Putting fence post near tree

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nobbie48

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I need to install a pair of fence posts at the base of a cedar tree (18" diameter) and fastening to the tree is my very last option. A foot or so away will have the usual root situation. My back wants to go into spasms when I think of previous root encounters.

I am also concerned about long term damage to the tree and I'm not familiar with the root pattern of cedars.

Any thoughts?
 
Have the fence middle at the tree? Say it's an 8' run of fence between posts, have the posts 4' from the tree on either side. Might mean a short run somewhere else, but less hassle with roots and potential of them messing up the post.

IIRC, cedar roots go shallow and wide.
 
Not being a smart@ss but how does the length of run (4' or 8') make any difference to his post placement around the tree?
Maybe I am misunderstanding...but I'm think the tree is in line with the fence???
 
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call Hydro...they will bulldoze down all the trees and say oops, our bad, sorry about that.:D
 
The lazy man with a bad back solution is to go to your nearest Bobcat/construction equipment rental agency and rent an MT52 with the auger attachment for a few hours. There is one place in Oshawa (for example) that rents it with the trailer included so getting it to and from your house is easy assuming you have a trailer hitch. I think it rents for about $50-$75 for a 3 hour period.

It's easy to operate and will turn digging post holes into about a 20 second experience per hole and most modest roots won't be an issue.
 
there is nothing to gain or save by digging your own holes with a 2 man auger especially when there are roots involved.
option A is do what the guy above me said, option B is google a post hole digger in your area and get him to come do it, pricey? maybe but worth every penny

when I was in college I had a little fence / deck business in the summer to pay for tuition and beer, and for a little while we used to rent a 2 man auger and dig / set our own posts, well after the one time that we were in a pinch and had to get the post hole digger guy to come help us I refused to rent an auger again.
 
mbroyda said:
there is nothing to gain or save by digging your own holes with a 2 man auger especially when there are roots involved.
option A is do what the guy above me said, option B is google a post hole digger in your area and get him to come do it, pricey? maybe but worth every penny

when I was in college I had a little fence / deck business in the summer to pay for tuition and beer, and for a little while we used to rent a 2 man auger and dig / set our own posts, well after the one time that we were in a pinch and had to get the post hole digger guy to come help us I refused to rent an auger again.
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Agreed. I'm trying to avoid the youtube people helicopter blade routine.
 
Sadz said:
..but I'm think the tree is in line with the fence???
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Different story then. I was thinking it was going by. If the tree is in line with the fence run, then you either go around it or start digging beside it(yourself or hired). Attaching to the tree will work for a short while, but will shift.
 
Paging GTAM resident tree guy @shanekingsley

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