[quote=Sacha;706791]On 22/4/07 00:07, in article , "Janet Tweedy"
wrote:

Not being a madly expert DIYer can anyone tell me the best way to put in
post and rail fencing so I can train clematis and possibly Chaenemole
along the length. It has to be in two 6 foot lengths or thereabouts with
a gap in the middle so I can access the path from the lawn.

I know how to put in 4x4 stuff using metposts but there aren't any round
alternatives to metposts.

Do I dig a hole first and then shove the post in or backfill with bits
of stone etc like the post for the washing line? Posts will be about 6
foot above the ground, so how much needs to be below?



QUOTE]

Hi - your clematis screen will get quite a bit of pressure on it if it is in a windy spot. So it is worth doing a good job of fixing the posts.

We would have 2'6" at least, preferably 3' in the ground, depending on the soil type.

Dig the hole 3' deep, shove the post in & back fill with a lttle soil at a time - 4 or 5", then thump it down. Use the end of the post to thump it down, but it must be thumped evenly, or the post will keep moving. Let the thumper fall straight, & watch your hands - wear gloves. Put another 4" of soil in & thump again. Check the post is straight as you go, with a spirit level. If not, thump a bit more on one side than the other, to straighten it up.

You can back fill with 1" chalk or brick rubble (particularly at the bottom of the hole) but make sure it is small enough and that it breaks down as you thump, so that it goes tight.

To fix a post in firmly, there should be a third more soil in the hole with the post, than you took out - if you have thumped it down well enough!