I cut up old mini blinds and write on them with a pencil. I can read them for years. I was tilling the garden this weekend and turn up a few I missed. I could still read them after two years of being in the soil.

Jay

I use a china marker (grease pencil). I've gone through a lot of the so called water proof types of felt pens, the only one that worked was one that said fade proof and I can't find it anymore so it's back to the good old grease pencil for me. I also use mini blinds for anything that needs a labels.

Annette

another vote for pencil.

try a #2H for a darker mark that last longer than the common #2 pencil. if you can find a properly graded selection, consider something with a darker lead (less graphite, more clay), such as a 6H.

with the application of gum eraser technology, the markers may be re-used.

i use a pencil,too

VWR Lab Markers, in black, will last the entire season. The ink cannot be removed with alcohol. VWR is a lab supply company, but I believe they have a catalog for the general public, too.

I cut up 3 foot long, white zip ties into small sections and label those for each plant. It is very cheap and they last.

Bellatrix

Here is a link that might be useful: VWR markers

I use "Garden Marker" outdoor use permanent markers. I had the same experience with Sharpie permanent markers, the ink faded in a couple of months. The garden markers have ink that does not fade, even after a full growing season outdoors. Really works.

You can get them from many suppliers, just google "Garden Marker Permanent Marking Pen". I got mine from Jung seeds ($2.95 each) because I was ordering seed from them anyway, so I could inlude the marker in the shipping charge I was already paying.

Pencil is still readable after 24 years.

I have found that Sharpie ink lasts indefinitely if you bury it in the ground. I use the mini blinds too and just write on one end. I stick that end into the ground or even face down under the mulch. It will last for years if it is not exposed to the sun.

I also use Sharpie perm marker on used mini blinds and they last. In the old days prior to drip irrigation, I tried painter pens and they really last forever. Painter pens dry up fast so be prepared to replace them often.

Rathdrumid, you can find plastic "pot labels" at NW Seed in Spokane.

The pens from Johnny's Seed Company have ink that won't fade in sunlight. (They may be much like the ones from Jungs.) Alcohol will remove the ink if you need to change the label.

Last year, I used "strip tags" on the tomatoes. These tags are the ones you find on trees at nurseries. They didn't work all that well. A few of them became brittle and broke off the plants in a couple of months.

Steve

The Envelope please !
Ladies and Gentlemen, The winner is : P E N C I L.
I , myself, use Sharpie or BIG, just to identify seedling, not for ever though. I marke on popsicle sticks.

I will definately keep this in mind. Last year, I was dumb enough to think I would be able to tell my different tomato seedlings apart as they grew. By the time I transplanted into the garden, it was anybody's guess. I just hope I never have twins down the road... :)

The problem isn't your writing implement. The problem is that you're letting the sun shine on the writing. Turn the tags so their back is to the sun or stick the markers so far down into the mulch that the sun can't reach them. Pull up the markers when you need to identify the plant.

Yawn. Pencil and popsicle sticks. Sey was exactly right six years ago, and he still is. Sticking markers so far into the mulch that the sun can't reach them is sticking them where you can't read them. Let the sun shine on my graphite.

Not just pencil but also push harder to make indentation into wood stake. It almost always works but always back all labels with a written record within a week. Records on file hardly ever fade.

#1 pencil might be best, actually. Don't have to push hard to leave an impression.

Can't use wood in the desert sun & heat. They will be dust within two months.

Well, my popsicle stick markers end up in the shade of the plant they're marking, so direct sunlight is never really an issue. My sticks don't mind heat, and I get a lot of heat. By the end of the season, they've started to decompose because of the humidity and moisture, however.

sharpie extreme is type marker you want use plastic plant markers

I use a Sakura Identi-pen which is waterproof and fade proof. It's double-ended so I generally use the fine tip. But might use the bigger tip if I'm writing on painters tape which I learned to use last year to label small plastic pots. I have also started cutting up mini blinds to use as plant labels. The small plastic labels at the farm and feed store are a little too tall when I'm at the seeding stage and using a dome cover. I use #2 pencil on plastic markers. Gather up the used ones, throw in sink with soap and bleach. The hard thin dish scrubby can scrub off the pencil and is quicker than trying to erase last year's markers.

i agree with byrd2park. Sharpie Extreme works great and comes in at least 4 colors if you like that option. I've used black Sharpie Industrial markers successfully, too. I wonder if they are the same formulation, with the Extreme a new marketing angle for labeling sports equipment, etc. The traditional permanent Sharpies fade quickly in some locations. Not so with the Extreme.

The popsicle stick idea sounded good to me a few times but turned out badly. Most rotted off or discolored well before I wanted them to decompose. Some hardwood stakes have lasted quite well over a full season, though. Mostly I stick with plastics for labels.

The local grower from whom I buy some plants cuts plants markers from yogurt containers. This is fine for seedlings. I'll buy bigger plastic markers when I plant in the ground.

That's a nice idea about cutting up mini-blinds to use as labels. Hadn't ever thought of that.

But the advantage of popsicle sticks is that they do degrade, so you don't end up with debris in the garden. You just till them in. I need to try soaking them in wood preservative, to see if I can make them last longer. The residual from Thompson's Waterseal is pretty much just parafin wax (which really makes it a short-term sealer), which won't hurt seedlings or pollute the bed.

Sharpie makes paint pens that are oil-based...I bought mine from Michael's (a craft store).

Dan, I don't use the cut mini blinds in the garden. I am concerned that they are sharp and sometimes I'm not wearing shoes. I don't till, just use a spading fork when necessary and collect old plastic markers as I find them. Eventually I find most of them.

Thank you defrost49. That makes a lot of sense. I gotta try those.