A few years ago I helped my son put some posts in for a hammock. The
hammock came with a recomendation to use 6 by 6 wood posts. We used 4
by 6 posts with the 6 inch being the depth of the beam. To provide the
soil resistance of a six inch post, we put a foot or so of 2 by 6 at
the bottom of the 4 by 6 so as to have the 6 inch diamension resisting
the movement of the post at the bottom of the hole. We then dug a
trench about two feet long and maybe 8 inches deep intersecting the
hole. And nailed some 2 by 6 across the 4 by 6 on the hammock side of
the 4 by 6.

I doubt if anyone can follow this without a picture. But the result
was a really solid post.


Dan