I Forgot Where to Get Zinc Plant Labels

Friendly helpful DGer's,

Who is the best and reasonable source for zinc labels. I bought 150 last year and cannot remember where I mailordered them from. I do know someone on DG or the Iris Forum recommended them.

Who is your best source??

Irisawe

I buy most of mine from Paw Paw

http://www.everlastlabel.com/

I bought some this year from Eon, and they were great and came in colors, but you have to put them together which is time consuming. But those colored ones are so pretty in the garden.

http://www.eonindustries.com/catalog/

You are sooo right. It was Paw Paw.

Thank you!!

I use Paw Paw's too and I love them over others I've tried. I just hate having the signs all over my flowerbeds. LOL I call them my little cemetery markers. That's what it reminds me of when the night light hits them after dark.

They are wonderful to work with.
Good Luck and Happy Gardening, Marian

You're welcome. Paw Paw is certainly a great company.

I learn something new everyday since I've signed up! Thank you!

I've got a question -- I just ordered plant markers from Kincaidgardens.com. They are much more expensive than the ones I just looked at from PawPaw's. I have time to cancel my order if I want to -- so I'm wondering about the ones from PawPaws -- what is the surface of the nameplate made from? Can I apply a printed label to that surface? Is the space on the nameplate itself 7/8" x 2-1/2" -- or is that the width of the plant marker at the top where the nameplate is located? Hope I asked that right........................
Thanks.

The nameplate is etched zinc and is 7/8" x 2 - 1/2". I've used the Brother xtra adhesive labels but they've only been on this year and seem to be sticking fine.

Pawpaw price also includes the shipping.

I use the Brother TZ tape on Paw Paw labels, and they've stayed on and been readable for years. Paw Paw is the cheapest I've found. Not only do they have free shipping, but as soon as they get your order they ship. Turn around time from sending them a check to getting the markers has been less than a week. And they are a very small family owned business, and great to deal with.

Here's their ratings in Gardenwatchdog

http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/2557/

We had a co-op with Eon, and they were nice, and came in colors, but I don't see the colors anymore, and the non co-op price is not nearly as nice.

Eons ratings are excellent, also

http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/3467/

I love EON's markers, but they are pricey with the non-co-op price.

Since I'm out and have many orders still coming, I just ordered the 'M' markers from Paw Paw. Can anyone tell me if they are the kind where the tags have holes and slip through the stakes so they can't become detached?

I know I've tried their 'C' markers before, and they were the kind that the tag folded around the stake, and after the deer, dogs and whatnot walked through the garden, those tags didn't stay on the stake very long and led to some plants becoming NOID's.

This message was edited Aug 15, 2009 6:08 PM

there is a yahoo co op group that has on going co ops with eon. I get them for very cheap. It's 50 markers for about $15 plus shipping which is flat rate. Here is a link to the group.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BnPCo-opBuying/

flowrgirl1,

Do they have the colored markers listed in that co-op? I'd really like to get some more of those. It's such a big help to me, green for Japanese, blue for siberians.

yep.

I've used Paw Paw for ages. But sometimes the name part slips down. Kincaid are far superior, but expensive. They are stainless, so they don't corrode. On new intros i'm putting the Kincaid tags, and will replace all when I can afford it! LOL pic Announcement

I was thinking about ordering from this company here. I like the fact that they have the writable tags that use a standard pen & it imprints onto the tag. Don't have to worry about fading!

http://www.nationalband.com/

I've ordered similiar ones to those you mentioned skiekitty from this place and was happy with them. The only thing I'd use/do differently is replace the metal wire with something plastic coated. Wire that thin develops stress points easily where ever they are bent and twisted. The imprint/embossing way of writing on them is great and I don't have to be concerned about faded out writing.

The aluminum ones I purchased are at the bottom of the page of choices but I like the copper at the top of the column too:)

http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/labels.htm

Just did the math on these and Mountain Valley is the better option--I
3 pks of 50 @ $5.95ea= $17.85 s&h to NC $10= $27.85

National Band:
100 write on tags w/ wire $20.81 s&h $6 plus .40cents per lb (10lbs)=$4= Total: $30.81

This message was edited Aug 23, 2009 2:16 PM

I got them today and here are some of my tags for my new co-op iris:)

Gee, those are really impressive! No danger of them fading. Did you get these from Mountain Valley?

Yup:) I just use a ball point pen to "write" on them and they come with some wire ties to attach them to the plants. I don't have to worry about fading with these which I like:)

The ties tend to get weak and snap at the stress point (where you twist them) so I'm thinking of trying clear fishing line instead or coated florist wire.

I got iris from someone where they had short wooden tags on them and had been attached to the iris with wire secured through holes punched through the cut back foliage.

Fishing line is a good solution. Schreiner's has those little wooden tags on some of their irises.

Donna,

What are you going to attach them to? They do look really nice. Plus you have great handwriting, LOL.

Here's the new tags I got from Eon. I love the colors. I now have green for Japanese and species, and blue for siberian. Here's the green with a picture of my order from Ensata.

Thanks Polly:) That is my claim to fame--in short bursts I have really good printing and handwriting--it deteriorates if I have to writes anything longer than a paragraph or two:lol:

Last time I planted new iris I worked the wire around the base of the leaves, tried to keep it loose to allow for growth and the tage sort of laid on the ground. I also got some cheap garden staples that are used to hold down weed barrier fabric, attached the tag to that and sunk it in all the way into the ground, so again the tag was laying on the top of the soil.

I have a bunch of Eon markers and love them (didn't know they had colors!)--but I've had mixed success with different ways of keeping the information from fading. The paint markers I got last year in a co-op here were really good...I think I just need to take a day a season and take a pen around and refresh the info for the best results.

The garden staples would be a good idea to keep the tags down. I never thought of that. And I have tons of them, as I use the fabric mats between rows, and always have staples left over.

I use the P touch with TZ tape on my markers. No fading yet after 6-7 years. But it's an expense that really wouldn't be justified if only using a few. The colors are new, and actually I think they are using them to cover up flaws in the markers, as I see on the back of the colored markers some scratches. But I love the new colors, and they show up good for me in the rows of the irises. I can tell right at a glance which is siberian, and which is Japanese by the colors.

Yeah, I have looked at the Ptouch and as I'm under 100 iris and I change them out every couple of years depending on what I love or don't love (space restrictions) the expense is a bit much. Now, of course, once I buckle down and buy a place where I can keep accumulating all the iris I crave...then a P touch would definitely be the way to go:lol:

I'm always awed and inspired by all the great organization tips and photos of such perfectly organized beds.

I've used the Eon plates wired to the staples and sunk in the ground also, without the long Eon marker legs. I also put the name of the iris on the back of the Eon plate just in case the front gets weathered or fades just as back up.

I use Paw Paw since they are the cheapest, the price includes shipping, but the plates have a tendacy to slip down on the rose and tall markers ( E and F) and they fall off on the cap style (C). The single wire (g) is no good as the wind just blews the name plate off and it ends up on the ground but they might do good with someone that does not have the high winds we get out here in WY,MT, CO, the Dakota's.

Joan I have used the Mini, they are better then the E and F for slipping down the legs, but they still slip, this year I put silicone in the bottom holes to see if that will stop the slipping and of course that wind does kick up that dirt and believe it or not does sand blast the plates, and I think it is impossible to point the plates in any direction since we get wind from all corners

I gone to a label maker with weather proof tape

The cooper turns green after a year so I do not bother with them

when it comes to markers, has anyone considered this?

At the AIS convention tour gardens, I noted that labels down at the ground level are very hard to see. Had to bend over, sometimes almost touch my toes to get a clear view. by noon my back was hurting!

in 2007, I went on a self made growers garden tour through OR, WA and ID. [Schreiners, Cooleys, Aitkens, Snowpeak, Sandhill Nursery and a few smaller ones.] Noted their iris markers were almost all 20" to 30" tall. I never noted any strain to see the markers.

one of these sites has 25" markers, and while they are much pricier, my back is worth it for my own garden. low markers may work on some things, but not irises!

I can pretty much read my markers from standing. I especially am able to read the blue and green colored ones easier.

I buy the Pawpaw markers too. They are about 32.00 per 100 for the size I get. Free shipping. The Eon markers from the co-op we had here were 29.50 plus 10.35 shipping. Plus 1.00 more for the colors. The Eon markers are not quite as likely to slip down the legs, I don't think. Hopefully we'll have another co-op with them in the spring. I think both companies are great. I have a wholesale contract with Eon, but the prices are still not as good as what we got in the co-op.

With the Pawpaw labels, if you just spread out the legs a bit before putting them in the ground, the label doesn't slip dwn.

Thanks, that's good to know! I can do that.

That's exactly what I do because some one warned me the labels would slid down the legs. Ever since spreading them out a good bit not a one has slipped.

Another tip that some of you may or may not want to try. Over the winter months get a bunch of old wire coat hangers and cut off the hanger section only. Straighten out the rest of the hanger and make a small loop in the end of it to hang your labels that you do with the ball point pen. Be sure and hold close to the bottom of the wire when your pushing it into the ground or it will bend. But these work very well for your signs so you don't have to bend over to read the names. Plue they are FREE. I'm alwasy tossing out hangers. Plus if you want to you can spray paint them it you wanted to. One of the ladies in our club does this and they work VERY WELL. If you don't have any extra hangers watch garage sales for them. Alot of times people will put them out in a box and sale a huge box for $1.

Happy GArdening, Marian