[TheSpartacat]

Ok, this might be a daft idea (but I can always blame it on flu and not being able to sleep)....

Was wondering if it was possible to have cucumbers growing over the outside of a polytunnel?
I have one of those inexpensive poly tunnel tents- with a slot together frame and ready made cover that just pops over the top... it's pretty sturdy. Was thinking if I slung some wire mesh (rabbit hutch wire) or netting that I have over it, could i use that to support some cucumbers to scramble over the outside of it??

Silly idea? Anyone ever climbed anything over the outside of a poly before??
 :blink:

[viettaclark]

First thing that comes to mind is are you growing stuff in the tunnel next year? You would block the light. Is the tunnel high and exposed on your plot? Plant on the sheltered side.
Otherwise, cucumbers will grow up anything. Mine made a bee-line for my runners this year and clambered up. You might need to tie them in a bit.

[Trillium]

I agree with vietta - if nothing is growing in the tunnel, then fence up the outside and let the cukes grow.

[TheSpartacat]

Thanks for the feedback.   
I  was thinking of growing some things in the polytunnel, like peppers, maybe try to grow melon too... But the way the tunnel is angled- if i grew something up one side of the tunnel- the sun would still stream in the front of it in the morning... the roof and side in the afternoon (the cucumbers would be in shade then) and then stream in the back through the evening... and the cukes would still get the morning and evening sun... It got SO stuffy in the poly this summer, I was hoping the shade might help regulate the heat in there a little... (maybe I'm being over optimistic?!)

Maybe worth an experiment, I guess. If anything looks like its suffering I guess I could trim down the cucumber plant. I'd like to grow a few types (yard longs, lemon cukes, and picking wallies) and trying to be creative about space saving.