The Forestry Forum

I cut 4 red cedar 6 x 6 posts 8 ft long for a family member over the weekend. after looking at them they decided they did not want them. typical red knotty cedar.
so I want to use them for fence posts.
would you recommend coating the bottom that will go in the ground?

and if so what would you use. I am just going to embed them three ft in the ground and hang a cattle gate on them.

I wouldn't coat them with anything. Red cedar will last a long time in the ground before it rots. 40+ years depending on the soil.

Dig a hole bigger than the post and tamp a little gravel in the bottom. Then put the post in, and tamp gravel all around it. It will be very solid that way. I personally wouldn't use concrete, it tends to trap water in the post hole against the post.

good to know, thanks

I have some in a line fence where the sap [ white ] wood is all gone and the red heart is as good as the day it was sawed. Been there over sixty years