The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Deere on July 07, 2012, 08:32:40 am
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Good morning,
I was wondering what other people use to label there plants/veg?
I've got some of those white plant labels but struggle to find a pen/pencil to write on them, stay on and come off at the end of the growing season. Any tips from you much more experienced growers would be greatly received. :)
After all the rain this last week I might get 5 minutes in the garden to do a few jobs this morning, would be nice to see the sun!
Thanks in advance,
Tim
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I use the white plastic plant labels. They have a smooth side and a rough side. I write with pencil on the rough side. In my experience I have to scrub hard to get that off at the end of the season.
I keep all the labels in a box along with a couple of pencils and a pencil sharpener so there's always a pencil to hand when I need them.
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This is not really my tip, but from SimonO - he and Mrs O use roofing slates, with the info painted on with a white paint pen. I have the paint pens (v cheap online) now I just need to get my OH to give up some of his large collection of roof slates - they can't ALL be perfect for mending the roof, can they?
In SimonOs garden the slate labels show up really well and are large enough not to get lost in the weeds of my veg plot. I don't know for sure how well the paint will last though but it's worth a try. If you don't have slate you could use flat stone, or paint on wood scraps.
Otherwise I would go with SQ and use a soft pencil on the white labels, or use copper and a letter punch.
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i use to use plant labels, then i worked out that i knew which plants were which anyway so i havent used them for a while
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now I just need to get my OH to give up some of his large collection of roof slates - they can't ALL be perfect for mending the roof, can they?
I have an abundance here - definately not good enough for roof mending ;D But perfect for plant labels ;) I'll try and cut you some strips and bring them when I finally get organised enough for another visit :thumbsup:
I cut old icecream tubs into strips and write on them with a sharpie marker ;)
Karen :wave:
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I use pancil sized hazel sticks with a flat bit whittled off for writing (like we used to do at the end of pencils to write our names on at school (well I did anyway!)).
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now I just need to get my OH to give up some of his large collection of roof slates - they can't ALL be perfect for mending the roof, can they?
I have an abundance here - definately not good enough for roof mending ;D But perfect for plant labels ;) I'll try and cut you some strips and bring them when I finally get organised enough for another visit :thumbsup:
I cut old icecream tubs into strips and write on them with a sharpie marker ;)
Karen :wave:
Aw Karen you are very kind :wave: :thumbsup: However, we do have lots of slates out there - it's just he can't decide which ones I can have. He's a slate hoarder ;D SimonO and MrsO use the slates whole, so they really stand out and you can't miss seeing them.
Don't you find the markers, even indelible ones, eventually either wash off or fade to illegible in the sun on plastic? I know - what sun ?
deepinthewoods - I know where everything is when it's planted/sown, but by the time I get round to harvest time I have forgotten which variety of what is which ??? ::) :dunce:
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I carefully labelled all my varieties of garlic this year, only to find that the indelible ink I used on those white plastic labels, well, isn't! really irritating. I do have lots of slate though ...so next year..
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i like the idea of the slates and paint pen.
Once we get our allotments going next year I'm going to use that outside.
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Ink washes off plastic labels. I'll have to see if I can get some slates. Might be a bit big for the pots though. ;D
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I use the white plastic labels and I cut labels from margarine lids ( I would use ice cream tubs like Happy Hippy If I ate ice cream. I'm a bit odd ) For the writing I use an Artline garden marker. Water and fade resistant. Works very well. Think I got it from eBay. best bet is to google it.
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I use razor clam shells! I have a waterproof ' proper' garden marker to write with. They are free and look pretty .