# Forum Home Renovation Fences & Screens  Straining posts for espelier

## snowyskiesau

I've been helping a friend do some gardening and one of the things  wanted was to set some posts and wire for espaliering some apple trees. 
The posts are 2.3metre, 90mm x 90mm set 7.5 metres apart with a planned 4 strands of wire between them.  Each post was set in concrete, holes were 600mm deep and (about 500mm square). The ground is very soft with a clay layer at about  500mm depth.
While the posts seemed solid, when we strained the bottom 2 wires, the posts were pulled from the vertical - about 1 cm at the top of the post.  
What's the best way to overcome this problem? is it a matter of setting the posts deeper or in bigger holes (more concrete) or is a diagonal strainer post the go?  _[I was here previously under the name snowskiesau but I can't get my password mailed to me - either the forum or me has forgotten my email address ]_

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## SilentButDeadly

Try just simply cross bracing them first with strained wire.  Then run your horizontal wire on just a light strain... 
But I reckon you don't have enough posts.....imagine that full of leaf.....in even a light breeze, what you have is a sail. And it'll billow like one. 
When you put more posts in (deeper, too) then put a steel 25x25 RHS on the top of them to make a rectangle...much harder to bend then

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## snowyskiesau

Didn't consider the sail aspect - and my friend is a boatie!
The posts are only a metre or so from a paling fence so I don't know how much wind will impact them. I'll pass the info along though. 
At this stage, a diagonal looks the easiest option that doesn't require the removal of the original post.

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