Thanks Mike!! Good to find everyone again! I still have an extremely hard time locating my forums on here 😕

That's ok Gen, I think I follow too many but hard to give them up!

Legalily said:Not to change the subject but Dana and Rj I love your new avatars Very pretty!
Are the P-Touch labels supposed to last longer and weather better than the weatherproof Avery labels?

Ginny, don't know...I got the UV resistant labels, example below. The ones that faced the south for a year now, have not changed at all from the time they were put in last year...hopefully that will continue.

Legalily said:Not to change the subject but Dana and Rj I love your new avatars Very pretty!
Are the P-Touch labels supposed to last longer and weather better than the weatherproof Avery labels?

Thx Ginny!

crawgarden said:Sue,
Costco has good deals on the Brother P-Touch if you have one near.

Amazon as well. I've found the black on white under $10 a roll for 1 inch tape. The red on white is a little more expensive and seems to be discounted less regularly. I have 3 rolls on the way to me now which if you have seen the other threads you'll understand why.

Yes James I do understand why

We truly understand and admire you
James.

Seedfork said:I would like to ask who has labels that last over three years? Tell us about them if you do, please.

My labels easily last more than 3 years. Here are a couple labels that I believe were made in spring 2013, as of today:


I use the Avery Durable/Permanent labels with a good laser printer. I couldn't find these labels in the correct size for the markers though, so I have them in 2 sizes:
6578 -- twice the size needed at 2"x2-5/8"... I just use the template for 1"x2-5/8" labels (regular address labels, 30 to a sheet) then cut them in half after I print them
6575 -- 1 full sheet that I have to cut to size one at a time after printing--time-consuming compared to the other one

I'm pretty sure they've changed what the boxes look like since I purchased mine, but these are what I've used for many years:


Using these labels, I have some that are ~9 years old that are (barely) legible, but that was using a super cheap, old Samsung laser printer that never fused toner properly (didn't get to the proper temp. inside). Labels printed on that printer faded earlier. Since I switched to better printers, the labels look like new year after year. I expect that the ones printed with these printers will last to 9 years in much better condition. The photos above though, give you an idea of how well they're holding up as they're ~4 years old. No fading.

Anne thanks for the information

Anne, that's amazing. Lasting 3 years plus...
I've been using labels purchased from Paw Paw label company for years now. The last 2 - 3 years they were fading SO quickly. Even some new daylilies purchased last summer have labels that you cannot even see what they say this spring. I had the feeling it was the laser printer (and not the labels) that was the culprit. I have always had them printed at Staples. They must have changes printers over the last couple years because they are just AWFUL. I think I'll try another printer.

Sue, it could be the printer, though you would think that Staples' printing service would use a pretty good printer. I've never used them though.


I do have issues with my handwritten labels (on other surfaces) fading, so I don't think I have an environment that's particularly friendly to labels.

For comparison, here's the progression of one of my 9 year old labels using the same Avery labels as in my previous post, with a very cheap laser printer that didn't fuse the toner properly. It's still legible, but barely.

2008-04-27:


2011-05-19:


2013-05-03:

(same plant and label... just new location)

2017-04-17:


I just went out to take a look at the orange-brown area that you can see along the bottom edge of the label in the most recent photo. That's just a bit of something built up on the surface. I was able to scratch it off with my fingernail and the label is still intact (white and smooth underneath) and in good condition.

As I mentioned before (and as seen in my previous post), I'm seeing better results since I switched to printing my labels on better printers (HP CP1215 and HP M277) several years ago. If you're printing labels from your PC, always remember to select "labels" (or something of similar thickness) for the paper type in either the printer properties or from the print dialog option-->preferences.

9 years?? Wow...impressive, Anne!

WOW, your 9 year label looks MUCH better than my 8 MONTH labels from Staples. And that 8 month time included the winter when there is less "sun time" to fade them. Amazing !!! I'm impressed.

Like Hillbilly, I use plastic spoons, and obtained the hint from a local grower. I buy the heavy duty white spoons in bulk at Walmart and use a paint pen to mark them. Unlike some of you, I don't include all the cultivar information, just the name and color. I have all the cultivar information in a spreadsheet which I update regularly. The painted spoons seem to last reasonably well, though they do fade eventually and I re-mark them before they're completely faded (or make new ones - they're cheap).

I cut and engrave this

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Eve...

Seedsower said:I buy my Kincaid plant markers from Dan Bachman. They are worth the $$. I used the galvanized markers too, they had a hard time making it through more than one Wisconsin winter. Our club uses the stainless for our guest plants, they are the only way to go...

You can find them by going to his store at his website. Under garden tools

http://www.thevalleyofthedayli...

Hope this helps

Thanks for the link.

I am relatively cheap as I would rather put my money into buying plants. I do have to prioritize. I recycle my daylily signs. I write directly on the zinc sign with a china marker. When a plant leaves the garden and the sign is still in good shape, I will get my can of KILZ II primer and a sponge brush and paint a layer of primer over the sign. I make sure that it is a smooth layer for writing. I let it dry for 24 hours before writing. I have done this for the past 3 years and the writing holds up. The signs are easy to spot when the daylilies grow up in front of the sign.

David

Bought the brother labeller this year, use off cuts of Welsh slate for markers bought from ebay.

Sticking a brother label one side and also write info on other side with a white paint marker as double precaution as our very wet climate is hard on labels/tags.

I ordered 500 of the Paw Paw Everlast plant markers last year. Just had to order 200 more because I ran out for what I have on order for Spring

I laugh but I need to buy another 125 or so...