bucket will fill your cotta cups (ollas). To auto-fill your bucket, hook up your reservoir/bucket to a hose hook up, single drip line, sprinkler head or rain barrel. All fittings and supplies needed to handfill or auto-fill your bucket are included with your kit.

Question: Where do I put my bucket/reservoir?

Answer: Place your bucket/reservoir in your garden bed or anywhere around it. Your bucket needs to be 6"-to-level with your soil for optimal water flow to your cotta cups.

Question: What size are the olla cotta cups?

Answer: The cups are just under 3" in diameter and 7" in height. The internal capacity is 14.4 oz fluid volume, but that capacity is supplemented by the much larger reservoir the cup system is fed from. They emit roughly 250ml / day and so a dozen cups will last a week from a 5 gallon hand fill reservoir. 250ml / day at the 0.5 psi we recommend they run on.

Question: What if something breaks in my watering system? Are the parts under warranty?

Answer: Your Thirsty Earth Watering System comes with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee. Our intention is you're blown away at how easy it is to grow healthy plants while using a fraction of the water. But if you don't feel we've delivered on our promise to help you grow a healthy garden, using 61% less water, submit your refund request within 30 days of purchase, mail back your kit, and we'll promptly refund your fees (minus your shipping costs).

Answer: The approximate radius of moisture is 9". That radius will not all be equal, however. The closer to the pot the higher the concentration of water. So for thirsty plants like squash, zucchini, melons, tomatoes, etc. you would want to plant within 3" of the cup, preferably right up against it.

Have more questions? Give Eric a call, Monday through Friday 9am - 5pm MST: (707) 536-3391