Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi Colin,

My tunnel is not the same shape as the school one. I have another horizontal bar 1/2 way down the side so the top is curved as well as 1/2 the wall. Sorry I don't get the p clips. Would they not have to pierce the cover to support anything outside? How can they support anything as just a clip & I can't see how you would connect anything to them? Not good at these DIY type things!

I did contact them sneakily through their section on showing interest in a tunnel so made up the size etc bits so I could write a message in the other section. I did apologise for the back door approach, but the other contact site I could not get to send is not on their site now.

Hi Primrose,

That is something I had not considered but it could work & if I got a couple of sawn in 1/2 butts on their side to catch any off flow as they could be linked up with no gaps, then I would not need to scrunch just secure the edge to the butts. (Well won't be me as I can't hammer a nail in straight. Not an expensive option either if I just focus on 1 of the panels & then it could be secured to the external tube thing that the cover edges are threaded through & screwed into as it stands slightly proud. Any flow off the roof now does seep under into the tunnel but not the full bed width but certainly helps as I can focus planting the water needy plants on the outside edge. The celery are happy & I even have watercress thriving, unfortunately at the current time they also need watering. I shall surprise my neighbour Ron with your idea!

The p clip goes around the upright bar so you can connect a piece of wood using nut & bolts this allow you to fix a length of wood on the inside of the tunnel.

On the out side you fix another length of wood making a sandwich with the polytunnel material in the middle.

You can the attach guttering to the outside wood.

I suggest you drill holes in wood before fixing to tunnel.

Have you come across this https://www.kedergreenhouse.co.uk/About ... imber.html

They specifically refer to gutters and have a phone number & email address at the top.

Hope this helps.

Colin thank you for being so patient.

I get it now & that sounds like it would work as then I could also slope the wood slightly to capture the run off. I have a huge donated big blue butt sitting down the back that could be cut in half to create 2 collection points for filling the cans & then the butt with the soaker hose into the tunnel would be unaffected.

The interesting bit will be me describing it to Ron on the next door! I think it will be OK as he knows my lingo & does loads of things for me both at home & on the plot which generally turns out how I envisaged!

Cheers again Colin, I really do appreciate it.

Happy to do a mock up on my tunnel for Ron if it is any use.

I sympathise with your dilemma Westi. Having a polytunnel on a communal plot where a reliable water supply simply isn't available is an ongoing problem and it's really up to everybody to try and come up with their individual innovative ideas for getting whatever water they can from their own small areas.

A passing thought. Are you familiar with the Alternative Technology Centre in Wale?s. They come up with all kinds of innovative ideas for harnessing natural resources. I wonder if a perusal of their website might throw up any polytunnel rainwater harvesting ideas.

Keder responded even though I snuck through the back door to ask! They do not have a system for the amateur growers tunnels as they have a different design; however they have been getting lots of inquiries. Claire who responded is going to chat with the MD, so I took the opportunity to share both Colins idea & Primrose's! (Quick patent it guys)!

I chatted to my neighbour Ron today who just happens to have some tunnel cover in his stash so keen on that option, however his wife may not be so happy with him climbing on the roof! He was a roofer & fell off 3 stories when way, way younger & was in a coma for 16wks. Mind he will slide off the tunnel in the worst case scenario & not actually fall!

You could always catch him, if he falls, Westi..