Pollen 2012 -- BIG YEAR FOR THE TREES!

The telltale warning on your vehicle . . . it's here!

But not so good for your rainwater collection system.  Hopefully, when you noticed the first few green dustings on your car windshield back in March, you remembered the golden rule of rainwater harvesting . . . "bypass or first-flush divert all ye rainwater collection during pollen season or be warned -- thou shalt experience the dire stinky, foul,  horrible mess of cistern water for many weeks afterwards!"

See my posting from March 7, 2011 for tips and advice on rainwater collection.

The pollen is now starting to trail off dramatically, so in about 2 weeks it'll be time to clean out your gutters, downspouts and get ready for capturing the final rains of spring before dry season hits.

If you were one of the unfortunates that ignored or otherwise missed bypassing/diverting your rain harvesting during pollen season and you now have a foul mess in your cisterns, you may be looking at dosing with chlorine or peroxide, recirculating with a hose to oxygenate; or ultimately, draining and cleaning; and having horrible water conditions until the pollen eventually breaks down with biological activity and runs out via usage and dilution with additional rains. Don't make the same mistake next year!