harveyc

I've used a variety of methods to mark plants, and sometimes just relying on memory. All of them have had their problems. Some tags have faded, others were tied to a petiole but became untied or overlooked when trimming dead leaves (especially after a long winer), others were tied to stakes that got lost as well. I've got some metal stake plant markers with copper tags and thought I might try them, though sometimes the weeds can get pretty thick in spring and I'm afraid I may yank them out unknowingly.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any great ideas that have worked really well for them, especially if you have many plants and they die back in your winters.

Thanks,

Harvey

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momoese

The nursery where some of my plants came from had cool little hand painted signs that were attached to stakes driven in the ground. I suppose you could make the stakes as high as you want so they don't get lost in the weeds. The signs they made were about 6" x 12" x 3/4" thick and really added to the look of the garden.

john_ny

I'd be interested in this, also. One thing I've done, from time to time, (so far, with other plants, not bananas) is to make a diagram of where various plants are located. Then, if a tag or marker goes missing, I can figure it out from the diagram. Ex: sixth one in from front road, along left side of driveway, or 50 feet south of SW corner of house, etc.

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John

Chironex

Why not attach a metal tag with a zip tie around the base of the pstem?

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Scot

jeffreyp

pound a stake into the ground spray painted a particular color, then keep a spreadsheet for each color, ie. red - cavendish, blue - praying hands, green - ice cream, etc...

bepah

Harvey,

If you have the budget; Plant Signs Home Page

Botanical garden style and very nice looking. You could also invest in a sign engraver and perform a service for all of us who need signs....I would be forever in your debt (figuratively).

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John Case
Rookie Gardener, Veteran Drinker

austinl01

If you have a digital camera, take a picture of your landscape and then use a photo-editing program (some are free to download) to type labels right on the picture near each plant.

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Austin
Arkansas River Valley

Average January Low: 31°F, Average August High: 92°F
Extreme Winter Lows: 5-15°F, Extreme Summer Highs: 100-112°F, Annual Precipitation: 52 inches

Gabe15

I use a map, it doesn't help people who are out in the garden looking around very much, but its the best way I have found to keep track of all the relevant info regarding a plant.

It is very simple, I just draw the shape of my planting area, and then divide it into sections where a plant could potentially go. I then assign each potential planting location a fixed number, and when I plant something, I have a table I keep which has: what I planted, where I planted it (using the number system), when I planted it, and an area for notes. I can take my map out into the garden and easily see what is planted where, exactly how old it is and any other notes about it.

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

Magilla Gorilla

Harvey,

I have used a similiar map/diagram of what is in the garden. I also use wooden signs for the vegie garden. I use old 2x4 and my wife paints them and I attach a wire so they can hang. When I visited the botanical gardens in Hilo, Hawaii last year they use plastic signs that are engraved on a stake. These are really cool and pricey. Maybe a local sign maker may be able to help you. I have yet to check out my local sign maker. I also recently purchased 8 inch plastic labels on e-bay for both in pot and in garden plants until I go all plastic engraved. Good luck! I will be on the look-out for the garden on AeAe in Hawaii in two days!

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Andrew

Bananaman88

I have used various methods, too. Like Harvey said, they all have their problems. I recently purchased some stakes that are about 10" tall and have a galvanized (I think) face plate that can be written on with the provided grease pencil. However, I am worried about the grease pencil fading away. The TX sun is very harsh on everything down here. I am thinking about buying some of the waterproof tape for my label maker and printing out the names of my plants and affixing the label to the face of the stake. We use this waterproof tape where I work and it holds up really well. I supposed I could also engrave these but then if a plant dies and I don't replace it with that variety, I have an unusable plant stake. With the tape, I can just remove it and reprint another one.

Tog Tan

A bit of DIY. What I do is to use a 3ft hollow square aluminum tubing for the stand and a piece of 3x8in plywood. I paint the plywood a gloss green with a black edge. The plywood is then screw on with two small screws to the stand. I then write the name of the 'naner on it in white. If I have to change the name, I just sand it off and repaint it.
Normally for stability, I knock 1ft into the ground. The aluminum doesn't rot and the plywood with the gloss paint as protection last a long time.
It works out well with the tropical sun and rain here. And I think it looks kinda nice.

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Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

hydrojeff

i use a similar method to tog but mine is u shaped aluminum about 3' and then i cut 1"x2" pieces of 1/16" aluminum plate and rivit them to the u shaped stakes then with a number and letter punch, punch the name on the plate, its forever....

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Magilla Gorilla

[/QUOTE=hydrojeff]i use a similar method to tog but mine is u shaped aluminum about 3' and then i cut 1"x2" pieces of 1/16" aluminum plate and rivit them to the u shaped stakes then with a number and letter punch, punch the name on the plate, its forever.....[/quote]


Can either of you post pictures? I will try to do the same. Thanks!

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Andrew

harveyc

Yes, I'd like to see photos also. I wish I had prettier writing to paint my own signs. Brent, your comments about fear of plant death made me chuckle. I bought either 50 or 100 stakes similar to the ones you mentioned, but with pretty copper plates and had planned on inscribing them with plant names but haven't used a single one of them fearing I'd ruin it forever for a plant that would either die or one which I'd give up on. Also, I have 3 or 4 bananas that I thought I knew the variety but which are now classified as "unknown" or at least "uncertain".

Aluminum tubing is probably pretty pricey these days. Electrical conduit might hold up pretty well and be a less expensive option, though drilling holes in round tubing is a little more difficult.

Thanks for the ideas!

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hydrojeff

i maybe can, i just got rid of my kodak easy share program which would not let me post pics earler, so maybe now i can if some one can pm me with directions on how to do it i would be glad to....

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Bananaman88

Once I actually do this I will post some pics. I still haven't gotten around to purchasing the waterproof tape yet.

pitangadiego

Draw a map and keep it in the house. After a season or so, you will know all of your plants and their locations, just like they were children, anyway.

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Encanto Farms Nursery
http://encantofarms.com
We Be Bananas
http://webebananas.com

john_ny

Thinking some more on this, I used to have a sign and silk screen business. I started out, as a kid in high school, doing some for local businesses. In the beginning, everything was hand painted. Later, when I got some jobs where the customer wanted hundreds of the same sign, we got into doing them by silk screen. (mostly real estate, political, and traffic signs) Along the line, we also, mainly, switched from painting individual signs to computer generated pressure sensitive vinyl letters.
These would be good for plant markers. They come in sizes ½ inch and up, in over 100 different fonts, and in any color you want. They are pre-spaced; you just peel off backing, and stick them on. They last for several years.

As an alternative, you could print the markers from your computer, with a laser printer. You would want to use a laser printer, because laser printing can take the rain; ink jet runs when it gets wet. You also want to print on pressure sensitive polyester, or mylar. Paper deteriorates in the rain, and vinyl doesn't do well with the heat in the laser printer.

The vinyl letters, or the mylar can be stuck on aluminum, or corrugated plastic poster board, etc. We use sheets of little mylar labels to make plant tags, that can be stuck on the side of pots, or on pastic stick-in-pot tags. I know, though, that it comes in larger sizes, like full 8½ X 11 sheets

Here is a vinyl letter supplier.
Vinyl letters, vinyl lettering, vinyl, letters, lettering

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John

lorax

I live in a third-world country where brass engraving is still very cheap, so I have botanical-garden style tags made up whenever I get a new plant. These get screwed onto wooden stakes and whumped into the ground close to the plants. I also have garden layout diagrams just in case.

sandy0225

Plastic mini blinds work well-- if you write on them in pencil, not marker--it doesn't fade off in the sun. Put two or three of them around each plant in case something happens to one. They're super cheap too.
They do tend to get brittle after 2 years or so, but they can be easily replaced.
You can also make little "id bracelets" for your plants by poking holes in each end of a section of mini blind, and using fishing line or galvanized wire to loop around the plant at the base if you're afraid of them blowing away. We get a lot of wind here though and they usually stay in the ground real well if you bury a length of them.

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Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
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