For a pine tree, what type of hooks, nails, screws can I use??

For a pine tree, what type of hooks, nails, screws can I use to insert into pine tree without damaging it?? Is there a type of metal I need to use? I want to put up clothes line and bird feeder attached to pines but don’t want to harm. Thanks!

For a pine tree, what type of hooks, nails, screws can I use??
I recommend using a strap around a branch rather than a screw into the tree (this would work for the bird feeder).





For the clothes line, use stainless steel. If you want to be safe, sterilize the screw in boiling water before inserting.
Reply:Pine trees have a natural defense. They encase any foreign object in pitch if it is harming the tree.





You can really screw or nail just about anything you want into a pine tree without damaging it.





The main thing to remember is the way a tree grows. It adds a lay each year and if you have a screw, eye bolt or nail in the side of the tree eventually the item will be covered by the trees growth.





It is a good idea to have something that can be removed and put in a different place as the tree grows.





We have at least 25 to 30 pines on our lot and we haven't lost one yet to nails or screws in the side of the tree.
Reply:For the clothes line, I'd put an eye bolt through the tree, with washers and an adjustable nut so the bolt length can be increased as the tree grows.





You do not want anything girdling around the tree trunk, so just looping the clothesline around the trees is not a good solution for more than a weekend or so. Prolonged girdling loads will crush the phloem under the bark and cause major long term damage.





Birdfeeders are probably best attached to a branch well away from the clothesline. Those can simply be hung from a rope, or you can use a nut and bolt arrangement or just a good sized eye screw.
Reply:Any screw you put into the tree will affect it. The tree will grow around it. Pines are soft and grow fast. They also put out a lot of pollen. Why not get an in-ground system. Then you don't have to worry about the bird's doing their business while going to the feeder you want in the area too. Good luck!
Reply:why would you want to hang clothes under a sappy old pine tree...not a good idea...
Reply:Bark is like skin, you put a hole in bark, it is like scratching your skin. Does it hurt the tree -yes. Will it kill the tree, not unless you make a lot of holes etc.





The best type to use for you would be galvanized, they don't rust then. You want them to be as small as you need to hold properly.





Use some common sense. Don't use a railroad spike to hold a bird feeder. Screws hold better than nails when subjected to horizontal pressure (pull out) for a clothes line for example. Nails are stronger than screws for vertical pressure (hanging off of or down from) for a bird feeder for example.