Plant Labels & Master Lists

[Durgan]

I screwed around with almost every plant marker over the years. Finally I ordered a case of 1000, 5/8 by 5 inches, yellow and one time white.
When you want a marker you want it now. I mark using a black sharpie and it stays for the year. Sometime I reuse the markers by wiping the marking with acetone, available from a pharmacy.
The marker is placed near the stake marking the plant. If required higher up, I punch a hole in the marker and hang using a wire pipe cleaner for convenience.
No more screwing around looking for a marker when required. A thousand lasts me around three years and possibly more with care.
Here is where I ordered them http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZZBIJ
Work Smart!

[crmauch]

Well given my experience when buying my house a number of years ago, I would want make sure that the blinds were noted as 'lead-free', (There was lead contamination in my (future) house, but only where the mini-blinds were.

I have been completely frustrated with plastic labels and sharpies. Within less than 1 year, the labels become brittle and break, and the sharpie fades to unreadability.

I use two systems for labels now. For tomatoes or things that are annuals, I use aluminum tape (can be found at Lowes w/ the duct/duck tape). I cut the length I want (usually ~4 inches) remove the backing and fold it over (sticking it to itself) Then i write on it w/ ballpoint pen -- The pen doesn't really show, but you've 'engraved' what you wrote into the tape (so it cannot fade). For tomatoes last year I hung labels using a few strands of jute twine. Also used smaller section of the tape to mark flowers I crossed.

For permanent labels (for fruit trees etc), I use aluminum soda cans. Using tin snips, I can get about 4 labels out of a can. I fold the aluminum over such that there's very little sharp edge. Then I use a punch to place a whole. Used to love the plastic coated wire that kid's toys were tied to the box with, but I've notice that they're not using that any more (probably was a safety hazard), and my kid's have grown out of that stage. The labels take quite bit of pressure to write on (again sort of 'engraved'), but they last better than anything I can purchase/afford.

Chris

[brokenbar]

1000 lasted us about 5 minutes... My Husband grows weird tomatoes (from my very limited perspective) and he grows some peppers, pumpkins, every weird squash known to man (and neither he nor I eat squash...) all the beans, carrots, melons, etc so I think we used about 4500 tags last year. We donate almost all of our production to the Catholic Church's "feed the needy" program and he gives all the neighbors, all their family, all their friends produce as well. )We may be single handily feeding 1/3 of the population of our area in Mexico!!!) All of these varieties that they have never seen or heard of so they are thrilled. I am seeing some of the odder varieties we grow showing up in the markets so they are saving seeds...I am such a miser that I just get teed off at how the cost of everything connected with "growing your own" just keeps rising and rising...I should own stock in Ball Canning Jars and Miracle Gro...I could buy my own island!

[Doug9345]

I've had sharpie writing fade in 6 weeks where it was on foam coffee cups. Fortunately I caught it in time and was able to remark with ball point pen. It is readable, but more important it incises the words into what ever you are writing on.

[Father'sDaughter]

My solution is solar powered! I've found I can re-use all my hard plastic tags each year if I leave them stuck in the dirt along the side wall of one of my beds facing southwest after I pull all the plants. By the time I need them again, the sun will have done a pretty good job of fading the marker from the previous year. Then when I use them to mark plants, I stick them in with the label side facing northwest and they make it through the growing season without fading.

[crmauch]

Originally Posted by crmauch

I use two systems for labels now. For tomatoes or things that are annuals, I use aluminum tape (can be found at Lowes w/ the duct/duck tape). I cut the length I want (usually ~4 inches) remove the backing and fold it over (sticking it to itself) Then i write on it w/ ballpoint pen -- The pen doesn't really show, but you've 'engraved' what you wrote into the tape (so it cannot fade). For tomatoes last year I hung labels using a few strands of jute twine. Also used smaller section of the tape to mark flowers I crossed.
Chris

I want to update my statement here (although I don't think I've convinced many of my system.)


I found that the tape from Lowes (3M is the manufacturer), is much thinner than the tape I used previously, I'm using it but it isn't nearly as nice (when the roll was first opened it off-gassed a really unpleasant smell). I'm going to pick up a roll of the brand I used previously (Nashua), and see if it's the weight I used before. If not, I may have to start the search for a new system.

[bower]

I have an awful habit of writing on the container with a sharpie. Not having the fading problem here, it's what to do the year after. Everything from cell packs to beer cups and fish tubs has something marked on it, and yep, crossed off. I then went to painters tape labelled with sharpie. Lasted well enough. But sooo tedious to remove when it's time for a new one...

Well last year when I ran out of cups my brother picked me up a bag of clear ones by mistake. They turned out to be brittle and not a good size for potting up seedlings either. BUT, I found I can cut them up with scissors to make 10-12 plant tags. Since they're clear, they don't obstruct tiny seedlings from light nor my view of the seedlings either.

I have two kinds of sharpie, the real permanent marker which is Sharpie and permanent, and a knockoff from the dollar store that is semi-permanent - if you soak it, you can wash it off. Been using it for freezer containers, not sure if it will hold up to sunshine and a daily hosing.

[Gardadore]

I have found that the paint pens hold up longer than the Sharpie's. The gold or silver is very visible on the black plastic pots. I mark everything now using the Paint pens, paper or plastic cups, zinc markers, etc. and they are no longer fading.

[crmauch]

Originally Posted by crmauch

I want to update my statement here (although I don't think I've convinced many of my system.)


I found that the tape from Lowes (3M is the manufacturer), is much thinner than the tape I used previously, I'm using it but it isn't nearly as nice (when the roll was first opened it off-gassed a really unpleasant smell). I'm going to pick up a roll of the brand I used previously (Nashua), and see if it's the weight I used before. If not, I may have to start the search for a new system.

The Nashua tape is the same as I've previously purchased. I got it at Home Depot. I should note that the Nashua tape is about the same price for 1/3 the amount of tape ($7.88 or so for 50 feet as opposed to 150), but I much prefer the the Nashua brand. I estimate I can get about 300 labels from one roll of tape.

Chris

[Got Worms?]

Like many here, I use labels made of Mini-Blinds and mark them with a Sharpie.

When I want to remove the writing, I use Acetone from Home Depot instead of Nail Polish Remover. For two reasons; Acetone is cheaper, and it comes in a metal can, so it's safer for storage. I buy the quart, sometimes the gallon. Nail polish remover is basically made of Acetone. As is nail polish remover, Acetone will evaporate quickly if left open and is very flammable. Be safe.

Charlie

[Tracydr]

I use a piece of blue masking paper from HD. I put it on the cage/trellis for tall plants. On a bamboo skewer for little plants or rows.
For starting, I use a piece of masking tape on 4" pots. Before going into bigger pots, I haven't found a great method. I tried tape on toothpicks but it was very time consuming. Right now, I'm using little plastic labels from a nursery supply where I got my pots and trays. Looking for something better and cheaper.

[Stvrob]

@crmauch.
I use a similar system except I don't use aluminum tape. I will cut a soda can, open it up, and use a ballpoint pen. As with your tape, the ballpoint indents on the surface. Then I take a sharpie and trace over the lettering, then immediately wipe it off with bit of alcohol and paper towel. The permanent ink is left behind only in the indentation left by the ball point.
Trim the corners so they are round, and poke a hole and you have a durable little dog tag that is legible for years, even if the ink has faded.

[taboule]

I slice scrap 1x or 2x lumber 1/10 in thick. The 2x is cut part-way down the middle to yield a 3/4" wide strips, before slicing.

Then ganged up with tape and cut short, then cut again at 45 degrees. Make enough for a couple seasons supply in a few minutes.Can make them in any length, thicker and longer for going in the ground. At the end of the season, they get recycled into kindling/fire starter.

[ddsack]

Lots of good ideas have been discussed, I am amazed at how creative people are with so many choices of materials!

We still get our milk in gallon plastic jugs, so I recycle and cut off the top funnel part first and cut that up, then cut the middle portion in bands, and then zig-zag cut those into triangles, with the pointy end to go in the soil. I like being able to see my writing horizontally, especially in seed flats. I also like to have short small labels that are less likely to be knocked out of trays, and I match the label width to the length of the name of the variety. The bottom of the jug is too tough to cut easily, and makes a nice holding tray for the labels or other little gardening gadgets.

I cut up yogurt containers and use a grease pencil.