what do you use for plant tags?

Looking for suggestions on how to mark my Iris this year. Tags have faded or gone missing in years past. I have heard of paint pens, do they work ? What kind of markers do you use? What do you write with? Thanks in advance for the suggestions. :)


Erin

ive been having the same problem, we use the white stick tags that come in a roll that nursery's use for tomato plants and things vendors use in plastic containers, but the marker fades out, they get pulled out by birds and animals, or they get brittle and snap after a couple seasons. the last two years we tried copper metal garden tags on the historic iris, but the marker fades out even faster on those, and even the paint pens fade. We were told by member harloiris that where he lives in montana they have livestock and feed stores for ranchers that you can buy a kind of black marker they use to mark cattles ears with, that will not wash off tags even after years of rain. he stated the metal tags in the ground hes had for 20+ years snaped of in the ground from weathering and tarnish before the cattle marker ink will fade. ive found that the permanant black markers that have the red tops as opposed to the black top ones last longer too. i would imagine its even harder to keep up with your tags as i viewed your trade list and you have a huge fantastic collection of tons of iris, daylilies, and asiatic and orientpet lilies! let me know if you ever trade for a fan of Cleopatra, thats such an awesome historic daylily weve wanted for sometime. we see you have some arilbred iris like Butterfly Wings, we have an arilbred thats actually called 'Nineveh' maybe you would eventually like to trade for. Sandra

I am trying this method-spoons are cheap at dollar store and just need a steady hand for woodburning.

I'm going to try metal tags this year. The plastic one I used 2 years ago are faded and easily broken. The best source for the 11 1/2" one were either ebay or from Superstition Gardens. Superstition is on facebook. In their catalogue they have the best price for 200 of them. I'm going to try and get the markers discussed above as well.

yes, I have them on my fb page. I will look! Thank you!!

I don't see where the markers are on Superstition Iris Gardens fb page. Could you help me out. Do they have a website?

they no longer post pics on old web site as the people now running it make people who tune in pay money. So they have a facebook page: facebook.com//superstitionirisgardens

They have metal plant markders 100 for $36 + 11.75 shipping

We use metal markers from a local garden center & brothers tape for the label. They last several yrs. Never had trouble with birds pulling them out of the ground, although they have been destroyed by deer walking through the beds.

I have a ptouch and may just stick with that. I did see their fb page. I did find some that were $31 and right around their for shipping.

Thank You!

Erin

wondering if their will be or is a co-op for the eon plant markers? anyone know?

If you are a wine drinker, I saw a cool idea in a magazine of using bamboo scewers, sticking them in a cork, and writing the labels on the cork. I plan on trying that this year:)

thats a good idea! I don't drink wine but have many friends that do! :)

if Superstion Iris has these tags we would highly reccomend them, anything they have is amazing, we dont use facebook as we feel it is dangerous to have a site where all of your personal info, relatives, friends and life story and interests are viewed at the click of a mouse though, so we got their papar catalog in the mail, ordered some historics last year and they sent us bulbs bigger than your fist! mammoth giants of the healthiest quality probably anywhere in the US. :-)

how do I get a copy of their catalog?

The size of the rhizomes coming off the west coast does not mean they are healthier. They have a longer growing season in California which causes big rhizomes. They still have as much of a chance of dieing as anywhere else you get them.

if you order something from rick and roger at Superstition they'll send you one for free, otherwise its a couple dollars, you would still have to go to their facebook website to view the pictures though which is kinda crappy, i would get the catalog and then look up ones your interested in online. also i agree that largest rhizomes dont always mean best or healthiest but wait till you see Rick's bulbs you will drool. Also many historic bulbs from different vendors are sickly or have some form of leaf spot. To have historics like Supestition sells that are just as big and healthy and spotless as right of the line brand new 2012 cultivars is amazing. the king midas bulb my son got from him was almost double the size of my fist and new foliage on all glowing silver green right now in february.

I'll check it out and if I want to know something I'll shoot them a message on fb! thanks

They do sound really good, just needed to hear evaluation other than size. Thank you for the heads up, I think I'll take a look at a catalog too:)

Really people! they are not Bulbs! Not an interchangable term with rhizomes (though easier to spell). We have dealt with Superstition for years & recommend them highly!

bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes althought not true bulbs like daffodils or tulips. I have seen the term rhizome defined as a bulb that grows side ways..go figure. picky.. picky :-)

yes, but the bulbus irises (Dutch & iris reticulata) are different from the rhizomes, which are actually food storage stems. I am happier with the correct term, picky though it may be. ☺

you are right! fair enough..ill simply say Superstition has healthy iris 'fans', thats a four letter word im literate enough to spell mwhaha lol. :-)

☺

you can view Superstiton's new 2013 catalog and all of the photos now as of February on facebook real easy without a facebook page. go to their site facebook site and click on the new orange picture cover with the state of California logo on it near the top of the page for the 2013 catalog.

you can view all the pictures now at this link https://www.facebook.com/superstitionirisgardens/photos

Hi! I order metal labels from Pawpaw label company (really good prices!) I also have a ptouch label maker, and I use the clear labels. This is their third year outside, and some have been trampled by my dog, played with by squirrels, or stepped on by me. But I just straighten them out and put them back together and they are as good as new! I have been slowly labeling all my perennials-makes them so easy to find in the spring, and it looks nice, too.

I have had problems for years with labels. I have used various kinds of materials including gallon milk jugs cut into strips. Nothing lasts forever. I have used acrylic crochet yarn around the rhizome if I just wanted to mark the color. I got my start in 69 when an Iris Lady gave me a start. She marked them with a black permanent marker on the leaves. I have marked on the rhizome and leaves but nothing works real well. Generally if I get them marked, when I plant them I can remember which ones are which. Good luck. Luciee {;^)

maps hlp as well, a technique we should use & don't.

I had my yard all mapped out at one time. I liked it. That may be what is niggeling me in the back of my mind now-a-days. I do not know where the map went. Then I started the labeling and never did get back to maps. I do not know anyone else who used a map, but I liked it. Luciee {;^)

Been using the the aluminum markers from Paw-paw and PT labels and they lasts forever.
For temporary markers I use cut up plastic venetian blinds with china markers which can be bought in a fabric store.

Belle

Can I cut up a soda can into strips and use a nail to "write" on it, and then all I need to find is something to fasten it to and stake it. Would that work?

Thats an interesting idea FrillyLily!

http://serenityinthegarden.blogspot.com/2013/03/great-plant-labels-homemade-from-soda.html


http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-durable-plant-markers/


http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf39410479.tip.html

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf39410479.tip.html

http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/03/aluminum-can-plant-markers.html

The only downside I can see, is thre edges of that can material are thin enough to be SHARP. So be careful of cuts!...Arlyn

I wonder if the edges could be sanded or filed a little? I would think it sharp enough to cause a cut needing stitches for sure. I will experiment with this maybe later in the year and report back!

I use the old blinds off my windows cut into whatever size I want and write on them with pencil. So far the ones I put out last July when I returned from Calif are still there and I'm able to read them. I'm thinking about getting a label machine and making labels to attach to my tags.

We use a Brothers machine. I use a graphite pencil for tags on crosses.

I just found this forum and thought I would share my idea I am trying this year. I have cleaned many rocks and I am painting the names of my DL's this year. I have tried many things and critters or weather seem to make short work of all of my tags. I have used acrylic paint and sealing with a clear coat.
Bless You all.

sounds great! Love all of the ideas! :)

taylordaylily, great idea. I paint rocks to look like animals with acrylic paint and clear coat sealer. I'll have to try putting plant names on some and see how well they hold up.

Thank You! I may have gotten the idea from you. I saw some very pretty rocks someone had painted here on DG. They gave me the idea to use them for name tags. I will post some pictures as soon as I figure out what is wrong with camera. It was fun and cheap. Can't beat that!

I've been doing it for many years now. I don't seal them. They hold up very well but can easily be written over if they start to fade.