Expert advice! The lowdown on rain chains

Elma Deysel of Johannesburg writes: I’m keen to find out more about rain chains, as featured on page 58 of your August 2022 issue. How do they work?

Gardening expert JJ van Rensburg replies: Rain chains are a great alternative to gutter downpipes. Although the chain creates a definite direction in which the water runs (you can manipulate the direction to some extent because the water runs close to the chain as a result of surface tension), it runs relatively strong, so you will have to place a pot, fountain or rock bed at the bottom to avoid soil erosion.