adrift

How do you all put identification markers on your plants? The old sharpie pen and a popsicle stick just doesn't look professional enough any more...

At various conventions I've seen booths with guys who could engrave name badges and such, but I worry if the plastic is uV resistant...

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I've got to stop asking people, "How stupid can you be." People are taking it as a challenge.

xavierdlc61887

make some on the computer and print them out.....then glue them to the side of the pot....ive been thinking about doing that....but then again i can get 1000 ID markers for 50 bucks....so....u just calculate what u spent figure how much to charge.....woiuld need alot of plants just to break a little profit....if thats what your going for

Taylor

I find that anything plastic is not UV resistant enough. Sharpie will fade off in a matter of 2 weeks, and the plastic will break if moved from original position after a while.

I would advise getting metal labels and using a pen to indent the name of the plant into it. It will no rust for a long time, and it won't wear away either. There is a way to cut open soda cans to save money, which I think I will try this winter in all that spare time without an active garden.

Edges stay sharp!

Bananaman88

I just bought some metal labels that you can use a grease pencil on. I still haven't decided whether I want to use the grease pencil or get some of the waterproof tape and make some name labels with my labelmaker and put them on the labels.

Richard

For pots: use the "Presto" Jumbo Correction Pen, Fine Point -- made by Pentel. Easy to write with, leaves a 1/8th inch wide stroke, and lasts a very long time (years).

For plants, try Impress-o-tags at this link: Order Information

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bepah

A high end solution, go to Plant Signs Home Page.

This is the type of ID markers used in arboretums, botanical gardens, etc.....

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John Case
Rookie Gardener, Veteran Drinker

john_ny

Over the years, I have tried many things. Seems all had some pros and cons.
Wooden tags, or Popsicle sticks - eventually turn gray from the weather.
Plastic stick in pot, or wrap around branch tags - get brittle, and crack/break.
Sharpie type markers - eventually fade/wash off.
Plain old wood pencil - works best but, whether you're writing on wooden or plastic tags, it doesn't look very professional and, if you have many plants, it is very time consuming.
Aluminum tags that you press letters into, with a pencil - expensive, but work good, and last a long time but, again, not professional, and time consuming.
There are thermal label printers, that print waterproof tags, but are very expensive. For me, it's too much money to put out for a machine that can only do one thing.

Several years ago, I got some plants that had little pressure sensitive tags, on the sides of the pots, and they lasted for years. I decided to check on this, and I found:

You need to use a laser printer, because ink-jet runs when it gets wet.
You need to use polyester, or mylar labels, because paper disintegrates after a while, and vinyl melts in a laser printer.

I got some of these labels and with a color laser printer, I can even put little pictures on the labels, which can be stuck on the sides of pots, or affixed to a wooden, plastic, or metal tag, and the printer can be used to print nice photos, make waterproof signs and flyers, etc.

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John

MediaHound

Agree with John_NY
Metal tags pressed with a ball point pen over cardboard work good.
Pencil lasts on plastic markers (vs. Sharpie or Grease/China marker),
and I also use a Brother P-touch label maker, which holds up just fine.

Those labels I place on these copper markers:

Sometimes I just press hard on the copper with a ball point pen to make an impression, but over time, as it gets weathered, the ball point pen impression will get hard to see without getting it moist and rubbing it.

IMO the P-touch labels with these copper markers is the best solution I've found.

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D_&_T

Just an idea of using letter stamps to us on metal/copper, might need to use strap first depending on handy with hammer and punch to keep line straight! LOL

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

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Richard

Speaking of id tags, I started buying these plant markers for my business.

They are 12 inches high and 3 inches wide at the top. The retail cost is 70 cents apiece or less depending on the quantity.

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dablo93

i dont use them, i just try to rember them!
i only have one problem, i dont know the difference between the royal burgundy and another one, somethign with red in the name

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Lagniappe

Great idea!
You could use a type holder like this to keep them straight and make tags with a single punch.
http://www.infinitystamps.com/stamps...Type-Kit-4.jpg

Bananaman88

MediaHound's approach of printing out a label and then affixing it to a metal label is what I was talking about as well. This is what I plan to do in the spring.

lorax

As I think I remarked in the other DIY Plant tags thread, I send mine out to the engraver's, so all of my plants have brass botanical-gardens style tags. If I do them in bulk, they cost about 25 cents each. Then again, I live in a developing nation.

MediaHound

Lorax, that's awesome, I looked into those but they were too expensive to get here in the States.

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Apologies in advance if I am slow to reply to your PM. I suggest posting in the forums for support if you need something urgent.

lorax

Yeah, and shipping from here would probably kill whatever savings you'd get on the actual engraving. Boo-urns! In many respects, Ecuador is just as advanced as the States, but everything up north costs like 10x more.