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kay75052

Tags to put outdoors

kay75052
17 years ago

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to ask a simple little question. What is everyone using as tags for their plants outdoors? I have been using the little wooden sticks and it's not working very well. The ones that I had put down in the springtime had already rotted and the "name" faded away. I also used some plastic ones, which didn't work either. The plastic cracked and faded. So now, I'm at a lost. Please help!

Comments (10)

  • carrie751
    17 years ago

    I cut old metal venetian blinds and use permanent marker on them. They will stay legible for a couple of years or longer. You can rewrite on them if the marker comes off.

  • Jacquelyn8b
    17 years ago

    I use the copper tags from Yucca Do.
    The drawback is their size. Be prepared to squint!

    The permanent black marker on the stainless steel tags from the Antique Rose Emporium faded in one season so I gave them to my mother. She uses her Brother labeling machine, sticks the labels on the tags and they work great!

  • seamommy
    17 years ago

    Kay, there is some metal tape you can buy at the hardware store that you write on with a regular pen and it makes an indention in the tape. I stick the tape onto the little metal sign markers that I used to write on with permanent pen. The permanent pen always faded before the season was over and I couldn't read them anyway. But I use the metal signs with the tape on them and it works well. So far my labels have been on them for two years and are still readable. A couple of them were not stuck on real well and water got under the tape and it came off. But most of them are still on tight.

    The other thing I do is maintain a schematic of my garden with diagrams of all the flower beds that shows what is planted in each location. It's kind of a pain if I have to move things or if something dies, I have to remember to change the diagram. But overall it helps a lot because I can't remember diddly anymore! Cheryl

  • terryisthinking
    17 years ago

    First I used rocks written on with Patio Paint, which was supposed to last outside. It did not. Well, I take that back. It lasted a long time on a birdbath, but the rocks just didn't accept the paint permanently. : )

    My most successful and longlasting tags were ceramic tiles purchased at Home Depot, painted with ceramic glaze and fired. As long as you keep them where no one will step on them, they will last. sunproof, waterproof.

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    17 years ago

    I use Paw Paw, and Eon metal plant markers, if you order them be sure and get the 10 inch stakes, and not the short ones. Its an investment, but you can use them over and over again. I use a brothers labeling machine and type the name of the plant, and just stick it on the metal plant tag. I have been doing this for my daylilies and calla lillies so I can keep track of them. Mine are 4 yrs old and they look as good as when I first put them on. You can get a rebuilt brothers labeling machine for under $25, and you can't tell the diffrence between it and a new one. I got mine for Christmas, and just love it. Barbra,

  • kay75052
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thank you for the many ideas. I will try them out and see which ones works best. Thank you again.

  • jolanaweb
    17 years ago

    Hi Kay, I got some at Big Lots...cheap. I think there were five in a pack and they came with a marker that is similar to a laundry pen and I can still read all of them even the ones in full sun
    jolana

  • sylviatexas1
    17 years ago

    Plumber's tape is what you get at the hardware store.

    never tried this, but I read on another forum that lead pencil doesn't fade.

  • beachplant
    17 years ago

    I order tags from Gemplers, they have everything from wooden, plastic, metal to the ones that hold cards like the nursery uses. Best prices I've found & they ship quickly. Tally HO!

  • bjs496
    17 years ago

    I answered a similar question in the fig forum a few weeks ago. If you want something permanent and legible, there are dog tag machines at Walmart (probably at the pet stores as well). They will hold several lines of embossed text and cost about five bucks.

    Also, there are online sources of dog tags as well. I think the last time I checked, the cheapest was between 2 and 2.50 bucks. Some are embossed and some are engraved (and can be engraved on both sides).

    ~james

    Here is a link that might be useful: fig label issue