Finally realized I was digging my fence post holes all wrong after 8 years of fighting them

My buddy came over to help me replace a section of fence last weekend and watched me dig the first hole. He just laughed and said 'you know you're supposed to wet the ground first, right?' I'd been dry-digging through hard clay since I bought this house in 2018. Soaked the next hole for 10 minutes before digging and it took me half the time. How long did it take you guys to figure out the basic stuff you were doing backwards?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_diana1mo ago

My first year in this house I spent a whole Saturday trying to dig a post hole for a bird feeder post. Three hours later I had a hole about six inches deep and a lot of bad words. My neighbor came over with a hose and I felt about as smart as a bag of rocks. Now I just tell people I was aerating the clay for the worms.

the_anthony1mo ago

Started doing the same thing with digging holes for planting trees, just brute forcing it through dry dirt. Honestly never thought to soak the ground first because I figured water would just make mud and stick to the shovel. Ngl that's a game changer, might actually enjoy yard work now.

miles_burns1mo ago

That "water would just make mud" thing is exactly what I thought for years too. I finally learned my lesson after trying to dig a hole for a rose bush in August, ended up with a crooked dent in the dirt and a sore back. Soaked it overnight and the next morning I could sink the shovel in like butter. @the_diana's neighbor using a hose is basically a hero move, wish I'd had someone like that around when I was fighting with my clay soil. Makes you wonder how many simple tricks we just never hear about until we're already frustrated.