The gutter fills before the rain does
Miami's trees drop on a schedule. Live oaks shed in February and March, poincianas drop pods after they flower, mangoes drop fruit and leaves through the summer, and ficus never stops. That means the gutter is at its fullest right when the May storms start. A cleaning in late spring gets the trough clear for the wet season, and a second one after the leaf drop keeps the winter fronts from overflowing it again.


