Plant Markers - to use or not to use, that is the question..

I've been going back and forth on the idea of using plant markers in the garden. On one hand I think it detracts from the overall natural look of a garden, but on the other hand it would be nice to know what the specific cultivars are without going inside and trying to make heads or tails of my so called "record keeping" attempts. If I do it, I think I'll try the engraving vs handwritten or laser prints. I found plastic ones with metal stakes on line that are fairly reasonably priced - cost decreases per unit based on the quantity that you order. The other concern with using them is that often they don't stay in place - maybe longer stakes to go deeper into the ground would work? Opinions???

Hi aspenhill, this is a really interesting question, to use them or not to use them in the gardens.

A few years ago I decided to take part of the field and make it into an Iris stock bed, so I used what I thought was a great idea, the ones that you can hook onto the plants at the bottom so when they die off the marker is still on. Got the idea from the Iris farm I bought the iris from. Not long after the plants got situated we had a bad storm (actually it was the first blizzard we had in years) . The greenhouse panel blew out, other damage around the farm but we did o.k. Much to my utter surprise,when the snow melted and we could see the plants, every one of the Iris tags were gone. To this day I have no idea which plant is which and I have lots of Iris. :0 You can only imagine what I said!

If your gardens are for your benefit and yours alone, I would tag them if you want. Why not?
Just use tags that are going to take your weather conditions. There are some nice tags out there. I use plastic in the greenhouse. Wood rots, metal rusts, but I do not know how plastic would hold up in a garden. There are some very attractive ones that would no doubt be really nice for your garden if it is where others can see it.

Just wanted to tell you my story about tags. Enjoy your garden and if it makes you happy to put tags in , do it. Have a great day. JB


This message was edited Apr 30, 2013 1:56 PM

Hey JB, that is awful about those iris plant markers. I guess if I do decide to use them, I'll still try to keep records in my garden journal just to have some redundancy for backup. I think I may get a few just to see how they look.

Can you post a pic of the ones you are considering? Aren't HappyDevon and UMD_Terp/Paul going in on some metal ones?

Coleup: The metal ones I bought are the kind you tie to a shrub or tree -- they don't anchor to the ground. And that reminds me -- the person who recommended them said NOT to use the metal ties that come in the package -- he thinks they damage the plants -- he isn't sure why, but he thinks perhaps they change temperatures too quickly. He recommended using telephone wire. I have a link to the markers on the "haves/wants" for the upcoming swap.

Aspen: Marking plants has been a big issue for me, for forever. Some people bury a marker with a plants, so if all else fails they'll figure out what it is when they divide it. I haven't don't that, but it makes a lot of sense, especially for daylilies, irises and the like. I have used Eon markers for a long time -- not the rose markers, because I think they will cut my legs, but the other kind they have. I use Avery labels that I print on the computer. Eventually (after 10 years or so) the labels can fall off; the legs can also corrode. I have heard some people coat the markers with some kind of preservative before using them -- I wish I know what they use and how successful it is. And the markers can get pulled out by people using rakes etc. But that being said, I really like being able to see the markers to anticipate little plants coming out and to recognize them before I weed them out or cultivate them too hard.

When I planted my awful front hill last fall/winter, I decided to forgo markers in lieu of a careful map. I don't find that as satisfying. It requires me to bring the map outside to find plants on it, and then it is a challenge to figure out exactly where a plant is on the map. Where the markers are, all I have to do is to peer down to see what a plant is.

Oh man JB, pretty awful.

Ongoing struggle here too. I find I need markers to remember everything now that I have such variety and special things, thanks to DG, (ahem not my older memory) Even after installing any marker periodic maintenance may be needed to update them or replace the missing ones while the trail is still warm. Sigh.

discussion of permanent garden labels
http://www.robsplants.com/markers.php

Thanks coleup for the robsplants discussion link. Good info in general, but no comments on engraved markers - maybe the expense compared to handwritten labels or laser printed labels isn't worth it. I think I just like the idea of uniformity and look that engraved markers would provide. Happy, I think you hit the nail on the head with your comments about the map for your front hill - that is how I've been keeping track, and it is really inconvenient when you want to figure out what or where something is.

This is the link that I was looking at for the plastic engraved markers:
http://www.idealgardenmarkers.com/

I also saw this link, but way out of a reasonable price range for my home garden:
http://gardenmarkers.com/

we had this discussion somewhere, maybe on the "other" site, but the conclusion was pencil on the metal works best with the stick in type that you push all the way down so just the tops are sticking out a bit

Aspenhill/Teresa, one of the suggestions on the Robsplants site that I liked and included "engraving' was as follows:
"have been making my own labels by buying blue anodized metal tags from Gemplers online catalog (8 cents per tag in boxes of 100), using an engraving tool ($18.00) to engrave the plant name, source, and date planted onto the metal tag. Then buy stiff galvanized wire from the local Home Depot (comes in sticks 5 feet long, in bundles of 10 - used for hanging acoustic tile ceiling framing). Cut the wire to short length and twist one end into a loop to put the metal tag onto. The other end of the wire gets pushed into the soil by the plant. Have used for over 4 years and still look brand new!! The link to Gempler's website for the metal tags is : http://www.gemplers.com/product/152672/Round-Blank-Blue-Anodized-Tags-100-box

Looking at the "plant jewelry" on this site also gave me some ideas for something for my Japanese Maples
http://stonepylon.com/garden/PLNJWLRY.HTM

Judy, how did I miss that? Reading too quickly, wonder what else I missed... Will have to go back and re-read. I don't know anything about engraving tools you can use yourself - I'm thinking the $18.00 one still depends on your own handwriting? I don't like the looks of mine, so I think that is why I keep gravitating towards anything that looks more uniform. Oh research queen, is there any home-owner type engraving tool for making the labels myself that look like the ones in the link I posted - i.e. with type/font from a computer, and how much would it cost? The other option for me to get away from using my own handwriting would be laser printer labels.

This message was edited May 2, 2013 1:02 AM

I like the metal plant markers and don't think they are too distracting once the plant starts growing. Sometimes when you first put in a small plant it seems all you can see is the marker especially in a bed where you have a lot of small newly planted plants. I use the metal type that you pin into the ground, can't think of the name right now and use my Brother machine to make the name tags.

Holly, are the metal stakes you're using like any of these? I've bought the ones called Rose stakes to mark a lot of plants from this guy, who by the way is excellent to work with: http://everlastlabel.com/

For the most part though, it's been more economical to use my P-touch machine and 1/2" laminated tape. Printed labels are then affixed to cut-up vinyl or metal mini blinds, which are pretty close to free at thrift stores. Labels going on four years old still look brand new and have not faded under intense UV light. A major plus since the majority of my gardens are in full Sun. Now, the kitties chewing on or digging up tags is a totally different story and often need to rely on back-up paper charts. But even those need updating. It's a vicious cycle and have ended up with a lot of nice NOIDS...lol

Not sure how well other colors of Sharpies hold up, but can attest after four years using a fat Red Sharpie to mark on cut up blinds with just numbers has also worked well without UV fading.

FOTV, Yes those are the metal type I use and I like them. I have also used the mini blind but they seem to push out of the ground over the winter and I quite often find them blowing in the wind in the spring. The metal ones don't do that for me. I love my Brother label machine, too. Last year I got quite a few lovely dwarf iris from Stilldew and half of the mini blind markers are gone. I had them buried in the ground pretty far with just an inch or so sticking out. I remember a few years ago there was a discussion like this one and one of the members showed a picture of her markers. She had painted them green and used the brother label machine with clear tape and white letters. They sure were very nice looking.

Does it matter what type of laminated Brother labels you use, in terms of longevity, for outdoor use? I usually print the labels on the computer, but that uses a sheet of 30 labels and it would be nice to print a single label every so often -- and I do have a Brother P-Touch labeler.

Those green labels do sound lovely and unobtrusive. I participate in a lot of the monthly plant swaps, and another good thing about the metal stakes is you don't have to just about stand on your head to make sure the correct plants are being divided, especially daylilies when there's only foliage.


happy, find the Model number on your P-touch machine. Then use the guide on the page in the link below to determine which tape, size, colors, etc will work for you. You want to choose one that is Laminated. Like I mentioned, a lot of my labels are going on four years old and have no signs of fading.
http://www.ptouchdirect.com/brother_labels_ptouch_tapes.html

Susan

FOTV -- my question was really whether it matters what the composition of the Brother tape is. Will any of the laminated ones do, or should I be looking for one marked as being made for exterior use?

Just to add to the topic here.

I received plastic plant markers that are premade with paper insides and generic names like Columbine preprinted. I haven't put them out yet but I will just as a thank you. They aren't terribly abrasive because they are green plastic.

All you need is Laminated in the description, happy.

FOTV: So any Brother tape marked "laminated" will last for outdoor use? It doesn't need to be specially marketed for outdoor use?

Here is a good deal (one day left on ebay) for a metal tape embosser that will make aluminum 1/2 inch wide labels on either plain or adhesive backed. This one prints horizontally or vertically and was discussed in robsplants and here and below as useful for permanently marking plants and even be buried in the ground.


http://blog.makezine.com/review/tool-review-dymo-metal-embossing-tapewriter/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Chrome-Dymo-1570-Embossing-Tape-Label-Maker-w-Case-Font-Wheels-WORKS-/221222557502?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3381e4573e#ht_50wt_901

I remember those! That's a cool idea to bury these labels. It's always the shipping that kills on ebay -- plus I wonder if it is easy to acquire more embossing tape -- the ones that come with it are "partial6". I just bought an engraver to use on the metal labels I bought; hopefully that will do the trick, but of course my handwriting will be sloppy....

When we were cleaning out my FIL's house, we found something like this hand stamp set: http://www.ebay.com/itm/KEYTAG-HAND-METAL-STAMPING-DIES-42-PCS-LETTERS-NUMBERS-IN-WOODEN-BOX-/151038272292?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item232a952324. I have no idea how it is used, but I'm going to see if I can figure out how to stamp out words. I'm concerned that if I do it a letter at a time, it'll look really messy -- there must be some way to line up the characters.

Happy, I think those are used like you would for leather work. You need really solid work top. I used a marble slab and a mallet that is weighted but soft. It is a weighted rawhide hammer that has some heft to it but won't damage the heads of the die tools.

Really? I had no idea how to use them. How do you line them up so the letters aren't askew?

I haven't used anything quite like that but they look square so I would think that you use each previous die to line up the next one. My leather dies are a bit different they are two piece a larger flat piece on the bottom so they will just sit lined up and the second part is the post part of the die that you pound on. I might try to see if I could line up several on them and hold them still enough to do them all at one time.

Thanks. The box is in Florida, but the next time we go I'll bring them home so I can experiment!

Neato dies! I think a certain amount of irregular could be very charming.

Charming, or maybe just loopy....

there are lots of stamped spoons and forks on google but it would only work for short names.

I think it would be very time consuming to use the stamping method with latin and cultivar. but very permanent.

Just my two cents here.

I use whatever I have handy. My favorite method is to engrave clear plastic knives and stick them almost all the way in the ground. Although I must admit I'm not much of labeler.