Category Archives: olla irrigation

Starting with Cisterns

Posted on March 11, 2012 by jkmcintyre

I have been dreaming of a sustainable water collection system since long before we moved onto our little urban farmlet.  I dreamed and schemed, but could not get far – the project was too big for my brain.  An all-or-nothing … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, olla irrigation, rain, Sustainability, vegetable garden | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Olla Report 2011

Posted on January 19, 2012 by jkmcintyre

2011 was a poor garden year for me.  A new job (busy!) and the weather sucked (cold, wet). My tender young starts did not thrive. Twice the average rain in May, with very cool days, meant gardens throughout the Pacific … Continue reading →

Posted in olla irrigation, spring, tomatoes, vegetable garden, vegetable starts | 6 Comments

Insisting on Tomatoes

Posted on June 24, 2011 by jkmcintyre

My own tomatoes, that is. Not only do I like to grow my own tomatoes for their fresh deliciousness, I like to start heirloom varieties of my choosing from seed to increase the tastiness. I am very fond of Stupice, for its early production and fantastic flavor, Brandywine for its beauty and reliability, and Orange Queen for its impressive colour and large fruits. I also grow a red cherry and yellow teardrop tomato that are reliable producers.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="461" caption="Orange Queen"][/caption]

Last year was a terrible summer for tomatoes in Seattle…. Continue reading →

Posted in Heirloom, olla, olla irrigation, rain, spring, tomatoes, vegetable starts | Leave a comment

Ollas: Getting to the Root of the Matter

Posted on December 18, 2010 by jkmcintyre


So, last post on ollas this year – promise!

When I dug up the ollas from the bean bed I was able to see that the roots of the bean plants had indeed grown in a solid mat around each olla. That is exactly what I was hoping for. Continue reading →

Posted in beans, olla irrigation | Leave a comment