How much nailing can you do to a tree before really damaging it.?

Question

It is a full grown mountain ash and I want to nail some boards to it for my cats to perch on as part of an enclosure (with netting) My husband thinks we'll kill the tree if we do that.

Answer 1

A few nails shouldn't hurt it. (talk to all those kids building treehouses). However, try to limit the amount of nails you put in it. Some species of trees are not able to handle the stress of being nailed like others.

Answer 2

Each time a tree receives a wound, the wound remains, it never goes away. Sure new wood may grow over the wound, the the wound itself remains and the tree must expend energy in maintaining the chemical barrier walls to keep the infection from the wound from spreading through the tree. So each hole is another continued energy loss for the tree and potential site for major infection and insect development.

Now with thick barked trees there is less a problem because the nails go into the bark, not the wood. But with Mtn. Ash, there's very little bark, so the nails go into wood.

Ideally no nail is the answer. Try to come up with another design.

Answer 3

Use tie down straps or bungy cords that will go around the tree to hold it in place instead of nailing the tree. A few nails probably won't do much damage but it's not worth risking killing it for what you are planning.

Answer 4

Fortunately, its not that easy to kill a tree. Many people believe if they want a tree to die that they should just fill it with rusty nails, but this is a myth. It would take covering the tree from top to bottom with very long rusty nails to kill it. It sounds to me like your nailing plans will not effect of the health of the tree.

Answer 5

I know they can drill plugs out for testing of the trees, so a few nails shouldn't hurt. I guess it really depends on the type of tree.....If it's one of the flowering pear trees I wouldn't advise it.

Answer 6

I wouldn't do it. Try to think of another way. Ash trees are being attacked by the emerald ash borer and it wouldn't be good to make them entrance holes. It would be like inviting them to dinner by ringing the dinner bell. Mountain ash trees are really beautiful shade trees (we used to have one.. growing up). It is really an asset to your property value.