Do I have to peel posts to put them in the ground?

[Rebeldad1]

I have some fir trees I am going to use for posts. Do I have to peel the posts before they go into the postholes?

 

[greggh]

Nope!

 

[greg_g]

They are much less unsightly if you do. I had driving down the roads and fence posts with the bark peeling off. When held down by rails/nails/staples/wire, some of it hangs on for years. Bone ugly.

//greg//

 

[Tom_H]

What are you going to do with them after they're in the ground. If I were building a fence, I would peel them and give them several coats of Termin8H20. I would especially fill some shallow pans with the stuff and stand the posts in them (tilted against a wall) so the posts can absorb the stuff up the end grain. I'd let each post soak for 2 days on EACH end (you'll need to keep adding more preservative). If you plant untreated posts in the ground, water is going to wick straight up the center and rot them out in just a handful of years. The chemical will not prevent the wicking, but it will greatly impede decomposing organisms from rotting the wood.

If all you want to do is stick posts in the ground at the end of a road (not building a fence) as a road block, and can easily stick in more in 5 years when these are rotten, then I wouldn't bother with the preservative. If you're investing all the time, effort, and money for a fence, however, you might want to put some $ into making sure it lasts for awhile.

 

[Luremaker]

... If you plant untreated posts in the ground, water is going to wick straight up the center and rot them out in just a handful of years....

I am not sure about other wooden posts but I've pulled a lot of old cedar fence posts and they all look like upside down mushrooms. They don't rot from the bottom up but rather rot right at the spot where the post makes initial contact with the top soil.

I've pounded unpeeled posts and they do look unsightly after a year or so.

 

[20 20]

I have some fir trees I am going to use for posts. Do I have to peel the posts before they go into the postholes?

Not the best for post but will work for a short time. YES you should peel them the bark holds rot and boring beetles. If this is all you have it may be worth it to coat them also?

 

[ChuckinNH]

As mentioned, fir isn't the best post material, but it sure will work. Peeling will delay the rot long enough to make doing it worthwhile, and they will look better.

 

[rimshot]

Not sure if this is the same tree or not but around my area we have a tree we call a Balsam Fir. It would not make a good post peeled or with bark because it rots too darn fast. They also never seem to grow much more than post size. They do however make a darn good 2X4 or 2 X 6 and sawed, stuck and stacked they dry very straight and hold a nail excellent.

I harvested a bunch of Balsam Fir logs a long time ago and if I could get an 8' log with at least a 5 1/2" top it made a couple of fine 2 X 4 studs. Anyway it made great building lumber but I wouldn't think of it for a post in the ground. ymmv

rim

 

[studor]

Not sure if this is the same tree or not but around my area we have a tree we call a Balsam Fir. It would not make a good post peeled or with bark because it rots too darn fast

I agree -- I tried some ---as posts and they make good compost
unless they are high and dry I would use something else.

 

[Rebeldad1]

Great information! thanks for all the replies

 

[BeeferMan]

Generally, green wood used as posts will rot off at right below ground level after a couple years. Posts should be seasoned, like firewood...

 

[brin]

I agree, I would peel the posts and soak them...you don't want to be doing this agian in a few years...just a little extra right now saves a headache later..

 

[Tom_H]

I am not sure about other wooden posts but I've pulled a lot of old cedar fence posts and they all look like upside down mushrooms. They don't rot from the bottom up but rather rot right at the spot where the post makes initial contact with the top soil.

I've pounded unpeeled posts and they do look unsightly after a year or so.

Cedar has a lot of the same natural preservatives that redwood has, not as much, but enough that cedar takes much longer to rot than other species of trees. I had some leftover ends of lodgepole pine, cut off of the ends of the log trusses when we assembled our log home, that I put in the ground to define the place where our drive turns off the lane. They rotted straight up the center and were little more than mush in about 7 years. Fir has little ability to resist rot as well.

Cedar is a great material. Here in the west, in the mountains, you see a lot of A-Frame style houses with exposed, stained wood, both outside and inside. They are almost exclusively made of western red cedar.

 

[Chilly807]

I agree with the others about fir in general. Makes a dandy Christmas tree, for posts we try to use black spruce, juniper, or hemlock. However, if it's all you have, it'll work.

Best to peel them , cut during the winter, then peel in spring is what we do. I use a drawknife, but a PTO peeler is a blessing.

Chilly