Just wet the hole first, then dump in mix,works great!

Always just dry and never had a problem

Hey Gary when I built my deck our support posts actually have an aluminum base that bolts to top of the flush filled footing. The base has a 1” air space designed right into the structure to keep the treated post dry, and NOT touching the concrete. It is designed to anchor the post but prevent rot…and yes treated lumber will eventually rot. Sent away a whole pile of the old deck, all treated, some rotted.
New bases, bolt to concrete footing, slide in the post, use deck nails to secure the post to the anchor. The 1” airspace between wood post (treated) and the concrete is to promote air flow and keep the wood dry.
Doesn’t matter if it’s treated it will rot if exposed to moisture and not allowed to dry out.
That was code here.
And I have no intention of redoing this deck for a LONG time.

Concrete in a post hole for a wood post should be used as a pad only. Dirt tamped solid for backfill. Concrete around a wood post will speed rot. Been doing it that way for many, many years.

Dry concrete in post holes for metal posts is fine and seems to be a very popular method with fence companies.

Over the past ten years or so I have been using the Simpson Stand Off's similar to what janNE shows above. I dig the holes, stick in a SonaTube so it's a bit above grade and sink an anchor bolt. After the concrete cures the Stand Off's get attached.

The Simpson Stand Off's, the heavily galvanized ones, are spendy but, IMO, well worth the money, no wood in contact with the ground.

I put up a few farm gates in with 6" steel posts- I added this mix dry and then added water onto as I went- turned out rock soild.

I like that idea. I'm in Arkansas where there's more rock than dirt and I'm not excited about digging deep holes, especially if the posts are gonna rot.

I’ve owned and operated a fence installation business for 32 years and I will never set a wood post in the ground. All our wood fences are built with metal posts set in concrete. I know this for a deck but same principle

My short stint with pole barn builder back in late 1970s. All the large barn post where set in hole on 6 inch thick concrete pad. Then we tamped in the lime rock gravel in around them gets almost like cement. I'm guessing it Is same rock TraderVic used.. I don't know what those post look like up close now. But those building are still standing.

Mac

Interesting that there is no consensus on the right way to do this.

I think we've established that concreting wood posts into the ground is bad, setting them on concrete pads and back-filling with dirt or gravel is better and not putting them in ground contact by using concrete pillars and stand off's is best.

If you put wood in ground just slather it up with creosote and provide crushed rock in the hole for drainage-last longer than you will.

If you completely submerge the bottom end of the post into the concrete, the concrete acts like a condom and will trap any water inside to accelerate the rotting process.

Glad I never used condoms.