This Clever $10 Gardening Hack Is the Only Thing That Keeps My Veggie Garden Alive While I’m on Vacation

Published on July 26, 2025 05:00AM EDT

I usually go on one international trip every summer, which is great for feeding my travel bug, but terrible for my plants. The sprinkler system takes care of my flower gardens, but unfortunately, doesn’t reach the raised garden bed that sits on my patio. Tired of coming home to dead herbs and burnt-to-a-crisp veggies after a weekend away, I remembered a centuries-old irrigation trick that’s often forgotten about: Ollas. An olla is a terracotta water pot that’s extremely porous, and when buried in soil and filled with water, leaks out water over time, keeping the ground moist and plants adequately watered.

The Back to the Roots Self-Watering Terracotta Olla Pot is a no-brainer of an investment, especially given how much I travel. It’s one of my favorite gardening hacks and gadgets (the flower cage that saved my peonies is a close second), and my best-kept secret for keeping plants alive when I’m out of town. The one I use in my own veggie garden is only $10.

Back to the Roots Self-Watering Terracotta Olla Pot

All you have to do to get started is bury the olla pot in the area you want watered, use a hose to fill it up, and place the stopper on top. It has a 700-milliliter capacity and waters within an 1.5-foot diameter (enough to support two large plants). However, my garden bed is 1-foot x 2.8-feet, and I find that it keeps all nine plants well watered.

Before going on vacation, I prep my veggie garden for my time away by harvesting what’s ripe and cutting back any overgrown herbs. This gives the olla a chance to have the most impact, and reduces the likelihood of dead leaves and veggies when I return. Instead of being close to death when I get back, I find ripe tomatoes ready to be picked, sunflowers ready to be cut, and rosemary that’s ready to be harvested. It’s a hands-free, set-it-and-forget-it way to garden even when you’re gone.

Due to this olla pot’s size, it’s most ideal for long weekends away—not two-week trips abroad. However, I’ve found it helpful in both situations, and even after returning from a 13-day stint in France last month, I hadn’t lost a single plant. If your garden needs more coverage or a longer watering period, Back to the Roots makes the same olla in a $30 three-pack.

The Back to the Roots Self-Watering Terracotta Olla Pot is the only thing that keeps my veggie garden alive when I’m on vacation (and I don’t have to bother a neighbor to keep dropping by to water it every day). Buy it now on Amazon for just $10 and you’ll never come home to dead plants again. Check out more self-watering hacks for gardens below.

BioGreen Plant Self-Watering System

Lovely Ran 4-Piece Olla Watering Pots

Cuzzme 20-Pack Self-Watering Spikes

Everbrook Plant Self-Watering Globes

Growoya Garden Oya Watering Pot