With the rainy season coming our way, I've had a sense of optimism I've had a hard time finding these days.
I've always loved the rain. As a young student growing up in the tropics, I loved the rainy season when we had typhoon No. 2 and didn't have to go to school.
As an adult with year-round allergies, the rain cleans the air and my nasal passages; and as a gardener, rain means I don't have to water as much; to a plant, especially newly sprouted seedlings, it can be a matter of life and death.
After a couple of light rains, my 5-50 gallon rain barrels are full. So I set out finding containers to move precious rainwater to make room in the barrels for the next onslaught of rain.
I make sure that the containers have a lid to avoid mosquito breeding in the water; I store them in the shade (especially translucent ones, like bleach or milk containers) or the shed. By storing them in the shade, I'm able to re-use the containers for multiple years before the plastic starts to break down into pieces.
I also store them next to plants that they will be used to save me the extra steps of carrying them. This year, I'm surrounding my young avocado tree with a “band” of water, in the hope that the water will absorb enough heat in the day to protect the avocado from the cold nights.
I DO NOT store any of these containers in the house to avoid confusion with the emergency drinking water in the house - labeling is always an option.
Since the water comes from the roof, it will have residues that will not be good for vegetables, especially leafy ones. So, I reserve them for trees and non-edible shrubs, and they are definitely not for drinking.
With this practice, I've been able to keep the garden alive, even in the 100°+ F weather we got this past year. I also feel comforted that with the ongoing threat of drought, wildfires, coronavirus, my garden is always ready for any catastrophe.
There are many online resources on proper rainwater collection. This one-page basic guideline from the CDC is particularly useful.
https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/private/rainwater-collection.html
Happy Water Harvesting!