Cheap Plant Markers

By mcash70
November 12, 2011

For inexpensive plant markers that won't blow away, buy an aluminium mini blind (don't use plastic as it may crack) at a garage sale or at one of the big box stores in a sale bin, and from 25 to 50 heavy-duty irrigation staples. Cut mini blinds in the length you need, 3" to 4", measure, and drill holes closer to one side to fit the staples. Write the plant name on the back with a Sharpie, so it wont fade in the shade, and then on the front using a paint pen or a pencil. Carefully thread it onto the staple and then spread a little, as shown in the photo.

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Nov 11, 2011 6:04 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Becky (Boo)
Phoenix, AZ 85022
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Super idea Margaret! Hurray! Hurray!
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Nov 11, 2011 6:58 PM CST
Name: Cinda
Indiana Zone 5b
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I agree
Will be trying this one Smiling
..a balanced life is worth pursuit.
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Nov 11, 2011 7:02 PM CST
Name: Ann ~Heat zn 9, Sunset
North Fl. (Zone 8b)
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Thumbs up Margaret!
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Nov 11, 2011 7:28 PM CST
Name: Angie
Concord, NC (zone 7)
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Great idea!
I think that if ever a mortal heard the voice of God it would be in a garden at the cool of the day. ~F. Frankfort Moore, A Garden of Peace

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Nov 11, 2011 7:38 PM CST
Name: Sheila F
Fort Worth TX (Zone 8a)
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I use mini blinds all the time, but my dog pulls them up if they show. I bury them at the base of plants then can't find them again! I think I can leave a tiny bit of the wire staple above the ground so I can find the tags with this idea. Thanks!
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Nov 11, 2011 8:13 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
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The printable labels that you can get with the little hand-held printers like the Brother p-touch work beautifully for applying to these markers, too, and they last years and years.
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Nov 11, 2011 8:19 PM CST
Name: Pegi Putnam
Norwalk, Ca. zone 10b
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Better marker than I was using. I find lots of plastic but will be looking for metal blinds now.
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Nov 11, 2011 8:32 PM CST
Name: Lynn
Oregon City, OR (Zone 8b)
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Wow, what a money saver this idea is. Bet you could even spray paint them if you don't want white. Looks like I won't have to buy expensive metal markers any more.
Thank you for the great tip Margaret. Thumbs up

Well worth a thumbs up and a star.
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Nov 11, 2011 8:54 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
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I've been using 0.7 mm or 0.9 mm mechanical pencils to mark on plastic blinds.

I guess my plastic ones are always shaded by plants becoming overgrown, and few or none are more than one year old. Maybe that's why they don't crack.

Maybe the older ones have gotten somewhat brittle ... I'll be on the lookout for that when I bring them back inside to erase them or wash them.
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Nov 11, 2011 9:23 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)
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Thanks everyone for your nice comments. I tip my hat to you.

Dave I will definitely pick up one of those hand-held printers, sounds much easier then hand printing neatly, which I am not very good at! Hilarious!
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Nov 11, 2011 9:50 PM CST
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Name: Evan
Pioneer Valley south, MA, USA (Zone 6a)
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Great idea Margaret. Thanks. Thumbs up
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Nov 11, 2011 10:45 PM CST
Name: Linda
Tucson, Arizona
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Super idea ! Big Grin
" And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden" Genesis 2:8
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Nov 12, 2011 9:33 AM CST
Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)
Region: Canadian Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Tip Photographer Garden Ideas: Master Level I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
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I tip my hat to you.
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Nov 12, 2011 11:07 AM CST
Name: Cathy
St. Louis County (Zone 5a)
This is a great idea, maybe people won't pull up plants at our church thinking they are annuals. The end of year cleanup is a nightmare for me.
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Nov 12, 2011 12:10 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)
Region: Canadian Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Tip Photographer Garden Ideas: Master Level I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
Morning Glories Critters Allowed Birds Houseplants Butterflies Garden Photography
Thanks Kathy. I hope marking the plants will help.
Last edited by mcash70 Nov 12, 2011 3:12 PM Icon for preview
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Nov 12, 2011 1:41 PM CST
Name: barb allison
Fate, Texas (Zone 8a)
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Thumbs up
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Nov 14, 2011 9:33 AM CST
Name: Nancy Mumpton
Sun Lakes, AZ (Zone 9b)
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I wondered if the Brother P-Touch labels should be the laminated type. There are so many Brother P-Touch label makers I can't figure out what one I would need. Any suggestions as to a model?
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Nov 14, 2011 10:03 AM CST
Name: Cherie or CeCe Coogan
Wisconsin USA (Zone 5b)
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great idea. I never have enough tags and the ones I have disappear
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Nov 14, 2011 1:37 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)
Region: Canadian Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Tip Photographer Garden Ideas: Master Level I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
Morning Glories Critters Allowed Birds Houseplants Butterflies Garden Photography
Nancy maybe Dave can answer that question for us as it was his suggestion to use the printer with my markers, I didn't know that there were so many different types . Shrug!
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Nov 15, 2011 12:47 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
This is the exact device that we have:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006LS81/

That's the Brother PT-2600. I don't know if it's the best or even a particularly good one, but it has done very well for us and we have labeled hundreds of plants with it. Labels we printed at least 5 years ago still look the same as they did the day we printed them.

The tape we use is this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I2H19O/

It's a black ink on clear tape. It works very nicely. You can print two lines so we do the formatting like this:

Latin name
'Cultivar name'

and it prints in a very nice font that is easy to read.

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