WANTED

photos and sources for indestructible plant signs.

Hail proof, weed whacker proof, Elk proof,

Many thanks in advance, there are probably several threads on this forum but my search feature is not working.

Charley

This is what I am currently using. I can get the knives down deep enough that I have very little frost heave, they don't get caught by the rake and so far nothing has dug them up. I also place them pretty close to the base of the plants. Should for some reason the tag fades, it is my hope that they heavy duty marker will allow me to read what the plant is. This really only serves as a backup in most of my gardens since I have them plotted out too.



I eventually plan to get the real markers, but will keep this system because I will remove them in the fall so that I can rake and maintain the garden beds without going around 20-50 some garden markers.

I use 12" Kincaid markers, stainless steel plates, Brother Ptouch with 1/2" UV resistant tape. They are going on 4-5 years, full sun for the one below, lots of below freezing temps and lots of snow, no Elk but deer. One went through my 2 stage Toro snowblower, the plate was bent but the tag was still there.

I think these will stand up to most anything.
https://craftsbyamanda.com/pai...

I just made the switch to the Kincaid markers with the Brother PTouch TZ tape. The price made me hesitate but I finally decided it was worth it.
Heard lots of good things about them. Can't personally speak to their durability yet but they sure look the part, and so far the moles haven't been able to uproot them.

I laser-print out labels from the information in an Excel spreadsheet that I keep on the plants. I buy weatherproof polyester labels from onlinelabels.com, in 52-label sheets. These cost me about 50 cents a sheet, so about a penny a label.

These labels can then be stuck on anything you like, such as the (expensive) steel tags or heavy plastic plant sticks. So far, there has been no fading etc. (I found that garden markers fade, which made me look into this option).

If you have a large number of seedlings, it's pretty easy to get Excel to make a unique number for each one.

Brother PTouch labels: This is the way to go for a very durable label. I LOVE them.

I was fortunate enough to find free aluminum mini blinds , cut them 12" long , cut one end to a point, Stamp numbers or letters into metal,with metal stamps( The ones they use to stamp keys.) I purchased a whole set at Harbor Frieght for less than 15$ . If they (the blinds) get bent they straighten right back. Mine are light tan, but any color will work as long as their alumnnum.

kennysh said:I was fortunate enough to find free aluminum mini blinds , cut them 12" long , cut one end to a point, Stamp numbers or letters into metal,with metal stamps( The ones they use to stamp keys.) I purchased a whole set at Harbor Frieght for less than 15$ . If they (the blinds) get bent they straighten right back. Mine are light tan, but any color will work as long as their alumnnum.

Permanent Write-on - Double Wire attach - Double-Faced Aluminum Tags - available in different sizes and quantities

https://www.forestry-suppliers...

Am bumping this thread to see if people have additional suggestions for plant markers, also suggestions on creating labels that will survive the elements.

I bought the P-Touch as well, which is great but not if the name plate falls off the marker, as a bunch of mine have been doing.

That is the first I have heard of the P-touch labels just falling off the metal plates. I would check to see if there is an expiration date, maybe the tape was very old when sold. If not I would call the company and see what they have to say.
You might have purchased tape from a bad batch.

Last year I used P-touch labels on Bosmere plastic plant stakes for my daylily seedlings. I bought a box of 1000 six inch plant stakes and these are very sturdy.

I have been using P-touch labels for a few years now, and I haven't had any fall off. I have been sticking them to plastic, though, not metal. Also, I have been using generic brand tape not Brother tape, and so far, no problems.

I do make maps of my seedling beds, just in case!

I use 4 foot fibreglass poles that I buy at Tractor Supply for about $1.30 each.

I cut the poles to the desired length with a power miter saw. I cut one end at a 45 degree angle to make it easier to push into the ground (you can use a hammer to pound them in if you like).

I use a brother PT-2700 label printer with 1/2 tape to print the label. Printer is connected to my computer so I can use data from my plant spreadsheet to populate the label.

For dahlias, I use the entire 4 foot pole as a support and attach the label at the top. I do not even have to bend down to read the label:)

These are fairly tough plant markers. Normal weedwackers will not damage them. A solid blade wacker will cause damage. And, of course, a brush hog or lawnmover will destroy them.

Great ideas, everyone! Keep them coming!

Never had an issue with the P touch labels falling off or fading, I use stainless steel Kincaid posts, going on 7+ years, rain, freezing and lots of snow. Even had one go through a snowblower, and only came out twisted.
Question for the person that said the brother p touch label fell off, were they purchased via Brother or somewhere else?

Heidi, I like the clear plastic knives idea. Have you had any problem with them acting like a magnifying glass and concentrating the sun onto the plant causing a burn? I can get them pretty cheap at Costco. I think it might be better if they were white.
Frank, Those are really good! They would hold up against everything: as good as metal, but a bit cheaper. How long before you have to replace the tags on them?
Mini blinds are OK, but if they are made of aluminum, do not place them too near the base of the plant. Aluminum is poisonous to plants, and over time it will leach into the soil.
I used to use the standard plastic labels in large size: 3" x 4" writing part and 8" long. I could not only put the name of the plant on it, but all sorts of other info too. They hold up for a few years, but after three years they become brittle and crack off easily. I've gone to heavy plastic stakes that are 6" or 8" long. They get brittle after four years, but less likely to get broken off by clumsy me.
I have used a myriad of different markers. I used to use the Sharpie permanent marker, which may be permanent indoors, but outside---Not. The best I have found is: DecoColor Opaque paint market, Fine Line Black. The writing starts to fade after a few years, but stays legible for at least five years. I get them at: A C Moore
Never get the markers made of wood. They rot to compost in two years.

Sscape said:
Frank, Those are really good! They would hold up against everything: as good as metal, but a bit cheaper. How long before you have to replace the tags on them?

I have some labels that are 12 years old and look fine. I did buy a batch of brother tape that had the clear portion start to peel. They reluctantly replaced the bad tape. Now I just buy the cheaper knockouts.

If I reuse the fiberglass poles, I usually scrape off the old label with a razor knife rather than put a new label over the old one.

I recently bought some metal L shaped brackets that I am going to try to use for some of my peonies so I can have a marker that is flush with the ground. I wanted this because I am now using a brush hog to trim my peonies to the ground for the winter. Currently, I have to remove any plant marker prior to mowing.

I have totally gone retro old-school with a cheapo embossing label maker. By hand.
If the color ever washes away, the raised text will still be easy to see as a backup.
Plus, it is fun seeing the labels look so old fashioned.
The adhesive labels then get stuck onto metal plant markers.
Currently less than $10, including labels and embosser.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AQOD3/